Enter the dragon

Last week I booked us into a new restaurant in order to celebrate Mirinda’s first successful acquisition. The restaurant is called Bel and the Dragon and is in the old Pride of the Valley pub at Churt.

When I made the booking under ‘Cook’ for two, all was fine and the young lady I talked to on the phone was more than happy to take the booking, making it for 7pm. I hung up and was about to do something else when the phone rang. It was the same young lady, asking if my wife was called Christine. I said no, she wasn’t.

Apparently there was a booking for two, around the same time for Christine Cook. The woman was concerned that my wife had made the same booking without telling me. I assured her this wasn’t the case, smiled and hung up.

Tonight, when we turned up, we were shown to our table and sat down to peruse the menu when the guy in charge came over and asked if we were the Christine Cook booking. I assured him we weren’t. He looked a bit nonplussed and the waitress went a bit fluttery, beginning the process of moving us to another table.

The guy (obviously the boss) took charge and told her to change the booking rather than the patrons and we remained at our table, narrowly averting Mirinda’s chagrin. Actually, Mirinda was wondering who this Christine woman was.

We never found out because Christine Cook didn’t turn up.

Bel and the Dragon at Churt is the fifth restaurant of the B&D empire. A number of times we have tried to dine at a couple of them but they were always booked out. We were very lucky with Churt given it has only been open for a week. It’s surprising, then, that Christine decided not to come.

And the food was delicious. Deserving of particular mention is the duck egg with hollandaise sauce and avocado starter which we both had. Perfectly prepared with an amazing cacophony of flavours. Utterly divine. Mirinda claimed it was possibly the best starter she’d ever had.

Duck egg entree

Duck egg entree

I feel I should apologise for the photographs. I hate using a flash (for one thing I feel it’s a bit intrusive for other diners) and the ambient light was a bit yellow. Still, I think you can get the idea.

Mirinda declared, as we arrived in the car park, that she wasn’t going to be drinking. This meant I could have a good, deep red (oh, how my gout rejoiced) and happily ordered a claret.

My main course (which doesn’t necessarily go with a good, deep claret) was the first suckling pig I’ve had since 1973. Back then, the pig was skewered and suspended over an open fire in the Hotel Denpasar. And, while I can’t remember the taste, what I do remember is the overpoweringly beautiful scent of it cooking and the wonderful way it melted in my mouth.

When it turned up, my meal was on a bread board.

(No longer) suckling pig

(No longer) suckling pig

And it tasted superb. But the meat was only one part of the taste delights. I have to mention the roast potatoes, which were extraordinary: a little piece of heaven, transported from the sky to the glories of the B&D kitchen. Cooked in duck fat with thyme. Magnificent.

Our one criticism (and it’s one we usually have at these sorts of places) is that there was too much food. It meant we were too full to have dessert! Rather, we sat in the bar over coffee and extremely pale peppermint tea before heading back home. A lovely touch was the little glass full of branded Smartie-like sweets.

B&D Chocs

B&D Chocs

Please try and ignore the fluff on them. That’s from my jacket pocket.

So, Bel and the Dragon is highly recommended, though not exactly what we class as a special, three or four times a year, restaurant. However, we will definitely be returning. I can’t say if Christine will.

And, speaking of wonderful new restaurants…Caracoli is coming to Farnham!

caracoli

This is the place we sometimes visit in Alresford for Sunday brunch. It’s great to know that a local place is successful enough to expand.

We are so spoiled for choice here in Farnham.

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One Response to Enter the dragon

  1. Dad said ugg I said would try it. So you are going to China that’s great and congratulations Mirinda don’t know what a acquisition is but good on ya.
    love mum x

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