I would love to tell you that I am no stranger to fine dining.
But I think we both know I’d be lying, and where’s the fun in pretending to be something you’re not?
So it was with great excitement that I decided to head to a new restaurant in Aberdeen, which only opened at the start of this month.
The Venue
Despite it only being mere weeks since the first diners tucked in, Amuse by Kevin Dalgleish has certainly shaken up the hospitality scene in the Granite City.
Touted as the home of fine dining, Kevin Dalgleish is clearly the man behind this latest offering.
Already well known on the foodie circuit, Kevin, who is originally from the Borders before arriving in Aberdeen in 2012, was trained at The Savoy Hotel in London where he worked under Chef Des Cuisines Anton Edelmann.
If you thought Aberdeen already had fine dining with the likes of The Chester Hotel, well you wouldn’t be wrong.
But it was Kevin who opened up The Chester before going on to win numerous awards.
So it’s safe to say expectations were high, as was nostalgia when myself and my husband, Murray, stepped through the doors.
You see the last time I was at this venue, it was under the different guise of No.1 Bar & Grill which announced its closure earlier this year.
With the loss of a brilliant restaurant, comes the opportunity for something new and it was heartening to return to the spot at Queen’s Terrace.
I easily booked online during the week, and secured a reservation at 12:15 for Sunday lunch.
We were the first customers across the threshold and were warmly greeted by staff.
The Food
Too eager to enjoy some good food, we declined to sit in the bar and first enjoy a drink, perhaps because we also knew we had to return to our four-year-old later that day.
One thing which we both commented on was how loud the music was, more reminiscent of a night club then a weekend meal.
The restaurant steadily filled up during our time there, and with the steady hum of chatter, the music was nowhere near as noticeable.
We ordered water for the table as it was a particularly hot day, and cast an eye over the menu.
Apterifs boasted The Amuse Bloody Mary, which consisted of Esker x Amuse Vodka, Tongue in Peat tomato juice, tabasco, salt and celery.
It sounded incredible, we instead settled for homemade sourbread served with Edinburgh butter.
Bread surely can’t be that tasty?
I stand corrected, I’m still talking about this simple yet effective dish to anyone who will listen.
Served with a scattering of grains which I thought was a really nice touch, it was still warm meaning the butter melted into satisfying pools.
Not too stodgy, we tore off hunk after hunk. You’d think I’d have gone easy having also ordered a sourdough starter off the specials board, but I threw caution to the carb-laden wind.
Starters to die for
A massive pate fan, Murray selected parfait of chicken liver served with mango chutney, watercress and toasted walnut and raisin bread.
I chose crab and brown shrimp thermidor served on toasted sourdough.
Kevin himself came to our table with our dishes, which we thought was a fantastic touch.
I would love to think it’s because I really am that well known, but in reality he also headed over to fellow diners. A girl can dream.
This take on thermidor which normally revolves around lobster, was honestly unreal.
The crab meat wasn’t too overpowering, but still sharp enough to pack a punch.
The brown shrimp added to the texture, whilst a creamy cheese sauce bound everything together.
With the crunch of the sourdough I was in foodie heaven, and have cheerfully added this dish to my death row request.
Across the table, Murray made quick work of his pate.
Wonderfully smooth and almost velvety in texture, it spread with ease across the toasted walnut and raisin bread.
Murray’s only criticism was the pate to the toast ratio, oh to have such problems.
There was far more pate than toast, meaning he paired the pate with the accompanying salad quite early on.
This could have course been the chef’s intention, and it certainly didn’t impact on Murray’s enjoyment of the dish.
The main affair
Our plates were cleaned away quickly thanks to the attentive staff, and it was time for the main event.
A die hard sea food lover, I selected seafood gratin whilst Murray chose 30 day aged roast sirloin of beef served with all the trimmings.
Our plates were beautifully presented.
I’m pretty sure that stealing chinaware from any venue, least of a a high end restaurant is frowned upon.
But I was mighty tempted by my serving dish, which was a simple yet beautiful shell design.
Even Kevin remarked on round two of fishy delight, I have no regrets however.
It was a bowl of heaven, from the juicy scallops to the tender salmon.
The prawns were pretty sizeable as well, and although the portion didn’t look particularly big, it was in fact rather generous.
The white fish was chunky and flaked on the fork, just wow.
All tied together with a beautiful white sauce and what I think was breadcrumbs, this was a triumph of a meal.
As for beef and all the trimmings, 10 out of 10.
Murray likes his beef close to mooing, but was pleasantly surprised by the taste of these medium rare slices.
Succulent, a tinge of pink, and expertly carved with no fatty edges.
This was clearly a prime cut of sirloin and the quality shone through.
There was both mash and roast potatoes, served with a smasher of a golden Yorkshire pudding, stuffing and gravy.
There was also a side dish of vegetables, which included cauliflower cheese, parsnips and carrots.
I have no shame in admitting that I helped myself and kept going back for more.
Bright colors, deep flavor. Getting your five a day suddenly got a lot more interesting.
Murray, who normally rejects stuffing and roast tatties, cleared the entire plate.
We had no room for dessert, but vowed to return if only for the cheeseboard selection complete with homemade oat cakes.
The Verdict
With the bill coming at at £70.80, this is not a cheap occasion by any means.
Nor is it money we regretted paying however.
The staff, fantastic.
The atmosphere and clear enjoyment of other diners, top notch.
And the food? This goes beyond cooking to beautiful craftsmanship, and I wish Kevin all the best with his latest venture.
Address: 1 Queen’s Terrace, Aberdeen, AB10 1XL
Contact: 01224 611909
Instagram and Facebook: @amusebykevindagleish
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