The most anticipated restaurant for me was Red Rooster in Shoreditch. I haven't been to the mothership in Harlem, but I've read a bit online about Marcus Samuelsson when searching for Ethiopian recipes. There aren't many to find and many are quite simple, but his seem to be a little bit more professional. That isn't necessarily a good thing when recreating traditional recipes but for an amateur like me it's nice to see the recipes from someone reputable who knows how to cook well.
It surprised me that the place wasn't full and that I was able to get a booking for 8 people at 730pm on a Friday night just after it had opened. The immediate feeling is mood lighting, cosy and oozing soul with a live band warming up the atmosphere with their sultry vocals. It was a shame they didn't carry through until the end of the night as it would have been perfect just to sit and drink after the food had ended.
Marcus came to the table to say hello and I was impressed at how friendly and engaging he was. I told him about my run-in with his Ethiopian recipes and he seemed genuinely impressed that someone knew about them, let alone had cooked several of them.
Snacks
- Cornbread (with honey butter, tomato jam) £4 - the bread was quite tasty on its own and didn't really need the condiments;
- Loaded Popcorn (with bacon cracker jacks) £5
- CC's Deviled Eggs (with chicken skin aioli, duck jerky) £7
Starters
- Helga's Meatballs (bone marrow dumplings, pickled gravy, lingonberries) £9 - soft meat balanced nicely by the sweet berry flavours.
Mains
- Obama Short Ribs (marrow dumplings, succotash, steak sauce) £58 - a deliciously tender large chunk of rib meat in a savoury sauce;
- Bird Royale Feast (waffles, biscuits, mac & greens, pickles, Rooster sauce) £55 - they actually ran out of whole chicken by 8pm. I don't know how that's possible but they did. Instead it was made up by drumsticks and thighs to simulate a full amount of chicken. Not quite the same but adequate. The chicken was very mildly flavoured but at least well cooked with a crisp coating and juicy meat. It did seem a little excessive paying about £5-6 per piece of chicken;
- East End Chowder (whole grilled lobster, Manila clams, prawn, mussels, Jersey potato, rice, corn, spicy tomato broth) £62 - excellent quality pieces in a lovely seafood broth;
- Herb Roasted Chicken (sunchokes, carrots, wild mushroom, chimichurri) £20 - more quality chicken with a surprisingly mild flavour even with the chimichurri.
Sides
- Mac & Greens (cheddar, collards) - mac and cheese. Not the best I've had but pretty good with a burnt flavoured coat.
Dessert
- Summer Tartlett £7
- Red Velvet Cake £7
Drinks included the Lindy Hop Sour, Tell My Horse, Harlem Hellfighter, Rooster Juice, Whisky Sour, Five Aside, wine and beer.
Yes it was my birthday and nothing like a £400 meal to celebrate. It was very expensive and probably more expensive than it should be, even with London prices and when you factor in 12.5% service charge. Looking online now, it's nice to see they've dropped a few of the prices (Deviled Eggs to £6, Short Ribs to £55, and Bird Royale to a much more reasonable £44). I wouldn't get any of the snacks again other than maybe a cornbread if waiting. Of the starters, the meatballs were nice and the Sammy's Chicken 'n' Waffles may be better value than the Feast depending upon how many pieces of chicken you get (I assume 2). I'd happy eat any of the Signature mains as they were all excellent dishes - it really comes down to if the prices are worth it, which is another matter. But for a celebration or a splurge, then go for it.