Bright and Airey Interior – Cornerstone
REVIEW – CORNERSTONE, HACKNEY WICK – Wondering through Olympic Park at Midday in the sweltering sun, Mrs.W is resplendent in Yellow and asks where are we going ? I jokingly point to my life long burden of a football teams Love/ Hate Stadium and answer that we are going to see West Ham. Even she knows this cannot be true and as although not being a football Fan she has realised I am at home on Saturdays now and therefore we must be between seasons, and anyway isn’t the World Cup on? She does not understand why West Ham are not in the World Cup, and maybe this explains her absolute disinterest in the game.
I am forced to admit we are in search of a new critically admired restaurant close to Hackney Wick Station by the name of Cornerstone. We are now leaving the wild flowers and vibrant green lawns of Queen Elizabeth Park and already crossing the canal, and she is concerned about the sudden change of surroundings. Wall to wall graffiti – street art?- , derelict buildings, scaffolding, cranes and noise and dust everywhere. Are you sure we are on the right road ? Yes, all good, as I check google maps again. Nothing to worry about, this is gentrification – in 5 years you will not recognise this place ( indeed 5 years back you probably would not be seen dead in it) and you will thank me for bringing you here before others succumb to its edgy beauty. We pass The Crate Beer/ Pizza joint which I advise her I have already frequented ( good booze and pizzas), and then Hackney Wick station, and she is a little more at ease. Five minutes around the corner and we are at our destination – Tom Browns new Restaurant – named Cornerstone after his favourite Arctic Monkeys track.
Tom has been the Head Chef at Nathan Outlaws Michelin starred The Capitol Restaurant for 2 years and has now opened his first independent concern in an area which is rough and ready, but has been on the up and up for sometime already. Canalside luxury wharf apartments are selling at half a million for just one bedroom and many urban bar/restaurant/ galleries are already calling Hackney Wick home. So Cornerstone is just another addition, but with a more iconic chef to steer its way clear of the other barges already in position.
The space is bright /airy/clean/ minimalist and with a whiff of the new about it, and at lunchtime, on a Wednesday, half empty. Not unsurprisingly the menu is very Fish/ Seafood orientated. We are seated close to where other Diners are already in situ but request a more quiet table in the corner which is immediately provided – I am sure the waiting staff can walk a few metres further to serve us.
The menu is one of around a dozen dishes ranging from the bread at £4 to the most expensive plate on the menu of Turbot with a Roast Chicken Butter Sauce at £17. Three desserts, and a wine list that is brief with 12 whites/ 7 Reds, and all very unfamiliar. A couple of sparklers and Roses, and a few beers/ cocktails. There are 7 items starred on the menu and these make up a Tasting Menu if you wish to indulge. Quite uniquely we are told that they would all be sharing sizes and would cost us £35 per head. Curiously if we went for the same dishes individually they would amount to £65 a head but clearly they would involve larger portions. We think this is a splendid compromise and would enable us to taste 7 dishes at what would appear to be a VFM knockout price – we are not wrong !
Best ever Sourdough Toast !
Asked if we would like to add any other dishes I opt for the Sourdough Toast. I have been sampling some stompingly good Sourdough recently but it is not usually toasted so wanted to see what they could do with it here. Wow ! What they can do with it ! Semi burnt, dripping in butter, wedges of sour bread arrived accompanied by a further round of Netherend Farm Butter. It smelt like the best ever toast you could imagine for breakfast and tasted like a cross between French Toast and a buttered Scone. Don’t know how they did such a simple thing so differently but the bread disappeared without a trace in record time.
Pickled Oysters
Fortunately our next course was hot on its Heels which were Pickled Oysters ( is there an R in the month?) with finely cut celery,dill leaves and a dollop of Horseradish Cream on top and nestling below. I would suggest just the Oysters were just lightly pickled, fortunately not an overpowering celery infusion, and a lovely little bit of heat from the Horseradish to hit you on the way down.
Next up – more butter ! This time in the form of a brown butter smothering some Raw Bream with Lemon and little crunchy Capers – lightly toasted ? This was an extremely rich dish, silky fish, raw, and if even fresher would be swimming in its own buttery pool of loveliness.
Bream swimming in brown butter
The little capers just adding that tiny bit of texture that could have been so easily lacking. The last of my sourdough toast is used to mop up what’s left of the butter in the dish !
We were both very happy and looking forward , albeit with a little trepidation, to the Soused Mackerel, which would be accompanied by Gooseberry, Cucumber and Seaweed. Trepidation as I am never quite sure about “ Soused”. The definition is something kept or steeped in pickle which can take the form of salty water or vinegar. As it was the Mackerel was neither heavily pickled or Salty – so maybe this was brief or light Sousing. 
The Gooseberries maybe struggled to impart their flavour having to compete with Sousing,Cucumbers and Seaweed but other than that the dish was another fine plate. The Mackerel gleaming on the plate with its skin turned towards to us and it’s green accompaniments all inviting. Just a little more Gooseberry please Tom !
Line Caught Pollock followed which sat with a beautifully golden crisped skin beside a large helping of Cafe De Paris Hollandaise almost orange in intensity and containing more capers – oh yes ! Do like a good caper or two !
Sorry ate almost all before photo done !
This classic Hollandaise based sauce is traditionally served with an entrecôte steak and contains – surprise,surprise – lots of butter and various other ingredients depending upon whose recipe you follow – Anchovies, Worcester Sauce, Shallots, garlic etc. Here it is shown to go just as well with fish and nothing is left on the plate at the end.
The final main course is the show stopper. (Note no Carbs involved as yet, the plates are not huge at all, so we are not feeling over eaten in any way shape or form) This final savoury dish is Cider Braised Cuttlefish with Lentils,Apple and Spring Onion. This dish is another orange hued delight. The cuttlefish cut up into delicate soft pieces having just enough chew to retain taste and interest, and coupled with the acidity and crunch of the apples with the onion just about fighting for its own position, is an absolute marvel in tastes. ( By the way – fantastic uniform Petit brunoising on the Apples Guys !) Mrs W does not want to share this dish and manages to hold on to the lions share.
Iconic ? Cuttlefish !
Now feeling just a little fuller we tackle the one dessert that’s part of the tasting menu. It’s advertised as Chocolate Trifle with Cherry,Rum and Hazelnuts. It looks impressive and tastes like a fusion of an old fashioned trifle battling it out with a Black Forest Gateaux. Great crunch from the Hazelnuts, and some deep coloured cherries added to the boozy rum makes it a winning combo.
Trifle/ Black Forest Gateaux
So for a lunchtime tasting menu the portions are judged just right, and we are able to depart feeling satisfied and happy without feeling overblown and overdone at a cost of £74 for 2 plus alcohol – Fantastic Value ! Complimenting our helpful and happy waitress and commenting on the relative emptiness of the restaurant at lunch she responds by advising that every evening is manic, with all tables busy and a queue at the door. The Tasting menu takes a while to serve due to the number of dishes and therefore they appreciate the calmness of the lunchtime service. I imagine this could change as word gets around and tables get more difficult to come by in the evenings. Also Managed to have a quick word with Tom himself and thank him for his food – he asks what our favourite dish is, and I reply the Cider Braised cuttlefish. He advises that it appears to be the favourite of most people and he cannot think up a better dish presently so he will not be taking it off the menu. I liken it to potentially becoming a Koffmans Pig Trotter iconic dish that when Pierre tried to take off the menu resulted in outcry’s from his regular diners. Toms reply – “ I can only dream of being in such a position”.
The location of this restaurant may be putting off some potential diners – a friend of mine living in South Ken said that it feels like the other side of the world to them and this is putting them off visiting – and some locals are clearly objecting to the gentrification of the area, seen by Graffiti such as “ Shithouse to Penthouse” being painted onto derelict buildings. 
However I can see that Tom will overcome these potential issues and maybe has already. Location, location, location ? Let’s see if the impressive cooking can overcome all, and storm the restaurant scene as the Arctic Monkeys stormed the music scene 10 years ago. I bet you look good on the dance floor ? – rather, bet you look good on the kitchen floor !
Rating – FOOD – Blazingly Hot Pan 5/5
SERVICE – 5/5
Cornerstone, 3 Prince Edward Road, Hackney Wick, E9 5 LX.
Tel No 0208 986 3922
Looks a good menu not sure about outside presentation!