Having enjoyed Tom Martin’s cooking whilst he was head chef at Llanerch Vineyard, I’ve been keen to visit one of his Bohémien supper clubs, which roam across south Wales on a weekly basis.
A keen Francophile, Tom’s cooking lives by the mantra of “more butter, less bullshit”. It’s the kind of indulgent food that sounds right up my boulevard.
At each event, Tom serves a menu of between four and seven courses of French cooking that ranges in price from £38 and £50. Riffs on classics include paté en croute, braised beef cheek with potato fondant and tarte au citron.
With a Saturday night free and an event conveniently taking place at Snail’s Deli in Rhiwbina, we took along Mrs G’s mum as an early Mother’s Day treat. The seven course dinner (£50 a head) kicked off at 6pm and ended at 9pm - just the kind of timings that suit me and Mrs G who operate on the same meal and bedtime schedule as the average 10-year-old.
Snail’s bright yellow exterior and cosy and eclectic interior give it the ideal vibe for a French pop-up. Squint your eyes and you could almost be in Montmartre.
On the booze front, Snail’s has a well-priced selection of wines by the glass and bottle with nothing costing more than £30. We knocked back a couple of bottles of fruity and easy-drinking Villa Rossi Sangiovese (£22.95).
Each course was delivered in quick succession by the friendly front of house team with Tom providing a brief introduction to each dish.
First up, was a slice of beautifully soft and tender smoked ham terrene with a hint of mustard. It was topped with a good dollop of decadent Russian salad made with tender potatoes, peas, carrots, grated egg and pickles coated in a silky mayonnaise. No one I know appreciates a good Russian salad as much as Mrs G and this one very much passed muster.
The second course was the most underwhelming of the night, partly because it was served lukewarm – an issue which affected a couple of other dishes due to the lack of a heat lamp in the kitchen. I guess that’s one of the challenges of running pop-ups in different venues.
A French onion risotto was made with a base of long-cooked caramelised onions which provided a good sweetness, but it lacked the layers of stock-rich umami intensity that I typically associate with this French classic. Instead, truffle oil provided the dominant note with a decent grating of nutty comté providing a welcome second fiddle.
Next up came my standout dish of the night, an absolute stunner of a slow-cooked piece of rolled lamb breast. Tender, seamed with fat and intensely meaty, it was topped with soft flageolet beans and sweet confit garlic, and brought together with a drizzle of rich cooking juices and the vibrancy of a green herb oil.
Tom introduced the fish course by saying that you don’t see trout on enough restaurant menus and I firmly agree. A beautifully cooked piece of sweet chalk stream trout was garnished with a light almond crumb and served alongside tenderstem broccoli, silky broccoli puree and a decadent beurre blanc with a balancing zing of lemon. However, once again this dish suffered from a lack of heat… nobody wants a tepid broccoli puree.
Things hit their stride again with a refined take on a pot au feu. A meaty rolled chicken thigh was stuffed with a flavour-packed herby chicken mousseline. The skin on the outside was a little flabby, but this was easily removed. Garnishes were all bang on, including an intense chicken consommé, a savoy cabbage leaf stuffed with rich shredded chicken, and hefty chunks of toothsome root vegetable.
The second rice dish of the night was the other weakest link of the meal. A rice pudding bavarois had a lovely creamy and cinnamon scented flavour going on but it was a little too set with gelatine and the rice still a touch chalky. However, I was fully on board with a gorgeous condiment of vibrant macerated pineapple cut with the fragrance of fresh mint.
We rounded off the meal with a scoop of dense and creamy chocolate orange ice cream which very much hit the mark for a Terry’s devotee like me. It was billed as being served alongside spiced French toast but as it wasn’t made with egg and was super crisp instead of squidgy, it was more reminiscent of a caramelised melba toast.
Overall, we had a really fun evening at Bohémien. Whilst there were some real highs and a few disappointments, Tom is clearly a chef that can deliver big flavoured French cooking, something I think we need more of in south Wales. Add the cosy vibes at Snails and their well-priced wine into the mix and it makes for a thoroughly enjoyable night out.
The Details:
Address - Snails Deli, 6-8 Beulah Rd, Rhiwbina, Cardiff CF14 6LX
Web - https://bohemien.uk/
Telephone - 07468 427284
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