Out and About with Lise-Ann at Pascal’s…

Out and About
Pascal’s
1 Montague Road,
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B16 9HN

www.pascalsrestaurant.co.uk
It was Mrs Brennan’s birthday on Sunday. After reading a couple of recent reviews in the local papers she has been keen to try a couple of Birmingham’s restaurants for a while.
Top of her list were Turners of Harborne and Pascal’s. Since Turners no longer opens for Sunday lunch the decision was made for us! I called to book our table the week before and spoke to Pascal himself. He was most helpful and apologetic that my internet booking had not been responded to. When I mentioned there was a birthday in our party he was more than happy to arrange for this to be marked in someway on the day.
Pascal’s is located in the former home of the restaurant where Glynn Purnell, along with Pascal, earned Jessica’s an enviable reputation for fine dining in the city. Following Glynn’s departure, Pascal bought the premises and opened the doors to his own restaurant in July 2007 with Chef Andrew Wilde at the helm in the kitchen.
We arrived for lunch on a rainy Sunday afternoon and were warmly welcomed by Pascal and his front of house team. A sly wink form Pascal assured me he had not forgotten we were celebrating and we were shown to a delightful table in the middle of the conservatory.
The restaurant was moderately quiet but not worryingly so and there was a steady stream of diners coming and going during our visit. We were presented with the Sunday Lunch menu, the A La Carte menu is not available on Sundays. The menu offers three choices for starters, mains, desserts.

Whilst Mr Brennan did what he does best and interrogated the wine list, the Brennan ladies chose their meals.
From the options of soup, wood pigeon, or trout and gnocchi starters, Grace and Vicky both went for the wood pigeon while dad and I went for carrot & cumin soup with seared scallops.
The soup, strikingly orange in colour, was a delight of delicately spiced cumin and carrot with three scallops cooked to utter perfection, crispy on the outside with a soft melting middle
The main course offerings were two roasts, a beef or pork option with traditional accompaniments, and a beer battered fillet of hake with pea puree and potato and caper salad. There were three unanimous votes for the traditional beef roast whereas I chose to break with convention and ordered the hake.
The roasts arrived with generous helpings of roast potatoes and enormous, freshly made yorkshire puddings. The yorkies had a mixed response but in the main were well received however the only low point of the entire meal was that the roast potatoes appeared to have been pre cooked and reheated. The hake however was faultless, the light golden batter encasing a delicate, perfectly cooked fillet of mild, yet salty, hake which was beautifully offset by the pea puree and potato salad. A bowl of seasonal veg was provided with the mains including spiced roast carrots and green beans. The food was exceptionally good and we still had dessert to enjoy!!

There was a choice between a white chocolate and lime tart with exotic fruit sorbet, homemade bread and butter pudding with vanilla crème anglaise, or a cheese selection. We managed to order at least one of each from this selection. Mrs B, not having a sweet tooth, opted for the cheese plate however prior to serving our desserts she was presented with a small sliver of the white chocolate tart with a candle and happy birthday written in chocolate on the plate! Once we had embarrassed her sufficiently by enlisting the rest of the dining room to join us in a rendition of happy birthday we tucked into the puds. The bread and butter pudding was moist and well balanced with plenty of fruit for the amount of bread, served warm in a light but creamy crème anglaise. The chocolate tart was rich but the lime cut through perfectly and the sorbet was the perfect accompaniment. The selection on the cheese plate was vaired and generous without being overpowering.

We rounded off with coffees which were served with homemade dark chocolate and orange truffles.
Before we left Mrs B was presented with her own selection of truffles to take home, a lovely touch and the perfect end to a truly wonderful lunch.
The service throughout the meal was faultless and the attention to detail was impeccable. Pascal and his team were attentive and charming and we will most certainly be returning soon to sample the A La Carte.
Alternatives:
Le Bistrot Pierre

www.lebistrotpierre.co.uk
Petit Gourmand

www.petit-gourmand.co.uk