London Underground Restaurant #8 - Saltoun Supper Club

[The London Foodie]

Saltoun Supper Club

I had nearly given up hope of ever going to the Saltoun Supper Club (SSC) when I unexpectedly heard from them at the beginning of last week.
After numerous e-mails, I was very pleased to have finally secured a
table, and so Dr G and I drove with much anticipation to the elegant
and rather quirky flat of Arno Maasdorp in Brixton.

One of the things that first struck me about SSC was the intimate setting created in Arno’s living room with its bare brick and the open plan
kitchen. From the choice of glasses and cutlery to the careful use of
indirect light, the room expressed an understated elegance and
refinement of taste.

The artwork was intriguing; I loved his wall installation made up of many different miniature items, as well as
the beautiful antique pieces like the South American baskets dotted
around the room.

I had the feeling of entering a private gallery; wherever I looked there was something intriguing to catch the eye. There were 10 diners in the
room (Arno can sit up to 16); an interesting mix of people of different
ages and backgrounds.

Smoked sea-salt had been sprinkled over the butter and it went very well with the excellent sourdough bread purchased that morning from Franco Manca.

We were soon served our first course, a “Winter Vegetable Salad with Mandarin Oil”. I was very impressed by this dish and the complexity of
flavours that Arno managed to create out of broccoli, beetroot and
cauliflower. To make a delicious dish out of such humble ingredients is
the sign of a talented palate.

The vegetables were perfectly al dente, but the secret was definitely in the sauce – a sweet and sour and highly aromatic dressing made of
mandarin and chervil. It complemented the vegetables perfectly and
started the evening on a very good note.

Our next course was “Leek and Pecorino Gnocchi”. This was also good and very well executed – the gnocchi had been cooked and then flash-fried
with the potato and leek sauce. I could also taste truffle oil, and the
addition of generous shavings of pecorino cheese made for a very
delicious dish.

We had a short break between the first two courses and the main, so we all decided to take a tour of Arno’s amazing flat and examine the quirky
art pieces more closely. I soon got chatting to fellow guests which for
me is one the nicest aspects of dining at supper clubs.

We were soon called back into the living room as our main dish was being served - “Roasted Duck Breast” accompanied by a medley of root
vegetables, mushrooms, spinach and fresh green olives.

This was nothing short of sensational – the meat had been perfectly cooked, the duck skin was crisp and delicious, and the vegetables were
faultless. I was struck by the effect of the fresh green olives – a
slight salty tartness that provided a nice balance against the rich and
fatty meat.

For dessert, Arno served what he described as a “Pear and Bramley Apple Fine Tart”. This was an intriguing and fun dish, and had very
interesting flavours at play – it was served with a quenelle of vanilla
cream, very fine homemade tuiles biscuits, and sea-salted caramel. I
loved this dish and despite being very full, I wish I could have had
seconds!

“Petit Fours” and coffee/mint tea were served – these were delightful and I think a very nice touch to end a perfect meal.

I was impressed by Arno’s attention to detail in everything that he did – from the chic and quirky decor to
the high standard of the food and the time and trouble he took to
engage in conversation with each diner.

Verdict – Excellent food to match some of the top restaurants in London in intimate and quirky surroundings, and at a very reasonable price. Arno was an excellent host and I would certainly like to return.Highly recommended.