Menu of the Year

29 June 2000
Menu of the Year

INNOVATION and a memorable experience was what the judges of this year's Menu of the Year award were looking for, and they found it at Idaho in London's Highgate.

The panel was unanimous in choosing the 150-seat north London restaurant's menu, which it described as "tantalising" and having "something for everyone". Food at Idaho is based on ingredients and dishes popular in the south-west ofthe USA and is the creation of US-born Daniel McDowell, executive chef of owner the Montana Group, which joined forces with the Hartford Group in August last year.

McDowell's task in creating the menu was to ensure its individuality, despite the restaurant being part of a group. The judges found it "unique" and "at the cutting edge of cuisine" with "interesting dishes right through". On reading the selection of 11 starters, seven main courses, six side dishes and seven desserts, their taste-buds were excited by the yellow corn-crusted soft-shell crab, mango and mint mojo, cabbage and coriander slaw; and the goats' cheese and smoked sweet potato rice cake, tomato and serrano chutney.

Brunch and lunch options

It was noted that a lot of effort had gone into the menu which, besides the dinner selections, also offers brunch and lunch choices ranging from a chargrilled albacore, chilli-glazed chayote, with cinnamon and orange, smoked tomato jalapeno salsa to a pecan wood-smoked duck breast and portobello mushroom salad, roasted pepper rajas, new Mexican chilli and orange dressing. Side dishes such as red onion and sage bread and butter pudding were praised for being interesting and good value for money at just £2, and the dessert selection, which included spiced greengage plum cake, pistachio brittle ice-cream, cajeta sauce, had the judges heading for Highgate.

At about £30 a head excluding wine, the Idaho experience was deemed very good value overall and cleverly pitched to appeal to young people who are not afraid to try out new things. Diners catered for by the 11-strong brigade, led on a daily basis by Alison Sewell, are running at 35 for lunch, increasing to 130 at dinner and 140 for Sunday brunch.

The Menu of the Year Catey is chosen from the 12 winning monthly menus featured in the Menuwatch pages in the Chef section of Caterer & Hotelkeper. While most of this year's entries came from London restaurants, the judges noted that they were not confined to central London but reflected the abundance of culinary talent in the capital's suburbs. n

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