Young British Foodies at the Tate Modern

The degree in which fine cuisine has been elevated to an art form is reflected in the rise of the word ‘foodie’. It has replaced gourmet, as a foodie is much more immersed in food than just eating and appreciating it.

A foodie is not just investigating different types of food but also blogging and sourcing the finest capers or pastrami. There is a group of these people who have been grouped under the collective name ‘Young British Foodies’, and given the success of former Young British Artist Damien Hirst’s exhibition last year, it is no surprise to see them pitch up at the Tate Modern.

Winners of the Young British Foodie Awards from the past three years have come together to produce a menu that is at the Tate Modern’s sixth floor restaurant. Each of the dishes has been paired with either a specific wine or a beer that comes from a British brewery.

My companion and I started off with a respective choice of grilled baby leeks, goat’s curd from Somerset and thyme brown butter, and a selection of cured meats, balsamic pick, chutney and quince jelly. My companion was elated with her choice of the baby leeks, exalting the combination of the leeks and the butter. I was pretty satisfied with my selection, although there was nothing that made it stand out.

For main course, I went for the fillet of beef, which originated from Dedham Vale. It was accompanied with girolles, potato fondant and apple cider sauce. I didn’t think that the apple cider sauce would compliment the meat but I was glad to be proved wrong as it provided a wonderfully rich compliment to the well-prepared beef. My companion picked out the cod with chorizo fresco, baby fennel, collar bacon crisp, mango and black mustard confit. If she was delighted with her starter, she was positively delirious with her choice of main, enthusing about the zest given to the cod by the confit.

For the final course, I went for the white chocolate and blueberry queso fresco cheesecake along with passion fruit curd. This was a very sophisticated creation and was excellently complimented with a sweet Australian wine. My companion chose the poached and grilled pear in cider and bay, with clotted cream ice cream and black pepper shortbread. This was a sumptuous end to the meal, with a richness that did not stray into saccharine.

It is a classic recipe for success. Getting the best young talent combined with a restaurant that has breathtaking views across the Thames. It is running until December 6 on every Friday and Saturday, so do whatever you can to get yourself booked in.

Young British Foodies at Tate Modern
Tate Modern
Bankside
SE1 9TG

Image by AliTaghi courtesy of Flickr