La Vallee Blanche, An Anniversary Dinner

   To celebrate our first wedding anniversary, my husband and I booked a table at La Vallee Blanche in Glasgow's West End.  We booked the table in August just to be sure we could, as our anniversary just happened to fall on a Friday.
   When we arrived we were promptly greeted at the door with smiles.  Our coats were taken and we were shown to our table.  It wasn't the best table in the dining room, but the restaurant was just about full.  As soon as we were settled we were brought complimentary glasses of Perrier Jouet.  We were then told that just as soon as a big table left we would be moved to the corner wall table for more privacy, as that is where our table was meant to have been.  True to his word we were whisked away to the corner within minutes.  After we had settle in I became more comfortable, and it was a bit quieter.  There was a large group of men on the other side of the dining room that may have had a bit too much to drink.  They were a touch loud when talking, but they left shortly after we placed our order.  After this the noise level became much more reasonable.  

Mmmm Perrier Jouet.

   When it came time to order I was heartbroken to learn that they had sold out of the chicken, pheasant and duck terrine starter.  I had had my heart set on it.  Instead I ordered the Hand Dived Tarbert Scallops.  My husband ordered the Braised Ramsay's Pigs Cheeks.
We also ordered the Vielles Vignes Carignan which from a 40 year old vineyard in Pays d'Herault.  This is fast becoming one of my favourite reds.

   After we ordered we brought a little amuse-bouche.  It was Pork Rillette with Cornichons on a lightly salted crisp bread.  This wasn't really great for me, but only because I'm not the greatest fan of pork.  It was loved by the husband.  

Pork Rillette Amuse-Bouche.

   Our starters arrived, and I must say that my broken heart was healed quite a bit when I saw my scallops.  The plate looked amazing!  The dish included two halved scallops, 4 slices of chorizo,  a wilted onion salad with a smoked oil vinaigrette and a white onion puree.  It all went perfectly together.  I devoured it.  The scallops were perfectly cooked, and went sowell with the chorizo.  The onion puree had just the right amount of sweetness to counter the chorizo, and the salad was just divine.

Scallops with chorizo, white onion puree wilted onion salad and smoked oil vinaigrette. 

   My husbands starter always looks so delicious, but I really do not like pigs cheeks.  I have given them a try, but they just don't do anything for me.  The presentation is beautiful.  Two pigs cheeks each resting on pea puree, and served with a salad of frisee, smoked bacon, garlic crisps, and broad beans.  The salad and puree are delightful, and I quite enjoy those aspects.  The pigs cheeks were perfectly cooked.  So tender and moist.  They were devoured.

The pigs cheeks.

  Now for the mains.  I ordered the Crisp Sea Bream and the husband ordered the 7oz Aberdeen Angus Fillet.  My dish looked amazing.  The dish was consisted of a perfectly cooked fillet of sea bream on a bed of spinach with, pommes mousseline, leeks, squat lobsters, braised chicken wings and creme fraiche veloute.  Everything in the dish worked beautifully together. The sea bream was perfectly seasoned, the skin crisp with just enough salt.  The flesh flaked at the touch of the fork.  It was delightful.  The chicken wing was perfection, so tender.  The veloute just enhanced every aspect of the dish.  It was beautiful, and I cleaned my plate.

Crisp Sea Bream.

    The husbands fillet was ordered at medium, and La Vallee Blanche always does their steaks a bit under.  This is known to us.  His steak was perfectly cooked, but he now realizes that he prefers his steaks just a little bloodier.  The steak was perfectly cooked, and thoroughly enjoyed.  It came with fondant potato, crisp tongue, puy lentils, winter chanterelles, cornichons, and a garlic and red wine sauce.  I only tried the lentils and the red wine sauce, and I must say, the were delicious!  The sauce was amazing, and I imagine that it complimented the fillet nicely.  The lentils were enjoyed, and the fondant potato devoured.

Fillet Steak.

  Now it was time for dessert.  I ordered the dessert special.  Treacle Tart with Lemon Ice Cream, and my husband ordered the Cold Chocolate Fondant with Tonka Bean Panna Cotta. After we ordered we were presented with dessert wines to compliment our dessert choices.  I was given Jurancon which is crisp and has a peach like taste, and my husband was given a Muscat.

Dessert Wines.

  My tart was warmed and had a layer of orange curd.  The lemon ice cream complimented it beautifully.  It was served with butterscotch sauce and a spiced anglaise.  The ice cream sat upon a shard of candied orange peel and also had a shard sticking out of the ice cream.  The entire dish worked beautifully.  I ate every bite.

Treacle Tart with Lemon Ice cream.

    
   My husbands dessert was gorgeous!  It was so beautifully presented.  The dish consisted of the cold chocolate fondant that was quite reminiscent of ganache, salted caramel, tonka bean panna cotta, and a coffee anglaise.  The panna cotta was delightful.  I adore the flavour of tonka beans, and would have loved to just have had a giant tonka panna cotta with nothing else.  The fondant itself was too much for me.  Just too rich.  If I were to go in just for dessert it would have been lovely, but after a full meal, it was just too rich.  The dish worked well though.  The coffee anglaise brought out the coffee flavour of the tonka, and the tonka just adds a little something to chocolate. 

Cold Chocolate Fondant with Tonka Bean Panna Cotta.

  As we were terribly full after our desserts were finished, we opted for no coffees.  Though to our surprise, we were presented with a plate of petite fours with the words "Happy Anniversary"  written in chocolate on the rim.  The petite fours consisted of mini peanut butter cookies, blackcurrant pate de fruits, vanilla fudge, frangipane wedge and a chocolate ganache with white sesame seeds on top and what I believe to be a sesame praline on the bottom.  They were lovely.  Now this has endeared La Vallee Blanche to my husband and myself even more.  It is already our favourite dining spot in the city, we adore the staff they are all so kind and lovely, and they always make us feel welcome.  They really made our anniversary special, and I love them for this.

Petite Four Selection.

  I can't wait to go back for their Christmas menu next month!

M.