Wales, what have you done to me. Up until the beginning of December last year I’d never even visited this beautiful part of the UK and I’m not entirely sure why – but it most probably’s a mixture of distance and very little foodie news coming out from its borders. Wales is of course famous for so many food items (such as its livestock) but the restaurant side of things is a little less talked about. In the last two months I’ve discovered not only some good restaurants here – but some of the best in the entire United Kingdom. Apart from the food, Wales also offers something very unique – its landscape. Snow topped mountains, lush green fields, waterfalls cascading through the rolling hills and almost every pub you stop at has a roaring fireplace at its core. I’d move here in a heartbeat.
Part of our new-found love led us to Llangoed Hall in Powys. A stunning country house which sits on the edge of Brecon, offers panoramic views of the Welsh countryside and has a site history dating back to 560AD. Heading up the kitchen here is head chef, Nick Brodie who’s created a stunning menu and is really putting Llangoed Hall on the map as a destination restaurant. The kitchen has access to the hotels amazing kitchen gardens, sourcing as much as they can right from the back door – featuring chickens, ducks, quails, herbs, vegetables and even an on-site smoke-house. After a browse around the gardens we sat down with a glass of Champagne in the cosy setting of the lounge – a selection of canapés helped ease us in and I loved those mini beetroot meringues – incredibly moorish.
Menu wise we went all out with an extensive ‘prestige menu’, featuring more courses than I could count and paired with a terrific selection of wines. It’s not cheap mind you, but it’s worth every penny. Our first course to arrive was some delicious steamed buns with a truffle infused dip and selection of outstanding butters with quality breads to spread it all over. A generous amuse bouche of crab turned out to be one of my highlights, mixing pristine white crab meat with roasted cashew nuts. A great mix of flavours and something the kitchen should seriously consider turning into a starter because I simply wanted much more of it – the table next to me was also rather vocal on its triumph.
Plating here at Llangoed Hall wasn’t always picture perfect but it delivered on flavour – which is the most important thing. Cod, cauliflower textures and bacon fat was an extraordinary plate of food, incredibly rich and with such a deep lingering flavour – the bacon gave it a real meatiness. Mackerel with scallop, dill granita and seashore herbs was another stunner and looked marvellous, however this dish would have been much more manageable in a shallow bowl with an emphasis on drinking the juice after, adding to the already Asian feel the dish had.
And then the kitchen went all carnivore heavy on us. Dishes such as pigeon with foie gras, mushroom and spelt was lovely addition to the experience, but what really got me excited was the hare with red vegetables and winberry. An astonishing plate of food which had just about everything going for it. Vivid and bright, sweet, tart and seasoned to perfection. The meat cut through like butter too – something which isn’t always easy to accomplish when cooking hare. Veal fillet with black bean, chestnut mushroom and shiso (Asian herb) was another plate of near perfection. It looked rather ordinary if I’m completely honest, but it’s flavour was anything but – the choice of wine pairings were excellent too.
Desserts here at Llangoed Hall were probably the part I couldn’t quite make up my mind up on – a bit of a love/hate relationship. A zesty berry granita was a dream come true, while the artichoke with popcorn and pear felt a little bit off the mark. It probably doesn’t help that I don’t enjoy popcorn – I find it only gets in the way of flavours (and stuck in your teeth). On the flip side a perfectly crafted meringue filled with very well-made ice cream, covered in mini lime meringues and drizzled with a sweet and luscious passion fruit sauce made a big bold impression at the table. It’s dishes like these which make The Restaurant at Llangoed Hall a destination restaurant.
Save the best till last they say – well the kitchen did exactly that. A fondue of sorts utilising Hafod Chedder cheese, cauliflower and crisp Bread. Again presentation could have improved but that didn’t matter. By this point we’d enjoyed copious amount of delicious wine pairings that talk of the plating was the last thing on our lips. One thing I always hope for in a meal is a first and lasting impression – that being good bread and the final course. Both of which here were utterly fabulous here.
The Restaurant at Llangoed Hall is one I’d highly recommend to anyone staying at the hotel, in the nearby area or in fact anywhere in Wales. Nick Brodie and his team have created something very special here and I’ve no doubt it’s still evolving. There are elements of some remarkable cooking and if the team strived for more I’ve no doubt they could get it with just a little more refinement and attention to detail on the plating. The hotel is fabulous, the food is excellent and the views are marvellous – an experience you should all seek to discover.
8.5/10
