Stop Press: Birthday girl helps feed others, namely me!

Luckily I have never been into fasting, especially not when required by religious convention, so I was in a great position to enjoy being treated, together with the by now famous MT/YT team, to dinner by my friend MG, to help her celebrate her birthday. Though scarcely underfed, I have been looking forward to this occasion since it was announced 10 days ago, knowing that both the food - at SIMUL restaurant - and the wine (straight from YT's private cellar) would be exceptional. The company was, of course, even better. And did you know that simul means 'together' from the latin, as in simultaneous? I didn't, and now I do!

Dear reader, should you find that my less than svelte figure is objectionable, feel free to accost and scold these heinous individuals who, with numerous excuses like birthdays and regular invitations, constantly lead me astray. Do not look upon me with pity, much like a goose being fed in order to produce fois gras, however,  because as fatty as my liver may or may not be, I end up being a more than enthusiastic participant in these events. And I seem to say to myself more often than not these days : 'Tomorrow I may have to diet/fast/whatever, but tonight I will enjoy myself!'

Ah, Simul a la carte.... I chose:

1. A chickpea mini casserole with veal bone marrow and langoustine tails. This was an interesting dish, a play on rustic and luxury ingredients, a clever evolution of a classic peasant dish. The bone marrow added texture and an extra taste dimension, while the langoustine tails connected this very earthy dish to the sea, to water, to a delicate, complex, very different taste and texture sensation. I found this a most satisfying dish. YT next to me chose a dish featuring skate cheeks (2nd photo down) which was another clever play on taste and texture, much enjoyed by him.

2. A pork chop with a tomato and herb crust and creamy potato puree that was delightfully crispy and juicy at the same time, an interpretation on a piece of meat that I rarely order which elevated it to a delicacy, enhancing the natural flavours and textures - another big success. The other three had a fish of the day dish that I ignored completely because I was not in a fish mood, but they all loved it.

3. A designer banoffee dessert, more of a flute than a pie, which was everything it said 'on the label' taste-wise and had an interesting texture but was ultimately unexceptional, given the high standards set by the first two courses. YT had a play on a traditional greek/near eastern dessert (deconstructed ekmek, photo included) which looked clever but featured superfluous ingredients shaped into decorative touches. Birthday gal MG had a chocolate thingy, like the one I had for YTs birthday, which she found over-rich and could not finish; I concur with her assertion that it needed to be more of a bitter chocolate event. Perhaps if she'd have some of the lovely Marc de Bourgogne that we had last time we had this dish... Overall, though,  the desserts were undoubtedly the weak spot in an otherwise excellent meal.

To wash it down we started with a Loire white wine from an amazing small producer who, previously with his father and now with his wife, has pioneered organic and biodynamic vineyard management and a responsible approach full of respect for Mother Earth and our environment, Francois Chidaine. The 2014 Les Choisilles is a wine made with Chenin Blanc, is a cuvee from old vines fermented in wood and aged sur lie, the result being a very concentrated wine quite golden in colour, a rich pear-drop nose leading into a multi-layered dry pear palate hinting at sweetness, powerful and long, superlative Chenin Blanc character any way you look at it. A gem, one that shows why France, for all the competition from far and wide, is still the country able to produce the most bewitching wines, products of love and respect rather than a business formula.

The second wine should have been a superstar, a 1er Cru Clos St. Jacques 2003 from Gevrey Chambertin by the able hands of Domaine Bruno Clair. It initially appeared that way, the colour showing no sign of age, dark and concentrated, and with an amazing nose of ripe red berry fruit, seductive and complex. After the first wow moment though, the wine seemed closed on the palate, a bit tannic and coy, even short. It opened up significantly in the glass, softening and unwinding after 15 or 20 minutes to show a more generous face, more fruit and complexity, but the palate never quite lived up to the promise of that rich (too rich?) nose. It may have been the fact that 2003 was a heatwave year which had an effect on the balance, perhaps it needed more time to show at its best,  yet this was still a lovely glass of red Burgundy from a top producer, but... Burgundy, as my regular reader already knows, is my favourite part of the wine world bar none and I expect great things from every single promising bottle, so even a little slip disappoints, perhaps more than it should.

Everybody at Simul made us feel welcome and cared for, in the non-intrusive style that has become their hallmark. An inflated version of myself departed their restaurant, content, full and trying to figure out whose birthday might be next. Why, less than twenty four hours later I seem to already be wasting away... perhaps Lent is having an effect on me after all!!!