It was mackerel, miso-baked aubergine and pork belly, among other delicious treats, for us as we headed down to Pelham Street’s Wired Cafe...
One Friday evening, I headed to Wired for a five-course meal with Alex Bond. He has high hopes of being Nottingham’s next Michelin-star chef and is currently renovating an old property on Derby Road for his new restaurant. Having patiently sat on the waiting list, I was looking forward to see what he had in store for the evening.
First up was mackerel, cured in tarragon and served with rhubarb and crispy quinoa. Unbelievable. The atmosphere was really calm and cosy – they’d managed to completely transform from a busy cafe to a really lovely evening venue.
Alex has a wonderful presence and made everyone feel at ease, explaining each dish as it was served. Second up was the miso-baked aubergine with buttermilk, sesame and toasted seeds. Absolutely delicious, and definitely my favourite course. I’ve never had aubergine cooked that way, and it was a proper winner.
The main course of the evening was pork belly with mushroom and celariac. The pork was so tender with really amazing crackling too, with all the flavours complementing each other beautifully.
Pre-dessert was hay mousse with salted caramel and toasted nutty granola. It was a real confusion of flavours and textures but it worked really, really well. The first bite was so sour, but then a crunch and pang of caramel hit. An awesome experience of a dish.
Last up, chocolate. In every way possible: parfait, purée, mousse, banana, ganache and lime. A strong finish indeed.
In all, it was a fantastic evening – excellent food, service and atmosphere. I can’t wait to visit Alex on Derby Road, and I’d definitely recommend going to see him at either Wired or Debbie Bryan for one of his tasting evenings.
Alex Bond Supper Club took place on Friday 24 March at Wired Cafe. The next evenings coming up are all on Alex’s Facebook page, so check it out and book in soon, as spaces fill up very quickly.
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