Food review: Dishes cooked to perfection at La Brasserie, Kidderminster
James Driver Fisher discovers a superb dining experience in the heart of Kidderminster which proves a winner for the whole family.
We were all in agreement – that was, quite simply, one of the best lunches we had ever had.
With my in-laws residing in Highley, Shropshire, these days, and my family living in Netherton, Dudley, we decided to meet in Kidderminster.
The main reason? My daughter, Annabelle, was about to be spoilt rotten by her nan as she took her on a shopping trip ahead of her seventh birthday.
So, my wife Kelly and I met up with her parents, Lorraine and Don, for a family outing – the first time we’d all properly got together since the ‘you-know-what’ outbreak last March.
Luckily for me, I get on very well with my in-laws so we decided to make a bit of a day of it and book somewhere for lunch too.
After trawling the internet, I came across La Brasserie, which looked like the ideal venue.
The restaurant is quite easy to miss because although it’s pretty much in the town centre, it’s quite set back from the road, but from the outside it looked very quaint and lived up to its French name – the building itself could’ve been plucked straight out of a French village and plonked in the middle of the Wyre Forest.
It was also nice to see Kidderminster’s all-day parking had been reduced for the weekend from £6 for 24 hours to just £1.50. A great way of attracting more visitors.
After Lorraine and Don had spent a small fortune on my daughter, we realised we’d done everything we needed to do about an hour earlier than planned – and, even more importantly, Annabelle was starting to get hungry.
As everyone knows, there’s nothing worse than trying to entertain a hungry six-year-old, so we found the restaurant and asked if our booking could be brought forward. They were happy to oblige and it was the start of some wonderfully friendly service we enjoyed from start to finish.
After ordering a drink, we had a bit of time to look at the menus in detail and the first thing we all noted was how reasonable the prices were.
As it was a lunchtime menu, we thought the prices might be low because the portions might be smaller than usual – but this was certainly not the case.
All the meals were very hearty and even the children’s menu was ridiculously good value. A quality starter, main and pudding all for just £6. Bargain.
We thought about skipping the starters but, once I decided to have one, everyone jumped on board. I went for the simple bread and olives, which I shared with my wife (I didn’t know I was sharing it when I ordered, but such is life) and it was very nice.
Plenty of good, quality olives, a few peppers, a good portion of freshly-made bread and some olive oil and balsamic vinegar for dipping. The perfect starter for most occasions.
Another point to mention on the children’s menu was it even looked appealing to the adults, so much so that Lorraine asked the waiter if it would be possible to have the cheesy garlic, which wasn’t available on the adult menu.
Again, they were more than happy to oblige and, although I didn’t sample it myself, even the kids’ cheesy garlic bread received a resounding thumbs up.
The mains also looked very appetising and we all went for a different dish.
Don went for the slow-roast pork belly, served with red cabbage and dauphinoise potatoes, and Lorraine had beef bourguignon, which was slow-cooked diced beef in red wine, mushrooms, shallots and bacon sauce, also served with dauphinoise.
Both came served with roasted carrots and buttered broccoli.
Again, I didn’t sample them myself but both of my in-laws were seriously impressed.
The meat came straight from the butcher and it was easy to tell the quality was high. The beef fell apart when pressed with a fork, the sauce was rich and full of flavour, the crackling on the pork was cooked to perfection, the potatoes went beautifully with the meat, and the vegetables – which I was able to taste – were also beautifully cooked, with the carrots having that lovely, sweet aftertaste.
Kelly asked for a rib-eye steak but was sadly informed the butcher had been unable to deliver them that day – which was why we knew the meat was such good quality before even tasting any of it – so she went for the rump instead.
She asked for it medium rare and, again, we were quietly confident it would be served just as she had asked. This time I was able to taste the dish myself and it was melt-in-your mouth good. That came served with chips and roasted cherry tomatoes.
I fancied staying veggie for the day, for no particular reason, and went for the tortellini, which was filled with spinach, ricotta and served in a roast vine tomato reduction sauce. It also came with garlic bread.
Again, the portion was ample and the pasta was cooked nice and delicately. Each tortellini had that lovely sharp hit of the ricotta and then the more mellow flavour of the spinach following closely behind.
Other options included tempura-battered cod, pie of the day, half roast chicken with a variety of sauces, and freshly-baked baguettes with a selection of mouth-watering fillings, such as steak and onion, chargrilled chicken Caesar dressing, roast pork and stuffing, and bacon and brie.
Pudding followed for my wife, the in-laws and my daughter – I had overloaded a bit on bread – but between us we enjoyed a sticky toffee pudding with salted caramel sauce; a summer pudding stack with double cream; and a lemon cheesecake made with fresh lemon curd and crushed meringue.
Again, the quality was superb and I have to say the sticky toffee pudding with salted caramel sauce was one of the best I’d tasted in a long time.
The combination worked so well, with that lovely, gooey, centre giving way to the cake and then the whack of that cold and slightly salty ice cream.
Annabelle’s baked bolognaise was also wonderfully cooked, full of fresh ingredients that had been put together with as much care and attention as the adult meals. She finished her meal off with a rather large chocolate brownie.
She didn’t manage to finish it all but the chocolate plastered around her face reassured us she’d thoroughly enjoyed it.
We really couldn’t rate La Brasserie highly enough. A superb place to visit either for lunch, dinner or even for a takeaway.
Details:
La Brasserie, Lower Mill Street, Kidderminster, DY11 6UU
01562 744976
Starters:
Classic French onion soup – £4.50
Beetroot and halloumi salad – £5
Mains:
Tempura-battered cod – £10
Half roast chicken – £10
Desserts:
Mango Panna Cotta – £5
Ice cream and sorbets – £3.50
