Wright Brothers Oyster and Porter House
11Stoney Street
Borough Market
London SE1 9AD
Cordon Du Chap (out of a possible
five) : ❁❁❁❁
Kicking off the award we have the first of (I hope) many good
reviews. Wright Brothers Oyster and Porter House in Borough Market is a
fantastic mainstay off one of the liveliest slices of the capital’s food scene.
Nestled alongside Monmouth Coffee House and perched opposite the smoky,
chorizo selling barbecue of Brindisia this purveyor of fine
molluscs is a welcome sight to a weary shopper who has seen just about enough
boudins, cured meat, cheese and roti de veau to last a lifetime!
As you can imagine I had a productive morning at the market, I had a
list of things to buy but as is so often the case, I ended up straying away
from it. I had been in the market, trying samples of fresh local produce and
testing fruit and veg for firmness when I felt my stomach let out a faint moan.
Smells of frying bacon mingled with mulled wine started to make my mouth water
and I realised that it was time for lunch!
I would like to say that I stumbled onto Wright Brothers but
unfortunately I am a creature of habit and truth be told I had been there a
couple of times before. However, in previous visits I had confined myself to a
pint of London Porter and half a dozen Fine Claires! Good oysters are not hard
to come by in London and therefore I think it would be difficult to base a
review on such a limiting collection of shucked shellfish. Therefore, I have
waited until now to give my review as my meal on this occasion was slightly
more varied than on previous sittings.
One of my favourite things about this restaurant is not only its
location but also the clever balance that it strikes between smart and
informal. When I was there a fantastic mixture of city stock brokers and market
shoppers mingled to sip ice cold Champagne, gobble fat oysters or large
platters of fruit de mer whilst the open kitchen buzzed with activity of
multiple orders. Then there were the great, unreserved unwashed who occupied
themselves with their respective luncheons at the lengthy oak bar which
straddled the whole restaurant. It was a Thursday (the new Friday some say) and
the place was packed but a helpful waiter helped me find a lone perch at the
bar and immediately helped me to a cold glass of Meantime London Porter – a
masterful brew made by one of London’s best brewers.
I thought I would stray into unknown waters. I had never had cooked
oysters and had been told by many that they were not worth the effort of the chef,
however it was a flavour sensation I was yet to experience so I decided to
order the exotically titled Oysters in the New Orleans style. I was presented
with three tantalising oysters which had been crumbed and then deep fried until
golden brown and a generous helping of Tartare Sauce. I can imagine
traditionalists harrumphing at the mere thought of this dish but that did not
stop it from being utterly delicious! The Oysters were wonderfully briny which
went well with the piquant, gherkin and caper laden mayonnaise. This method of
cooking, I suppose, was a homage to the Po’ Boys of the Deep South and I
thought how good these oysters would have been between two crisp slices of
toast, some shredded Iceberg Lettuce and some more Tartare Sauce (Food for thought
indeed!).
I went light for my main course as I feel that solo gluttony is a
rather unattractive sight and I had a reputation to uphold (however slight it
was) – it wouldn’t do to be a Mr Creosote on this occasion! I opted for the
traditional fish soup on this occasion which came with some very crisp toasts
and a generous portion of both gruyere cheese and rouille (an emulsified hot
sauce flavoured with garlic and chilli). I wish I could judge restaurants
merely on the quality of their fish soup because so many can’t seem to get it
right. Luckily, this was not the case this time. The soup was thick and smooth
with a wonderful flavour from a homemade fish stock and fresh seafood. As with
all traditional fish soup there was a hint of aniseed which reassured me that
they had added a splash of pernod. There was also a wonderful taste of
fresh parsley which added another dimension to the soup and kept it clean and
cut through the richness. The toasts were crisp, the gruyere fresh (ie it had
not been hanging around too long and allowed to dry out) and the rouille
punchy. All in all a great bowl of soup.
So what is there left to say but that my bill was brought speedily
and with the minimum amount of fuss! I hope I have inspired you to take a trip
there yourselves, the food isn’t fancy but it is fresh and well prepared. The
ambience is fantastic and I imagine that it gets quite jolly in the evening
when the city breaks for supper! It is not that cheap my meal with one drink
came to £18 but I felt that it was worth every penny and there is nothing wrong
with treating yourself to a bit of decadence now and then. So hats of the
Wright Brothers for a fantastic lunch and a pleasant way to start a string of
restaurant reviews rated to the rigorous standards of the Cordon Du Chap
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