Food review: Tom’s Kitchen, The Mailbox, Birmingham

In a city full of stars, Tom Aikens shines like Sirius A. The man who earned two Michelin stars at the age of, oh, I don’t know, 12, has led a stellar career.

Having worked at Pierre Koffman’s La Tante Claire, which gained a third Michelin star during his time there, and worked under Richard Neat and Joel Robuchon, he became the youngest ever chef to win two Michelin stars.

Since then, he’s stepped back from winning such garlands. Having successfully ascended his own personal Everest, he’s taken to cooking food that he likes – rather than that dazzles the critics. And that, in essence, is the USP of his Tom’s Kitchen restaurant. It’s about food that people like to eat – fish and chips, chocolate éclair, steak, mussels and belly pork – rather than spherified olives, raspberry leather, pickled cow’s udders or cantaloupe melon caviar.

Tom developed that concept in Chelsea in 2006. There are now four; two in London, one in Birmingham and one in Istanbul, in addition to other top class restaurants worldwide.

The Birmingham branch is located at the city’s Mailbox. It’s cooler than the branch in Chelsea. There’s plenty of space for diners in a vast open-plan dining area that has plenty of clean, white, ceramic tiles; delightful, tan leather seats and a marvellous solid wooden floor.

Tom’s little empire is still sufficiently small for him to remain hands on. The cook makes frequent appearances in Birmingham, rocking up in a green bomber jacket and jeans to look through figures, talk to staff, share his culinary wisdom and make sure that the food bearing his name reflects the qualities with which he’s associated.

Though Tom knows how to win stars, he’s not interested in joining the ranks of Simpsons, Adam’s, Purnell’s or Carter’s in achieving validation from Michelin. Instead, the intention is to serve British favourites, comfort food classics and seasonal specials in a relaxed and informal setting. General manager Jamie Moss provides guests with a warm and charming welcome while head chef Tom Wells emulates the standards of his gaffer.

The menu is magnificent. A good selection of vegetarian starters and mains are joined by meatier courses, an impressive and extensive grill and a series of reasonably-priced, high quality sides. Provenance is all. One of the neatest touches in Tom’s Kitchen is a glass-fronted fridge in which sides of Cumbrian meat hang. Deeply marbled joints are proudly on display, giving diners an insight in the field-to-fork process and reassuring guests that quality is paramount. The chefs are also on view, with large glass panes giving guests a window into the kitchen. A quiet and efficient team works assiduously, preparing dishes with the minimum of fuss while showing considerable industry.

The Mailbox is a smart setting for a decent restaurant. Located near to some of Birmingham’s best shops and biggest brand names – you could, if the mood took you, buy a Paul Smith suit before lunch, or marvel at the works of acclaimed local graffiti artist Temper in a swish, modern gallery before dinner – there is also ample parking beside the convenient and easy-to-reach setting.

My friend and I booked a ridiculously-early table for two at 6pm on a Tuesday evening – or, as I like to call it, Death Hour. A full compliment of staff were on hand: our waiter, Olly, introduced himself by name, pointed out the specials board, made a recommendation for his own favourite dish and was helpfulness itself when we sat down.

We started with meat and fish: she ate a treacle cured salmon with beetroot yoghurt, pickled cucumber and dill while I choose the confit duck ballotine with parma ham, piccalilli, fruit chutney and pickled shallots. Both were gorgeous and our plates were quickly cleared. The salmon was tender and yielding, offering a sweet-salty contrast with the earthy beetroot and creamy yoghurt while the slightly acid cucumber provided balance and the dill offered a herby fragrance. My ballotine was delightful. A slice of Parma ham encircled a barrel of ballotine while piccalilli provided sharpness against the flavours of the rich meat. The pickled shallots had been glazed with the thinnest topping of caramel – rather like a crème brûlée might be – and the dish sang with complimentary flavours.

I’d made a one-dish wish-list before arriving for dinner and my companion was kind enough to agree. Tom serves two signature dishes-for-two in his restaurant; a 650g Cumbrian chateaubriand with whipped béarnaise butter or peppercorn sauce and chips, or a seven-hour confit Herdwick lamb with mashed potato and balsamic onions. We opted for the latter.

Olly returned to the table. “There’ll be a 20-minute wait for the lamb. Could we offer you some complimentary nibbles while you wait.” Delightful duck arancini with a curried mango purée were promptly placed before us as we anticipated the main event.

Too often, expectations go unmet when ordering signature dishes. On this occasion, the reverse was true. The highest expectations were surpassed by a fabulous bone-in lamb shoulder that had been slow-roasted at 110 degrees until the meat was as tender as a newborn. It fell off the bone into a deep, rich gravy and was still a little pink within. The connective tissue and fat had slowly cooked away during its day in the oven and we enjoyed an utterly beguiling course with creamy, buttery, soft mash; a side of buttered winter cabbage and the unctuous, gelatinous lamb. Balsamic onions completed the dish, offering a sweet-acid edge. It was rapturous.

Dessert would have been a step too far – though crumbles, baked apple pie, tart tatin and a chocolate éclair were decidedly tempting – and we made our exit.

When politicians leave Parliament, they talk about being liberated from the straightjacket of party discipline. They are, so they say, finally able to say what they think – rather than what they are told – and it is a freeing experience. I imagine something similar must be true for Tom. Having walked away from Michelin, he’s finally able to create the menus he loves, rather than ones designed to impress. And his diners are the winners.

Tom won’t be joining Birmingham’s Michelin crew with his beautifully light and elegant Birmingham Kitchen – but his star is shining more brightly than ever.