Nice on the eye and good in the mouth…..
Nothing naughty here, just delicious and original food.
Chef, Andy Freedman’s PALATE pop up nights are all about “putting art into food”, which he does superbly.
Having left school at fifteen, he knew instantly the path he wanted to follow and headed straight towards training in catering and hospitality at Brighton City College, followed by an apprenticeship at The Grand Hotel. He has since worked his way around a number of Brighton and Hove’s restaurants and his experience certainly shows in the dishes he serves up.
A few months ago, he decided to embark on creating pop up food extravaganzas, starting at Lala’s Café on George Street in Hove and eventually doing regular spots at Rust Café in the London Road area. I had heard through the grapevine about these evenings, so was interested to pay a visit and experience it for myself.
Rust Café is a pretty restaurant with a touch of fashionable shabby chic to it. Twinkling lights, bare plaster walls, little potted plants and herbs dotted here and there, with a lovely garden that you would never know existed from the street.
The first course of scallops injected with Harvey’s Ale was a sight to behold, arriving at the table on a large rock. No plate here! I admire the waitresses’ strength as these were not light to carry but without doubt made an impressive entrance.
The two courses that followed of wild mushroom risotto, with just the right amount of white truffle added and the dish of generously portioned salt squid with sesame batter were immensely tasty, however it was Andy’s personal favourite and signature dish of The Ugly Duck that stole the night. Slices of duck accompanied by a large purple orb… listening to the groups of people at other tables, many thought this was a beetroot. It was however a duck egg cooked to perfection (just runny enough inside) that is coated in black pudding. I tried to get the low down on how this was achieved but Andy is keeping that close to his chest.
After a refreshing sorbet we all headed down to the cellar where we were served a decadent desert. It was like heading off to a secret location, with us all sat around sharing long tables in the candlelit room, drooling over Belgium chocolate and hazelnut deliciousness. It was a great finishing touch to a wonderful evening.
Andy’s belief for food is good portion sizes, seasonal and locally produced food and pushing himself every time to come up with interesting dishes that are visually stunning and tantalising on the tongue. To summarise this ethos in my words, “so far, so very good!”
Palate by Andy Freedman
For upcoming pop-up events and bookings: https://tabl.com/
For private parties and functions: andyfreedman100@hotmail.com