Dinner At Launay's Restaurant In Edwinstowe
Published On Sunday 31 Oct 2021 by Sticky Beak
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The Man Bird was continuing his successful streak of booking some brilliant places for us to eat whilst we stayed at Centerparcs by reserving a table for us at Launay’s restaurant in Edwinstowe. Surprisingly for such a popular village, Launay’s has its own parking and there are quite a few spaces – one of which we bagged. At the front of the venue there is a gorgeous pergola and terrace, complete with lights and planters full of flowers, which create a fantastic first impression from the pavement. From all this stylishness you might think that Launay’s would be snobby and uptight, but this couldn’t be further from the truth: the staff are uber-friendly and put us both straight at ease, welcoming us like old friends.
As we stepped inside, we took in the chic decor that began with a lovely white and grey tiled walkway and then turned right to our table, taking in the eye-catching duo of domed, glass skylights that had verdant, faux foliage hanging from them. Talk about spectacular!! Stylish, muted cocoa-inspired tones, ranging from pale caramel to rich praline, were the colour palate for the fixtures and fittings, with the odd splash of colour of pastel bon-bon colours to lift it all. Pale wood floors reflected the light from the recessed ceiling spheres and the twinkling chandeliers, creating a very relaxed atmosphere.
The menu is really imaginative at Launay’s – nice to see that even after 17 years in Edwinstowe, the team haven’t lost their passion and flair for great food. Whilst we looked at the menu we supped at Peroni (Him) and Malbec (moi) and slowly began to choose what we fancied (all of it, in truth!); I opted for the Sashimi Tuna and Wasabi Ice Cream (£9.50) with Heritage Tomatoes, Avocado, Tomato Consommé Jelly and Creme Fraiche, The Man Bird went for Pan fried Scallops (£10.95) with Bacon Jam, Caramelised Butternut Squash and Amaretto purée, Marinated Squash, Poached Apple and Fish Crackling.
What can I say about my starter, except to say it was utter heaven. The Tuna was super-fresh and thinly sliced so that it simply melted on my tongue, leaving behind its delicate, buttery flavour. In total contrast to the Tuna’s reserve was the punchy Wasabi Ice Cream, although I was glad it wasn’t fierce enough to induce sneezing! Chef had puréed the Avocado, intensifying its naturally creamy texture and sweet flavour, and then the crème fraiche came in with its tangy, sharper taste to lift things in the mouth. A rainbow of colour stretched over my plate via the selection of Heritage Tomatoes on offer as each type lent a different texture and flavour to this vegetable/fruit symphony. Without doubt, this was a superbly thought out and executed starter dish.
The Man Bird was just as happy with his Scallop starter; he really has begun a love affair with this particular seafood, having spent years loathing every single marine offering other than certain types of fish. His Nibs says that it’s the combination of softness and fragrance that the Scallop possesses that appeals to him, and I totally agree – I have always loved these little minxes. Quite often, when you see Bacon jam on the menu, it’s a fairly smooth example, but the one here at Launay’s was a proper chunky monkey. The Man was able to bite into chunks of caramelised Bacon, revelling in its sticky richness and cooing happily away to himself as he did so! Silky smooth Squash and Amaretto purée added an air of sophistication to this starter as well as a mesmerising earthiness on the palate with the face-scrunchingly tart poached Apple bringing the senses back to this planet. I was the (lucky) recipient of the Fish Crackling; the thought of eating crisped fish skin was a step too far for my man, so I happily stepped up to the plate. The skin had a superb fish taste to it (as you would expect) with the most glorious crunch as I bit into it – and not a trace of greasiness to detract from the flavour either. Other than the ‘fishy’ fish part, His Nibs was unashamedly in love with his choice of first course; bravo, Chef.
To follow up the raging success of his seafood first course, The Man had selected a rather yummy sounding Bistro Rump 55 Degree (£20) served with Beef Cheek and Foie Gras Bonbon, Barbers Vintage Cheddar and Spring Onion mash, White Onion purée, Stem Broccoli and Red Wine jus. The beef was cooked precisely until it reached 55 degrees in the centre, ensuring that although it would be ‘rare pink’, there wouldn’t be any residual blood seeping out. Never in our lives has either of us seen a Bonbon this size – it was huge; no word of a lie, it had to be 2” in diameter! This veritable beach ball was marvellously rich and deep in flavour with a nicely chunky texture: a manly Bonbon if ever there was one. The Broccoli was still firm and bouncy in taste, its vegetable partner, the Cheese and Onion-pimped mash certainly holding its own in the satisfaction stakes. Chef had seasoned the mash perfectly and added enough cheese to add taste without overpowering the humble spud, and a gentle hint of texture was provided by the finely chopped Spring Onion whose pale green tails added a splash of colour too.
I was doing a little happy dance as I took the initial mouthful of my main course choice: Cornish Plaice Fillet (£19) with Scallop Roe Brandade, Mange Tout, Snow Peas, Poached Celery, Coastal Herbs, Fennel and Fish Veloute Espuma.
Honestly, there really aren’t enough superlatives to describe the Nirvana-like experience my palate was having here! The fish was cooked in such a manner that its sweetness and texture were preserved; I was very grateful not to be faced with fish that flaked and disintegrated the moment cutlery threatened to go near it. Maintaining the elegant, soft theme was the Brandade; this Provencale purée of Potato, Olive Oil and Milk had the Ozonic tang of Scallop Roe pimping it up and it was divine on my palate.
Chef at Launay’s executes dishes with the tiniest of details; the inclusion of both Snow/ Sugar Snap Peas and Mange Tout in my dish as a perfect example of his fastidiousness. Sugar Snaps have a rounder shape to them and a crunchier, sweeter flavour than their flatter, mild tasting cousins – something that only comes to light as you scoop up a mouthful of them both and let their combined notes work their magic in your mouth. I have never had poached Celery before, but let me tell you it is, frankly, bloody amazing! Let’s face it, Celery is probably the least sexy vegetable you can think of but Launay’s team gently herb and spice it and it takes all of these marvellous additions to its bosom so that whoever devours it is rewarded with something quite remarkable. Crunchy Fennel had been finely sliced and gently cooked to preserve its crispness, its delicate anise taste providing yet another layer of flavour to this magnificent dish.
Given the standard of the food so far, there was no chance whatsoever that we weren’t having pudding – even if we had to suffer with indigestion later (we didn’t, as it happens)! I have been known to go off-piste when it comes to desserts before so His Nibs wasn’t shocked when I announced that I was having the Black Olive Sponge (£6.50) with Goats’ Milk Ice Cream, Hung Yoghurt, Honey, Compressed Apple and Cucumber, and Olive Dust.
The sponge was curiously savoury and feather-light in texture, with a distinct flavour of Black Olive that somehow suited being a dessert offering; bizarre I’ll admit, so you’ll just have to trust me on this, ok? The hung Yoghurt was moreishly thick and clung to the insides of my cheeks so that I could fully appreciate its creaminess, which was in total opposition to the tang of the Goats’ Milk Ice Cream; this had a faint musk from the animal that had produced it and actually complimented the Olive element of this dish brilliantly. To lighten the mood on the palate there was the refreshing pairing of Cucumber and Apple - a verdant lake that surrounded the dark moodiness of the sponge, tiny pieces of Cucumber bobbing about in it gracefully.
His Nibs isn’t one to hold back - actually, what am I saying; both of us have no self-control when it comes to food! However, this time he had really excelled himself as he ordered the ‘Sweetshop’ dessert (£9) which is composed of (brace yourselves!)White Chocolate Mousse, Cinder Toffee, Coke Jelly, Marshmallow, Gummi Bear, Chocolate Lollipop, Gingerbread Man, Candy Floss, White Chocolate Rice Crispie Nugget, and Honey Comb Ice Cream.
You should’ve seen his face when the massive platter was placed in front of him: it was, to use a well-known advertising slogan, priceless!! The White choc mousse came in the shape of a mouse, its white chocolate body cutting open to reveal a darker chocolate inside that was utterly delicious. In what was a stupidly short space of time, he had scoffed the Candy Floss and then turned his attention to the Chocolate Lollipop which was akin to those cake-pop things that were all the rage a while back. The sponge of the lollipop was superb in its own right, but the thick coating of chocolate that surrounded it gave a very satisfying crack when bitten into; one that made His Nibs grin in delight.
Both the Coke Jelly and Gummi Bear were a lot less sweet than their commercially made cousins and they were so much tastier for it: their flavour came through more clearly because it wasn’t masked by sugar’s dominating sweetness. The Gingerbread Man had a fab perkiness to it and the heated pungency of Ginger was the principle factor, which is as it should be but very often isn’t in the commercial sphere.
In fact, all the items in the sweetshop were decidedly less sugar laden than the mass-produced fare we are routinely served but not once did The Man Bird feel cheated; quite the opposite, actually – even when it came to the gooey Rice Crispie nugget. The Honey Comb Ice Cream was superb: intensely creamy, with a hint of fragrant Honey coming through nicely at the back of the throat. Waiting patiently was the tube of pale-toned Marshmallow and even this managed to be extraordinary at the hands of Launay’s Chef; it was superbly light on the tongue but lingered a smidge longer than its peers, which pleased The Man Bird no end. The Cinder Toffee had to be taken back to be eaten later, despite his best efforts His Nibs hadn’t quite got enough room to polish all the sweet treats off!
This had been a remarkable evening, one where the DeLorean would most definitely have been hailed! All the team had been superb in their care of us, checking we were happy with the food and topping up drinks as required. If I could give double Hot Wings, I would, it was such a wonderful experience.
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