Michael Caines @ Abode, Bath St Glasgow 09.02.11
Meeting an old friend for lunch brought me to Michael Caines @ Abode, I had never been here before even though it has been trading under this brand since 2005.
The lunch menu offers and “Amazing Grazing” Menu which gives you a choice of up to 5 courses (£18.95) from a choice of 9 dishes with wine pairing for £3.00 extra per course.
I was running late as usual so when i arrived my friend was already seated in the dining room, The dining room itself was very nice with modern lighting and mirrors making it seem much bigger than it actually was.
After having a look at the menu i opted for 4 courses (£14.95) paired with wine (£12.00)
A basket of bread was brought to the table by the bow tied waiter and the orders taken.
We both chose the same four dishes so it kept it quite simple.
To start Curried mussel soup with poached organic salmon. The soup arrived in a small white bowl with a lid on top. It reminded me of a sugar bowl. Inside was a beautiful light creamy broth with a couple of plump mussels and a chunk of salmon. The soup was excellent with just a delicate hint of curry.
The second course was Pickled Mackerel, beetroot salad, horseradish, capers and crispy shallot rings. This was probably the best looking of the 4 courses but didn’t deliver on much else. There was just too much going on and ended up a mish mash of flavours.
The third course was Risotto of confit duck leg with five spice jus. A risotto is a difficult thing to present in an interesting way and Michael Caines @ Abode proved this, delivering a bowl of rice that was reminiscent of ambrosia. The rice itself was perfectly cooked and the confit duck pieces worked o.k. The five spice jus didn’t work for me, the asian flavour coming through the dish just confused me. A play on an Italian classic perhaps but a classic is a classic for a reason.
On to desert, Ginger panna cotta, confit apples and green apple sorbet. I was expecting a grand finally but the desert was far from it, the sorbet was nice and refreshing but the mush of panna cotta and apples in a glass didn’t do anything for me. I failed to pick up any note of ginger in the dish and found the whole thing quite boring.
I have to mention the wines which were all excellent and the Maitre D explained them all in great depth and had a wealth of knowledge.
So my first visit to Michael Caines @ Abode in Glasgow, whilst the service was at a standard that outweighed the price we were paying, the food failed to deliver at this level. This restaurant has the highest score in the Good Food Guide of any restaurant in Glasgow, the head chef has had a plethora of awards in his time at the helm but i didn’t get it.
Final bill with coffee and petit fours (12.5 % service included in final bill) £73.00.
The menu changes on a weekly basis dependant on local ingredients so maybe just a bad week at Abode.
Rating out of 100
65/100
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