Opheem, Birmingham (*)

30 April 2022
https://opheem.com/

Another biggie! And so soon after the last biggie (see “Mana, Manchester - 13 February 2022) that I fear you’re going to think that we’re decadent gluttons. How wrong you’d be (ahem).

Opheem has been on the list for a while. Jane and I are huge fans of food from the Indian subcontinent and Aktar Islam’s restaurant is, at the time of writing, the only place catering for this kind of cuisine with a Michelin star outside of London. Islam is a Birmingham native, born to Bangladeshi parents and learning his craft in the family restaurant. His menus are renowned for capturing flavours from across India and presenting them in refined, modern dishes that are at once beautifully presented and utterly delicious.

Joking aside, we are not the kind of people that go to Michelin star restaurants every other month during routine life and business. However, our great friends David and Thomas were planning to visit for lunch and invited us along, which we hesitantly (!) accepted. David and Thomas live in the Jewellery Quarter in central Birmingham and can boast four Michelin start restaurants within a ten minute walk of their front door (darling), Opheem being one of them. So we invited ourselves over for the night and after stopping at The Shakespeare pub next door for a swift half, made our way over.

Upon arrival, we were welcomed by the first of a number smiley and attentive staff and shown to the lounge. There was a small bar and an array of comfortable and well placed seating, and we were invited to order an opening round of drinks, with Thomas, Jane and me opting for cocktails and David for pink champagne (because it was Bank Holiday weekend and why bloody not). My Fire/Ice/Smoke captured all of those flavours, with a great deep, smokey heat from the green chilli, and Jane’s Lychee Martini was fruity and refreshing. We were also treated to four canapes, which were varied and delicious.

The pumpkin tuile was visually beautiful, at once sweet, spicy and fresh, with a great contrast of temperature and texture provided by the frozen chilli. The crab was also particularly good, again sweet and spicy but showcasing an excellent hit of crab flavour.

The lounge, where we started and finished lunch

Fire/Ice/Smoke: Blanco tequila, mezcal, green chilli, chardonnay, cucumber

Lychee martini: Citrus vodka, lychee, rose, sauvignon cordial

Canape 1: Pumpkin tuile, creme fraiche, chive emulsion, frozen chilli pearls

Canape 2: Cured duck, passion fruit puree

Canape 3: Apple macaron, date and onion chutney, spiced beef tartare, duck liver pate, nasturtium, gold

Canape 4: Crab, mango chutney, coconut, curry leaf

After we finished our canapes, we were escorted to our table in the dining room. The theme was poured concrete, which could have felt cold and oppressive if the lighting wasn’t so good and pretty to look at. There was an open kitchen with a number of chefs working in a calm and diligent fashion, headed by Aktar Islam himself. He personally presented a couple of the dishes to our table, which was a nice touch.

We had all opted for the 10-course tasting menu and wine pairing (we were on holiday, after all) and were advised to prepare ourselves mentally for our first course not coming with a glass of anything, which only resulted in a brief moment of panic. Fortunately, the Tabak Maaz arrived quickly, and before we knew it we were tucking into a delicious and sizeable tandoori mutton rib with a chaser of rich, thick lamb stock. I liked that the staff advised us of the order to consume these in, as the stock would have coated the palate and meant that the flavour of the rib would have been lost. The rib was so good that I got over the disappointment of not having a glass of wine with it. On measured reflection, I think an eighth glass with lunch might have been a little excessive (wouldn’t want you to think we’re decadent and gluttonous, after all).

A view of the open kitchen, fronted by Aktar Islam

The second course was a delight, both to eat and look at. Isle of Wight heritage tomatoes with coriander and basil, tomato sorbet, jelly, and a tomato tuile. It was light and refreshing after the rich meaty first course, and paired briliantly with the acidic Spanish white (kind of a non-sparkling Cava) that constituted the first offering from the wine pairing.

A note on the wine pairing: Noting from the menu that most courses arrived with a new glass of wine, Jane, Thomas and I made concerted efforts to drink up before the next course arrived. David did not, frequently having two or three glasses on the go. He didn’t mind. We didn’t mind. The sommelier seemed to take it in his stride. And his approach paid off somewhat when it came to the very end of lunch, as you’ll see later on.

Rassam: heritage tomatoes, coriander, basil

Our next course was inspired by Nepalese cooking, featuring a momo dumpling with scallop and shallots in a tamarind broth that was poured by the waiter when the dish arrived at the table. This was a really delicate dish with thinly sliced scallop and delicate, fresh leaves. It was matched with “Epicuria” Moroccan chardonnay. Granted it was a very nice chardonnay, and we understood how the almost creamy tones had been chosen to compliment the dumpling dish, but our table are not huge fans of chardonnay across the board and this proved to be one of our least favourite drinks of the day.

Momo: orkney scallop, roasted shallots, tamarind broth

Spoiler, sorry, but this next one was flippin’ great!

Aloo Tuk is Opheem’s signature offering, and the waiter explained that it acts as a kind of corner stone to the menu - everything else is up for grabs and change, but this one always features. Essentially a kind of potatoes-all-ways dish, I admit that my eye had skipped over this one on the menu, in the way that it does at an Indian restaurant when I see aloo gobi or similar (which, I know, is a failing on my part but is a habit I’m struggling to break). We were advised that it was a layered dish and we should aim to get a bit of everything on the spoon, presented with a glass of champagne and left to it.

It was utterly fantastic. Starting off on the bottom with a layer of ripe, sweet mango chutney with tamarind, then a layer of sliced potatoes, then a layer of potato espuma finished with a crispy potato puff and chive topping. Every bite was completely delicious, both together and separately (yeah, I don’t always do what I’m told). The champagne really cut through the richness of the dish. One of the best single plates of food I’ve ever eaten.

Aloo tuk (the dish that never leaves the menu): achaari pink fir potato, tamarind

Something lighter after all that potato. Inspired by Keralan cooking (that south western tip of India known for its fish curries) the star of the show was the curry sauce which had the typical tang of an allepy curry which comes from the raw mango element, but balanced against the creamy coconut and the depth of the accompanying blob of smoked aubergine puree. The cod was just-cooked and light, and was accompanied by a single spear of asparagus (asparagus is one of my favourite things and I’m delighted to see it on the plate at any time, but even better at the height of the English growing season, which happened to be now). Interestingly, we were served a red wine with this, albeit a very light bodied one produced in Italy with light floral and violet tones that never threatened to overpower the delicate fish.

Allepy: cod, smoked aubergine, raw mango, coconut

Side note: About this time, we were presented with a palate cleanser of layered apple, cucumber, lime and mint leaf, which provided a really nice fresh burst after the curry. I was four glasses of wine (plus a cocktail and half a pint of porter) deep, and despite capturing a really badly spelled description of it on my phone, a photo didn’t happen. Imagine a perfect little sphere of vibrant green on an elegantly shaped metal spoon and you won’t be far off. Sorry.

Thank God, some bread to soak up the alcohol!

And delicious bread it was too. Soft, sweet milk loaf with a rich bone marrow curry, which was presented to us as a sharing dish between couples. Really decadent, and wine free which helped me some what.

When we saw Rogan Josh on the menu we were excited to see what Opheem’s version would be like. A staple of most UK Indian restaurants, Rogan Josh has its roots in Kashmir and, due to the mountainous environment, is typically made with some kind of sheep or goat. This one was served with a juicy, tender piece of lamb loin, a slice of kohlrabi and delicate wild garlic. The curry sauce, again served at the table, had a rich, deep heat of chilli and ginger. And, as if all that wasn’t great enough, we got two accompanying dishes of flavoursome mutton curry and fragrant basmati rice. This dish was the most akin to what I have always thought of as a traditional curry, and it was wonderful. Elevated but harking back to traditional flavours.

The wine with this dish, when put to the democratic vote, was our favourite of the lot. A full bodied Armenian red with well-developed tannins, this really worked well with the rich Rogan Josh. That, and the fact that the vineyard where it’s produced is found in the foothills of the Biblical Mount Ararat, makes this one of my stars of the lunch. No wonder Noah crashed that boat.

Rogan josh: lamb loin, kohlrabi, wild garlic, rogan sauce

Rogan josh: the basmati and mutton curry side dishes

Basking in post-curry contentment, we were treated to a pre-dessert of spiced duck egg custard, mango compote and chopped citrus. If you have read pretty much any other post on this blog, you’ll know that Jane is a fully paid-up member of the International Custard Appreciation Society (president-elect 2028), and she loved the set custard and mango elements. She found the citrus too sharp, but I really quite liked it as I though it acted as a second palate cleanser.

Pre-dessert (not on the menu): spiced duck egg custard, mango compote, citrus

Then it was onto real dessert. We were presented with our second fizzy wine of the day, which was Italian made in the Asti region. It was brightly sweet with orchard fruit notes, and split the table a bit in terms of whether it was “too sweet”. The dessert it accompanied was a pineapple kesari, which is kind of a cake made with fruit, ghee and sugar, and densely sweet. It was paired with fresh pineapple, sorbet and a coconut crumb, which really lifted the dish. I’m not a huge fan of pineapple, but I really enjoyed the balance of this dish between the richly sugary pudding and the bright fruit flavours.

Our second dessert was right up my street. Chocolate, pistachio, almond, lovely sweet milky thing, and served with a lighter dessert wine bringing honey and peach tones to the final course. Really tasty and very pretty, it also created a bit if debate on the table about “how hard is too hard to whack this chocolate ball with this spoon to crack it open”?! I was quite proud that despite us all being on glass of wine number seven, no one landed any milk curd on the ceiling or other diners.

After we had finished our desserts, we were invited back to the lounge for some final delights and further drinks should we wish to order anything. Thomas, Jane and I declined, having finished our dessert wine at the table and feeling sated, whereas David emerged into the lounge two glasses in hand, and didn’t feel in need of a third. We enjoyed rich, chocolately and nutty bark, white chocolate and gentle pine fudge, sharp passion fruit jellies, and cardamom infused canelés, a French pastry with a caramelised shell and a custardy centre. A fantastic way to finish lunch.

Post-dinner nibbles (clockwise from bottom right): dark chocolate bark, white chocolate and pine fudge and passion fruit jellies, canelé with cardamom

Lunch at Opheem was a real treat. The menu is the same whether you’re dining during the day or during the evening, which was good because, despite booking in January, we couldn’t get an evening table at all during 2022. Not that I’m surprised - the standard of cooking, range of the menu, and quality of service and experience is really special. The 10-course tasting menu costs £115 per person not including service, with the wine pairing coming in at £85 per person which, given our experience ran to nearly four hours, feels reasonable. There is also a 5-course taking menu and a la carte options providing extra choice.

One of the best Bank Holiday Saturday afternoons ever.

And what about the toast sandwich?
David: The canelé at the very end of the meal. I quote: “One of the best things I’ve ever eaten”.
Thomas: The mutton curry accompanying the Rogan Josh dish. A brilliant take on the traditional British-style Indian restaurant dish.
Jane: Bookending the meal in partnership with David, the pumpkin tuile at the very start of the meal. I quote: “It showcased everything great about Indian food - colourful, sweet, spicy and earthy.”
Sarah: Seven glasses of wine at lunch…? Perhaps not. Maybe not a surprise, but the Aloo Tuk. Layers upon layers of perfectly balanced deliciousness. Thank goodness it never comes off the menu.

Rogan & Co, Cartmel (*)

The River Restaurant at The Lowry Hotel, Manchester