Heaney's at Home, Cardiff meal box review

Whilst it’s fair to say that I’ve levelled up my banana bread and chicken wing cooking skills over the last 12 months, my general ability in the kitchen still sits somewhere between incompetent and inept.

So, the boom in at home meal kits is a constant reminder why restaurants perform such an essential public service. In the case of last week’s Heaney’s at Home box, it contained exactly the kind of intricate food which I couldn't be faffed to cook. And even if I tried it wouldn't taste 1% as good. 

Heaney’s has been serving takeaway Sunday lunches for a while but their meal boxes are a recent addition to the menu. Available for collection or national delivery on Fridays, each meal box contains a tasting menu which serves one (£45) or two (£90).

With clear instructions, most dishes take just a few minutes to assemble. It was only the main course which stretched my multitasking skills to the very limit but it was still a quick cook time.

A quarter loaf of first rate sourdough was bronze of crust with an airy, tangy crumb. Served toasted, it was a dream slathered with Heaney's signature marmite butter - creamy, salty and savoury in equal measure.

A ludicrously crisp and delicately earthy Jerusalem artichoke crisp was topped with blobs of delicate creamy comte mousse which was amped up by a dusting of intense parmesan and the allium hit of chive.

Heaney's cured monkfish is a mainstay at the restaurant and to be fair it's impossible to take a dish this good off the menu. Meaty slices of fish were bathed in a vibrant Asian-twanged blood orange and stem ginger dressing and topped with cleansing pieces of pickled cucumber, fennel and blood orange.

A beautifully tender piece of lamb saddle was wrapped in light spiced chicken mousse and ferrous spinach. A glossy jus tasted like the essence of lamb; it must have been the result of hours of effort. Indulgently crisp and tender lamb fat pommes anna, sweet and tangy black garlic puree, buttery kale and savoury yeast coated cauliflower were all bang on. It was only a fairly hefty amount of unappetising soft fat around the exterior of the meat which disappointed.

A top drawer chocolate fondant was given a canny twist by an addictive slightly savoury miso caramel filling and crisp fronds of delicately earthy parsnip. Vanilla fragranced custard was a killer accompaniment.

Soft and creamy caramelised white chocolate fudge completed the stonking meal.

I’m really itching to try the new tasting menu at Heaney’s as soon as they reopen. In the meantime, their excellent at home box has certainly helped quell the cravings.

The Details:

Web - https://heaneys-shop.myshopify.com/

Address - Heaneys, 6-10 Romilly Crescent, Pontcanna, Cardiff CF11 9NR

Telephone - 02920 341264