Staying in Blackheath of course led to the online search for restaurant recommendations. The final list of 2 fell between a highly awarded and finer dining Ashcroft's (which was obviously too full for an attempted walk-in on a Saturday night) and Vesta. In the end Vesta won out simply due to what I had read about the roasted lamb shoulder and it being a Sunday and so most appropriate for a roast.
- Complimentary exceptional housemade sourdough with macadamia nuts, very grassy local EVOO and a tangy labneh. What a wonderful combination;
- Truffle Souffle with (Jannel goats cheese, parmesan and thyme) $28 - a smooth lightly truffle-flavoured souffle with a mild cheesey sauce and a strong parmesan crisp that was melting over the hot pan on arrival to the table;
- Lamb Shoulder for 2 (braised for 12 hours in the scotch oven with local organic vegetables, baked potato & red wine jus) $80 - the masterdish was a mildly flavoured lamb with some soft delicate parts and a few slightly more stringy areas. The skin had a bit of firmness but there was a reasonable amount of fat to separate. The vegetables were crunchy and fantastic and the lamb/wine jus was nice enough to drink by the spoon or drizzle over things;
- Bombe (dark chocolate parfait, bitter lemon sherbet, white chocolate & cardamom ice cream, hazelnut & orange praline) $15 - a multi-layered slice of effectively ice-cream cake with different textured layers. The praline added textures and additional flavour.
Overall the meal was excellent and satisfying. I'd happily go back (even though there probably isn't much else on the menu that particularly interested me).
The meal has inspired me to make a classic Sunday roast with lamb and all the trimmings, reminiscent of my greatest one of all at The Harwood Arms (http://eatlikeushi.posthaven.com/the-harwood-arms-london-10-2013).