Recently I’ve been dreaming of our honeymoon in the South of France. I think I can firmly blame my
friends who have been planning
their post-wedding dream holidays, jetting off on their own honeymoons and starting their families (join the thought dots
for that one.)
We spent 10 days sampling the markets that French gourmets take for granted and inside the 150+ year old Victorian bastion of British luxury that is the Langham hotel, the opulent flavours of the Farmhouse Brunch served in the Roux at the Landau evoked our honeymoon all over again.
Disclaimer: We were invited guests of Roux at the Landau, Langham Hotel but my (very many) opines on eggs benedict and champagne are only ever my own.
Instead, a hashtag of bloggers settled in for a balmy Sunday in the shadow of the iconic BBC building, to enjoy an elegant weekend meal in the magnificent Langham Hotel. (Well, I actually spent 24 blissful hours there, but more on that another day.)
We were welcomed with mimosa glasses, canapes and a beautiful display of Asprey handbags in the private dining Portillion Room that made even my fashion adverse heart beat a little louder. This was essentially my entire 2017 London Fashion Week experience in a nutshell, before being ushered into the beautiful Roux at the Landau – overseen by culinary icons Michel Roux Jr and Albert Roux OBE – for a 3+ course luxury brunch. After our festive afternoon tea last year, I knew we were in for a treat.
Seated with flutes of champagne that never seemed to empty and the al a carte menu for our main dish, we settled in for a leisurely Sunday.
The aperitif course is served family style in the French farmhouse tradition. Firstly Cornish Oysters served with DIY levels of mignonette (a sauce of minced shallots, cracked pepper, and vinegar) to be enjoyed straight from the shell – and whether you consider them food of the gods or the devil’s own delicacy – it’s impossible to deny how beautifully they are presented.
Then a table laden with ‘Jambon persillé’, smoked Scottish salmon whisky cured especially for ‘Chez Roux’, Crab, apple and celeriac remoulade, salt-baked beetroot and watercress salad, Monk’s beard with anchovy salad and Black quinoa, caper & hazelnut salad drew us like moths to a flame (or you could just leave the metaphor as food bloggers to a feast, both work).
And our view wasn’t too bad either. #understatement
One of the sweetest touches of the brunch was an acoustic guitarist who softly serenaded us whilst we chatted and employed our business tools – forks and cameras always at the ready.
For our a la carte ‘main’, as an antipodean brunch bohemian at heart, the Lobster and Avocado egg benedict simply called my name – though the silver dome crowned trolley with hand carved spit roast Pork rack, crispy pig’s ears, potato ‘flower’ and apple almost swayed me to the European tradionalist side. Almost. It was Sunday after all.
Beautifully presented, the avocado was cleverly slivered into a rosette cradling the perfectly poached egg and hiding a heart of lobster transforming a rather simple weekend dish into something sophisticated and of refined indulgence.
To the left of me, Fiona’s dish of the new season’s Skrei cod, cockles ‘dieppoise’ and Paris mushrooms smelt tantalizing…
…but to my right, I managed to sneak a tineful of Aftab’s slowcooked Beef cheek served ‘parmentier’ style with bitter leaves salad and potato puree which was smoother than New Orleans jazz.
And then, to dessert. Or cheese depending on your upbringing.
For the French, sucré must follow salé, and honestly why would you want to argue? There was a selection of French and Italian cheeses and charcuterie to satisfy any savoury lovers palate, but I was saving myself for the sucré course.
Heaven on a plate.
Rhubarb (fresh from the Yorkshire triangle) trifle, blood orange meringue pie, my favourite – tarte tatin with Normandy crème fraiche, choux pastry delicately pipedwith Ecuadorian chocolate cream
individual portions of crème caramel, orange flavoured financiers, a flan with Armagnac prunes and even a platter of exotic fresh fruit with slices of dragon fruit, mango, pineapple, melon, strawberries and kiwifruit for a lighter corner.
Oh, not to mention tray of fresh croissants, muffins and m&m stuffed cookies sure to please the most ardent of brunch critics.
We savoured away a good portion of the afternoon, I mean can you really blame us?
As such a beautiful, flavoursome corner of provencal France conveniently located a few minutes walk from the hubbub of Oxford Street, it really is unbeatable. For more details of the Roux at the Landau Farmhouse brunch see their website.
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