Polish Dinner in London Town

December 22, 2011
22:20 GMT

Tonight we had dinner at Gessler Restauracja at Daquise... yes, i know, flew all the way to London for Polish food... but man, it is wonderful Polish food! WONDERFUL!

Starters: Jenn and i shared an order (6) meat pirogies: These are things of beauty, served table side from the pan they were finished in, hot and steamy, topped with heaps of caramelized onions. Doughy on the outside, almost like biting and chewing into a thin film of mochi, and filled with finely ground meaty goodness within. The filling of beef was delicately seasoned so that it melded with the slight sweetness of the dough. The caramelized onions, along with the butter it was caramelized in, added a degree of rich luxury to the entire affair.

We also each ordered the mushroom soup: This was again, served table side (they serve everything table side here, including the duck, which was carved in the restaurant and then the plate assembled table side, quite a thing to look at and primed one's appetite better than any appetizer one could dream of). The soup is a dark, aromatic, clear consomme choked full of sliced mushrooms and strands of thing noodles. The flavor of the soup is dark, earthy, and warm. The left over fat from the consomme gave the mouth that feeling of richness. The mushrooms still retained some structure and gave a nice textural note that contrasted well with the cooked noodle strands. This was a fine soup, one i could've drank/eaten all night long. It was almost Frances good.

Entree: Jenn and i shared a main course, the rabbit: Again, served table side, each component served sequentially on to a clean white plate. First came the saddle of rabbit (Jay, you've never tasted so good) swimming in a rich light brown cream sauce that smelled of rich butter and a hint of spirits (vermouth?). Then came the egg noodles, large hectically formed pieces of cooked dough like a larger more robust version of spatzle, placed directly into the pool of sauce that is spreading across the plate. Finally, heaps of ginger and tarragon glazed carrots, a lively glistening red/orange that livened up the plate of more beige hues. The saddle of rabbit was finely prepared, cooked through, tender and fell off the bone (Jenn picked the spine clean). The flavor is full and the meat was juicy yet well structured. The sauce brought the entire dish together in its richness. It had nutty notes with an undercurrent of cooked off vermouth (sticking with that identification) that just gave it a bit of lightness. It was one of those sauces that made Jenn and i wipe the plate clean with the bread left on the table. The carrots... oh... the carrots! Sweet, hints of spice from the ginger, cooked through soft and bursted with carroty flavor goodness on every bite. The entire dish was just rustic elegance on a plate!

Dessert: Strawberry pirogies: As Jenn said, the Polish is not renown for desserts, but these delightful pirogies are a fine way to finish the meal. Slightly sweet and great with the pot of black tea. A slightly different dough than the meat pirogies, a bit more structure to this dough, but still retaining a nice chewiness that i find so wonderful.

Liquid dessert: The waiter kindly offered us a shot of herb and honey infused vodka to tie off the night... how can that be bad?