Mount Edgcumbe
Recently, I took a wonderful trip to the UK, a first time adventure for me, to both see a new country and to visit a dear friend of mine. While in England I saw many incredible sights and tasted a good share of English fare, but there was one restaurant that my friend treated me to that was absolutely phenomenal.
The restaurant is called Mount Edgcumbe and is located in Royal Tunbridge Wells, about 50 miles Southeast of London. Mount Edgcumbe, opened since May of 2012, is a restaurant that focuses on high quality food and invites all to eat, drink, stay and enjoy the wide array of food and beverages they serve.
And the decor matches that vibe with a somewhat rustic, homestyle appeal that made you very comfortable to sit and eat.
Prior to opening, Mount Edgcumbe was previously known as Mount Edgcumbe House and it’s believed that Arctic explorer Admiral Parry was reported to stay there in 1839 during his travels. Records even show Mount Edgcumbe on maps that date back to 1783. Today, the servers, chefs and staff of Mount Edgcumbe strive to continue that legacy with their locally sourced ingredients and worldly techniques.
I will be sharing everything I tasted and what sort of experience you could look forward to if you ever find yourself in Tunbridge Wells.
Nibbles: Duck Spring Rolls
As a little sharable appetizer, or nibble, between myself and my friend, we decided to order their duck spring rolls served with a sweet chili sauce. I have had plenty of spring rolls in my time, but certainly not many with duck in them, however these little rolls were delicious.
The spring roll wrapper was nice and crispy, the duck filling inside was a bit creamy while also very flavorful, my guess is that the duck was blended or ground before being wrapped into the spring rolls, and that sweet chili sauce brought the perfect blend of sweet and spicy that made these rolls better than any kind of spring roll you’d get with Chinese takeout.
Starter: Sticky Pork Bites
For my appetizer, among the many great looking appetizers Mount Edgcumbe had to offer such as chili salted squid, leek and potato soup, and beetroot tarte tatin, I decided to try out their sticky pork bites which involved some grilled pork cubes glazed with a sweet, sticky, slightly tangy glaze then topped with green onions and sliced red chili.
I will admit that I was somewhat expecting pork belly or something like that, but the pork bites that I recieved were quite nice.
The flavor that those little cubes of pork brought were outstanding, almost like a classic summertime barbecue but with the volume turned up. The pork was quite tender, had a nice charred grill flavor, and that hint of freshness from the green onion and chili helped to lift the dish to the next dimension.
Mains: Stuffed Chicken
Now we get to the entree portion, or mains. Edgcumbe’s menu offered a wide range of delicious looking entrees such as seafood green curry, beer battered haddock, and mussels, but the dish that was calling my name was their chicken dish that featured a stuffed chicken breast served with a blue cheese sauce, potatoes, peas, and cabbage for a little blend of English and Italian.
I cannot possibly say enough good things about the amount of flavor this dish brought. The chicken itself was very moist and had a wonderful stuffing of ricotta cheese and spinach, plus the whole chicken breast was wrapped in bacon to keep in moisture and give a nice bit of saltiness. The blue cheese sauce paired wonderfully with the stuffing in the chicken, and the potatoes were nicely cooked as well.
However, for me the best part about that dish was the peas and cabbage, interesting enough, as they had this really wonderful buttery flavor with a hint of pepper. As my friend mentioned, if you can make a vegetable side dish this amazing, then surely you’re onto something.
It’s the sort of dish that I can see myself making at home, but tasted incredible no less.
Dessert: Sticky Toffee Pudding
While I was in England, I figured I had to get a sample of some of the most iconic British dishes from where they originated, so in my mind there was no way that I wasn’t going to try the beloved dessert, sticky toffee pudding. For anyone unaware, sticky toffee pudding is is a steamed date cake usually served with a caramel sauce and topped with a bit of whipped cream or custard.
I had never tried sticky toffee pudding before that moment, so I was very fortunate that the pudding I tasted was phenomenal! The cake itself was very light, and had a unique slightly dense texture, likely a result from the cake being steamed. The date flavor came through, that caramel offered a good depth of flavor, and the vanilla custard was nice in that it gave the cake some extra moisture and helped cut through the sweetness.
I am happy to say that should I decide to return to Tunbridge Wells, I will make sure to give Mount Edgcumbe another visit.
