Due South, Brighton
One of Brighton’s waterfront restaurants and, as far as I know, the only one offering organic food and wine, Due South is right over the road from the Grand Hotel and the Brighton Conference Centre. In summer, it does a roaring trade with tourists; in winter, plenty of locals frequent it.
A good friend was in town from Australia and, as he had little time inbetween presentations at BBC Showcase, I booked us electronically into Due South. They took my card details. Not hopefully, I asked for the window table looking out over the promenade and both of Brighton’s piers.
Arriving early, during a lull in the rain, I found my way to the unisex toilets and brushed my hair back into shape. Then I went upstairs and was shown to our table. The electronic booking service had produced the table I asked for.
Realising there might be a wait before T. arrived, I ordered water. It came promptly and was served with lemon and no ice, just the way I like it. Instead of an Amuse Bouche, I entertained myself by contemplating the menu in detail over sips of water whilst listening to other people’s conversations.
The warm lamb’s tongue with confit potato and salted mackerel dressing seemed to please several punters, most of whom, like me, were past their ‘salad days’. After a piquant form of food poisoning in France last year, I was tempted by oysters and scallops but thought it wiser to refrain.
By the time T. arrived, I had decided on Fish and Chips as a starter and Jerusalem Artichoke Risotto with Truffles and a deep fried duck’s egg as a main course. Should there be pudding, an organic chocolate mint fondant with espresso icecream seemed marginally attractive. Except that it was cold.
At my behest, we ordered Horsmonden Dry White (organic) from East Sussex. The waiter said apologetically, “It’s too popular and they only have small quantities.” My companion looked faintly relieved and ordered Sancerre Dauny, France 2008 (organic). It was an excellent ‘autumnal’ sauvignon, although I confess to being distracted from its intrinsic qualities by my lively companion.
Having considered my preferences, T. had Pan-seared Brighton Scallops with celeriac and apple salad and polished them off in a couple of mouthfuls. He had Fish and Chips as a second starter, but elegance not quantity is the theme at Due South. He still looked hungry.
The fish and chips came with a pickled quail’s egg or two*, and something green that I now realise must have been a small jallop of pea puree. There was some minced gherkin and a beautifully shaped piece of batter sans anything inside it. All very pretty but I was glad a substantial dish was to follow.
The risotto was creamy and the kind of texture one looks for but had too much alien greenery in it for my taste; as for truffle, that was hard to discern. T. had a mouthful of mine and shrugged.
We moved on to puddings: the Assiette for two. There were several little pots of cold creamy substances, a hot chocolate concoction, a couple of tablespoons of superb rhubarb cooked perhaps with cardamom, and three small squares of a gingery jelly.
On a bleak winter’s day, icecream is not what you long for… a disappointing finale to a pleasant, nicely crafted but somewhat insubstantial lunch.
The service, however, was excellent. The great art of unobtrusive waiting is something to be praised and rarely found in Brighton.
*I don’t know what they did to the quail’s egg but the flavour was superb.
