108 Garage Review
Do you like music in restaurants – do you even pay attention to what they play, if indeed there is any to listen to in the first place ? Should it be background music, unobtrusive, hardly discernible or in your face, loud, making conversations difficult – especially when you are like me when age has left my hearing with a bad filter to separate white noise from the discussion actually going on around you. I happen to be a big music fan and certainly do pay attention to the quality of music in any restaurant, bar, shop – wherever.
Upon arrival at 108 Garage in Golbourne Road, Notting Hill, (at home to a Moroccan community and many outlets, selling Tagines from the market stalls, and Veg/ Fruit shops), I am early and therefore am seated alone wherein the music and surroundings have my undivided attention. It’s not too loud, but loud enough to hear well – The Beatles White album, from Julia through to Helter Skelter to CryBaby Cry. What an incredible album this is, and one that is greatly appreciated when alone and in the environment I am in. The surroundings are Industrial, not surprising when you appreciate this was indeed an ex Garage and the exposed brickwork, corrugated iron and black metal ceiling are constant reminders of its previous incarnation. There is some artwork in there somewhere too, metallic shapes blending in with the overall view, and a shiny copper bar top to round off the edgy but comfortable aura.
This is 108 Garage opened in June 2017 by 40 year old Co Owner And Chef Chris Denney who is a lean keen fighting machine, allegedly quoted to saying he would blow his brains out if he did not get a star. The restaurant was visited by me almost immediately after its initial opening when it was turning away 200 people a week such was its highly regarded status. It is now being revisited a year on to a) determine if anything has changed and b) to establish if I can understand why it has been so far overlooked by the Michelin Inspectors when so many good things have been written about it. First impressions, and if memory serves me correct, are that aesthetically nothing has really altered – the same basic looking mismatching crockery, a mixture of wooden and leather covered low spindly chairs and an area at the bar where you could sit and see the kitchen at work. It’s a balmy evening and both of the restaurants doors are wedged wide open and I have a table by the window and open door benefiting from the breeze.
Provided with a drinks list my attention is drawn to their special G and T’s that includes a Bulldog which has Star Anise,Pink Peppercorn And Indian Tonic. Love a bit of aromatic pink peppercorn, me, and when it arrives it is a riot of colour and the pepper providing a beautiful spice to the drink not experienced before.
Bulldog – be careful of those Pink Peppercorns !
It’s a massive draw to my friends upon their arrival as they all order the same. Whilst enjoyable there was a small issue of the peppercorns being sucked up through the straw as you drank the thing and then you had a decision to make – crunch on the peppercorn or fish it out of your mouth and start a collection of them on your side plate ! We employed various strategies but all agreed that it maybe difficult to have more than one of these cocktails.
Unbeknown to me on a Saturday night the only offering was a £60 tasting menu, and therefore the only food choice to make was the main course of Red Mullet/Octopus or Jacobs Ladder – a cut of beef from the Short Rib. However, I am getting ahead of myself here – the first offering was a bowl of Sourdough Bread accompanied by 2 little pots of beautiful silky Chicken liver Parfait.
Chicken Liver Parfait – who needs Butter !
I recall this from a year ago and thought at the time this a fab indulgent alternative to the usual butter you would expect with the Bread. In fact it’s so good it’s tempting to overdo the combination almost forgetting what’s to come. I compliment the waiter on it who even offers me a pot to take home which I sheepishly decline, and whilst writing this the next morning feel I have missed a trick ! What I would give to have this right now with my coffee ! The bread is also and incredibly good Sourdough – the competition in bread offered by restaurants is mind boggling and a light years away from what was being offered 5 years ago, this bread had very snappable crust and a light chewy soury Centre But was competing with a similar offering from Le Trompette visited the day before ( no review as too drunk later on in the day) which dare I say even surpassed Garage, but both were of the highest quality.
Acton Cows ?
Our Tasting Menu started with a Burrata from Acton ( a few miles down the road) which was soft milky and no worse than any classic Burrata tasted in Italy. This was complimented by some fruit peaches, some lovage giving a celery like punch, and a crunchy Tuile to give a bit of texture. We amused ourselves by questioning where the fields or cows are in Acton to produce this cheese but were advised that the milk was delivered to Acton and the process was finished there.
Next up was some Wye Valley Asparagus which was topped with some salty smoked Lardo, and some bitter dandelion leaves. On the side some egg yolk and rice which had been crisped up to a beautiful crunch. The smokiness, bitterness and crunch were a great combination complimented by fat buttery asparagus giving a silky ness to overall dish. Worth noting here were indeed the dishes themselves, heavy,rustic, large and wonderfully crafted.
Asparagus etc
Back to the music – by now we were on to some classic R.E.M. and even my dining colleagues mentioned the quality of the music running a close second to the quality of the food.
Now we were on to the Main Course were a salt brined, unctuous and melting Jacobs Ladder was smothered in a jumble of dill pickle tartar, and a leaf of Baby Gem. Others on the table had opted for the fish course which was the Red Mullet topped with pickled Kholrobi and a section of octopus tentacle on a stick – Octopus lollipop as it were.
Jacobs Ladder
Red Mullet
The Mullet had the expected oily flesh but freshened up with something tangy but undetectable as to what was providing it. Whilst I did not have the opportunity to sample it Octopus was said to have been a little salty but saving this both Main Courses continued the high quality levels. Two more courses to go and I am thinking – Wow, whilst the location maybe unfashionable and edgy, many starred restaurants are not producing such inventive food also focusing on local provenance. What do they need to do ?
The Palette cleanser was unfortunately not for me and one I was dreading due to my aversion to Cucumber- a Cuc sorbet with dill. Others appreciated it for what it was – a very good fresh cleanser before the dessert for real.
Yuk – Cucumber Sorbet !
Maybe desserts are an area whereby Garage has more of a limited ability as the Cuc Sorbet was followed by more sorbet/ice cream action involving a basil sorbet and a buttermilk ice cream. These sat on some summery and strong tasty strawberries and arrived with some test tube shaped receptacles of Strawberry and rhubarb sauce to pour over. 
And what was this extra taste lurking at the bottom – the addition of coffee which worked well will all of the other tastes on the plate. The basil in particular was very strong in taste and as we know strawberries/balsamic combination works well and here the pungent sorbet was a great accompaniment to the fizzy fresh strawberries.
The wine list is brief and ranges from £32 to £137 with many available by the glass and some as 500ml carafes. We washed down our meal with a Bottle of freshly acidic Rias Baxas Albariño at £74 and an earthy 2013 Paal Syrah from Navarra at £64.
We all came away hugely complimenting the culinary competence and originality of the dishes with maybe only one small criticism, due to lack of side dishes or Veggie accompaniments maybe there should be an extra course involved as we felt we could have eaten a little more ?
Personally I love the atmosphere of the restaurant – it maybe would fit in more in Shoreditch or Dalston neighbourhood rather than surviving amongst it’s Moroccan environs. Does it need a Star – maybe such recognition would attract more punters – having said that the Restaurant was full, with interestingly, more mature Diners than younger ones. More importantly the reviews continue to be good, and deservedly so, Tatlers recognised it as their Restaurant of the Year. What does Michelin know anyway – they make tyres don’t they ? Chris – please don’t blow your brains out yet !
Rating Food – Blazingly Hot Pan 5/5
Service – Very Hot Pan 4/5
108 Garage , 108 Golbourne Road, W10 5PS
Tel No 0208 969 3769
What had finally prompted me to visit BAM was a special evening in partnership with Book publishers Phaidon Who we’re launching their brand new edition of their bible like tome “ Where Chefs Eat” – a Culinary Global map to restaurants where supposedly famous Chefs hang out. This is not a Michelin Star Fine Dining Directory , but one that mashes up Cheap Fantastic Eateries, Street Food And other affordable Dining options together with the more established wallet swallowing Restaurants that are more frequently reviewed/ critiqued. The book was to be presented by food critic and founder of Worlds 50 Best Restaurants – Joe Warwick. In fact upon arrival for our 8.30 slot it was Joe who we first encountered – who appeared to be doubling up as Barman – as he presented us with our first cocktail of the night a Bullit Frontier Lemonade with a punchy Bourbon base.
We also made a Pate De Campagne using chicken livers and minced Pork together with Pistachios. This was quite simple to prepare and really tasty, especially when served with the Onion Confit we had prepared, and the Walnut and Raisin Bread which grew to be a monster.
If you decide to visit Hide after reading this review please take note that the restaurant is very aptly named in that we walked straight past its nondescript And well hidden frontage and continued walking down Piccadilly towards Marble Arch. By the time we arrived at another excellent dining destination – Coya- I realised that we had ventured to far and we made an abrupt U turn and headed back towards Green Park station. Hide and Seek – where are you Ollie ?
Mrs.West started with Chesnut parcels in a light duck broth – little Tortellini shaped parcels bobbing about in a pungent and intend,y flavoured broth – actually deeply coloured as opposed to the light broth advertised but so good I was not offered a taster. I had opted for the Red Prawns with fragrant herbs in a chilled broth made from prawn shells. It was a picture on a plate, raw delicate prawns complimented with strong dill and fragrant aniseedy baby fennel. 
The broth was earthy and well balanced – a delightfully refreshing dish perfect for a Summers Day. I had also opted to pay the £18 supplement for additional Exmoor Caviar – adding a little extra saltiness to the meal but unclear as to where in Exmoor they had unearthed Sturgeon?
Mrs West chose one of her Restaurant staples – Octopus- another picture of a plate having been barbecued and dressed with Moscatel Grapes, Lovage And White Miso. Another meal where not one morsel came my way but I was advised was soft,sweet but with a little smokiness and crunch from the Hot coals. 
The rest of the menu was also extremely inviting with a Grilled Spice Quail with date syrup,Globe artichoke and toasted grains looking very much like a meal that would require testing on a second visit.
We were provided with a snack to keep us going – some little chickpeas that had been roasted with kefir lime leaves that tasted very aromatic and moorish, especially at 10.15pm as our table of four had not eaten for a very long time !
My friends were a little shocked by the enormous puffs that arrived but I had expected something akin to a giant pork scratching and I was not a million miles away from what turned up.
Next up were crispy baby Sicilian artichokes with a black shallot Ailoli (£8.50) Another unusual dish, not exactly very colourful, but, as it said on the tin, very crispy, dry admittedly, but when mixed with the lovely oniony purée and little flecks of burnt shallots around the edges, was another hit.
Then we had something that would be more refreshing unusual and really worked well. An early season Tomato and Coconut Salad , Green Strawberries and Tomato shrub. The list of ingredients felt like they should not be on the same plate.
The strawberries were in fact pickled green strawberries from one of the jars we had seen at the reception area, the coconut shredded, and the bowl also contained Tomato juices, which as my friend Claire exclaimed was “her dream Tomato Juice” . This really was a palet cleanser, as well as being an exotic and unusual salad, and we ended up with four spoons fighting for the remaining Tomato juice in the bottom of the bowl. Lastly from the starters was Char grilled sprouting broccoli , Chiankiang Vinegar and salted egg yolk (£9.50) which our waiter advised was his favourite on the menu.
I have no idea what the Vinegar was but the broccoli was beautifully grilled and to the side was a kind of egg yolk purée smeared across the plate with additions which we were explained to us but my brain cannot recall as by now was in overload. In fact each and every dish appeared to have so many previously unheard of ingredients (which I was not writing down and was drinking lots of red wine) that I will not be able to do the Restaurant justice. Indeed the restaurant was already thinning out as it was relatively late and it appeared the waiters had more time to explain each and every dish and relished the list of ingredients they were imparting to us. With a keen interest in food and method of preparation etc I was very happy with this, albeit I can imagine it would not be everybody’s cup of tea.
We thought the Octopus involved a long prep but the Beef short rib Pastrami, Horseradish and pistachio involved beef in a brined marinade for 7 days and a process too complicated to remember and report but just to know it involved sodium nitrate to keep the beef a pink colour ( or it would turn an unappetising grey). The beef fell apart at the touch of a fork and it reminded you of a posh version of a pastrami sandwich from Brick Lane, which I think that was the objective. This plate of course had the added luxury of a Horseradish purée, pistachios coating the beef, baby carrots and nasturtium leafs to garnish. It was impeccable and would draw me back for a second visit in itself. Lastly was the Pork Belly with an XO sauce and Cime De Rapa. 
The XO is a Chinese sauce which supposedly contains all of the most luxuriant ingredients the Chinese could muster in days gone by. Cime di Rapa are Sicilian turnip tips with a very bitter taste but offset by the sweet XO sauce and blobs of onion purée on the side. The slow roasted pork belly had lots of fat adding to the umami taste in the mouth and if you could manage a bit of pork puff on the same fork you had another texture to enjoy at the same time. Another technically beautifully prepared dish that I would come back for tomorrow.
A wacky parsnip and coconut sorbet with Pandan and coffee – another combination which seems alien (X files again !) together on a plate but had a curious but not unpleasant taste.
The marshmallow being frozen had the taste and consistency of half marshmallow/ half ice cream (in a very pleasing way) which coupled with the sour rhubarb was very pleasant. Our free dessert was the Matcha Ice Cream, Malt Cookie and Miso, a sort of avant garden Creme Brûlée, The Miso sitting in little blobs atop a malty biscuit encasing the matcha ice cream.
The Miso here though was somewhat overpowering and was the one dessert we were not so keen on.
After several reincarnations it was due to be demolished in the 1960s but a campaign was launched to save it and after being Grace II listed and adequate funds were found it reopened as a Theatre and Concert Hall in 1997. Between 2007 and 2015 more works have taken place to ensure a safe environment and utilising money from the Heritage Lottery Fund the building was repaired conservatively retaining many original features so that it is now established as a kind of shabby/chic environment where you are able to see original features, view a small museum and drink cocktails/ eat pizzas and marvel at an array of eclectic performances in its high ceilings original Music Hall.
The bottle appeared to have 2 Angels kissing on the front label ( one male,one female), and that was what it was like to drink. Like kissing an angel, silky smooth, medium bodied and easy to drink without food – this could be a dangerous start to the evening! With my friend Ed planning on cycling back home to North London alarm bells were already ringing.
