The Frog Hoxton - Chef Patron Adam Handling

Date of Visit - October 2019

Rating - 8/10

Adam Handling has a growing reputation in the UK, boasting a number of awards and Michelin plated restaurants driving sustainable cooking and reducing waste. An excellent role model to emerging chefs if you ask me! After arriving to a completely empty restaurant, I must say I was dubious of what to expect. It was early on a Wednesday, around 6:30pm, yet it didn't get much busier throughout the night. It has a casual vibe, with an open plan kitchen so you can see the chefs at work.

Overall, the staff were very friendly and it's always a nice touch when a range of chefs present the dishes to you. There was one waitress who mentioned she was a new hire who had an unfortunate tendency to hover a little too closely to the table and didn't seem to understand what 'personal space' was. I did get into conversation with her, where she mentioned getting a few practice shifts in as she was about to lead a team in a brand new 'zero waste' restaurant that was due to launch. She may have divulged that snippet of information, but wouldn't budge on the name; we later found out this was 'Ugly Butterfly.'

I digress; back to The Frog Hoxton. We started with cocktails that were recommended by the waiter. They were pretty poor actually, but nevertheless we persisted (such a chore ha). My suggestion would be to just start with the wine though and the reasonably priced bottle of red we had was delicious, if only I could remember the name!

The tasting menu cost £60, which I would say was reasonable for the quality and quantity of food we received.

First Course - Snacks

The first course was a variety of 'Snacks', that are designed to 'eat with your hands':

1. Heritage carrot, roasted hazelnuts, mint

This was definitely unusual and divided the table. It certainly championed the carrot, but the cracker had a somewhat 'fishy' aftertaste that wasn't ideal.

2. Cod, shallot, jalapeno, kohlrabi

This was utterly delicious, even my friend Mia, who joined me for dinner and has a strong dislike of anything that comes from the sea, enjoyed it. Always a good sign!

3. Kentucky fried king oyster mushroom, pine

A homage to KFC with a veggie twist, a clever dish using a 'meaty' textured mushroom.

4. Chicken butter, rye sourdough

My least favourite of the snacks, which was a shame as I was rather intrigued by the idea of 'chicken butter', but ultimately the flavour just wasn't there. It appeared to be topped with chicken skin, which was cold and soggy.

Second Course - Celeriac, Yolk, Apple, Dates

I have always been rather adverse to celeriac and admittedly, this was the course I would have quite happily skipped when reading the menu. Well, how wrong was I! From such humble ingredients, this dish was exceptional. A genuine joy to eat.

Third Course - Cornish Cod, Pumpkin, Sherry

Due to Mia's hatred towards fish, the staff were fantastic and let her pick another option from the menu (if you're wondering, out of all the options, she went for Mac and Cheese; she's a classy gal).

If I thought the second course was good, this was even better. I nearly force fed Mia to just try it. Well low and behold, she loved it. That's twice now Adam has managed to convert a 'fish-hater' into a 'fish-lover'. Bravo!

Fourth Course - Salt Aged Duck, Beetroot, Yakiniku, Perilla

A simple yet charming dish, that was beautifully presented. The earthiness of the beetroot complemented the duck well and didn't overpower the other flavours, which it can so easily do.

Fifth Course - Cheese Doughnut

Now, if you have ever heard of Adam Handling, you've probably heard of his infamous cheese doughnuts and on the tasting menu, this was his interpretation of a cheese course. I won't lie to you. It was wonderful, but you wouldn't want more than one. It's warm, rich and doughy, with a strong cheese oozing inside. Well worth trying even if you don't have the tasting menu. You can find this dish available on the a la carte menu at most of his restaurants as a snack.

Sixth Course - Hackney Fig Leaves

This was an interesting palette cleanser. A fig leaf flavoured sorbet, that left an aftertaste of pine. I personally liked it. It was different and interesting, but you wouldn't be asking for seconds.

Seventh Course - Your Choice of Dessert

We decided to pick two and share them, the first no brainer was burnt honey, milk, lemon, but we didn't have a preference between the remaining two options so told the waiter to pick for us. Now admittedly, this is where the wine kicked in and my memory became hazy. Both desserts were good, but perhaps not aligned to the quality of the dishes they followed.

Eighth Course - Birthday Treat

In my original booking, I mentioned it was Mia's birthday; something I forgot I did and certainly didn't mention it upon arrival. I was completely surprised when they brought another course for us to enjoy. It was a dessert, shaped like a candle and as you can see from Mia's reaction - she was delighted! Thank you to the staff who arranged this!

Overall, it was a brilliant meal and a lovely experience. The only downside was the ambiance due to the lack of customers, but thankfully I had entertaining company.

I hope more people start going as it's well worth a visit!