Carly and Jo from the MKFM Team were invited along to Brasserie Blanc in Milton Keynes. Here is their review...
Jo and I visited Raymond Blanc’s Brasserie Blanc and discovered a menu showcasing sensational seasonal dishes to satisfy the soul. I have visited BB over the years for their steak night special whereby you buy two steaks or a sharing steak for two and you receive a complimentary bottle of the house wine, but I had never tried the seasonal A la Carte menus. Assistant Manager, Kelly talked us through the origins of Brasserie Blanc, explaining that Raymond Blanc is still very much involved in the business and oversees the menu creation. We also learned that he is the President of the Sustainable Restaurant Association and as such, Brasserie Blanc Milton Keynes has the highest, 3 star accreditation for the Food Made Good standard, meaning that they only work with the UK’s best and most ethical food producers who have the highest standards in sustainable farming, fishing and cattle & poultry rearing and butchery. “Nothing is wasted in our kitchens. Every dish is made fresh from scratch by our professional chefs, with some of the dishes taking up to 3 days to prep, marinate and slow cook, before being finished off at the pass.” Explained Kelly.
We let Kelly choose the menu for us, which proved to be a great move as we got to try dishes that we wouldn’t necessarily have picked for ourselves. More to the point, we thoroughly enjoyed every single one! What we ate,
Starters
Chicken Liver Parfait
The ‘BB’ Cheese Souffle
Mushroom Tartine
Mains
Cod Cassoulet
8 Hour Slow Cooked Venison
Artichoke and Chestnut Mushroom Pithivier
Desserts
Pistachio Souffle
Baba au Rhum
Autumn Still Life - (Raymond Blanc’s Masterpiece, no less!)
Starters - Right from the start the seasonality was evident in the Mushroom Tartine: Sourdough toast topped with wild mushrooms on a cep puree laced with decadent truffle and topped with a perfectly poached egg, that oozed yolk. Food porn right there! Kelly informed us that the Cheese Souffle is Raymond’s own recipe and never comes off the menu, much like the delicious Pistachio and Chocolate Souffle, but we have to say the stand out for both Jo and I was the Chicken Liver Parfait. Served with toasted sweet brioche and served with cornichons and a red onion marmalade. Totally luxurious and creamy it had a rich taste that just kept us both going back for more.
Mains - When it came to the mains we were both in unanimous agreement that the 8 Hour Slow Cooked Venison was the standout dish. The venison actually comes from the highlands of Royal Balmoral in Scotland and the dish was certainly majestic. The rich meat was so tender and beautifully accompanied by a ‘Grand Veneur’ sauce, which we found out is bone marrow, red wine and herbs. The Cod Cassoulet with Chorizo was a real winter warming, comfort dish, with the gorgeous spiced oil from the chorizo permeating the classic butterbean cassoulet. The Artichoke & Chestnut Mushroom Pithivier (a round, enclosed pie) served with girolles, silverskin onions, leeks in a port and white wine sauce, was so delicious and satisfying that you’d almost forget it was a completely vegan dish.
Desserts - The Pistachio Souffle was as light as air but full of the unmistakable flavour of the pistachio with a hint of chocolate. Lovely! The Baba au Rhum was a light, trumpet shaped cake soaked in rum and served with a rum laced Chantilly cream topped with cute mini figs. Kelly paired this with Pere Magloire, a pear Calvados with a warming brandy like ‘kick’! They worked so well together. The star of this course though had to be Raymond Blanc’s classic - Autumn Still Life. Pretty as a picture, Kelly explained that this dish has come straight from the menus of Monsieur Blanc’s, 2 Michelin star winning, Le Manoir Aux Quat Saisons. It looked like an autumnal woodland scene; beautiful little ‘mushrooms’ made from the lightest meringue, chocolate twills in the shape of delicate leaves, Chestnut and coffee parfait, frosted pecans and a chocolate crumb. This dish was beautifully paired with a rich Monbazillac dessert wine. Again, not something we would normally think of doing, but Kelly took us on a gastronomic journey with this meal - and we loved every minute of it. This really was a very happy ending to a fantastic meal.
Both Jo and I are in complete agreement that Brasserie Blanc has to be right up there at the top of our list amongst our favourite restaurants in Milton Keynes. I think, now knowing the amount of work that goes into creating these amazing dishes, the fact that Brasserie Blanc is a fresh food restaurant with every dish cooked from scratch by highly trained professional chefs, along with their ethos when it comes to the very important subject of sustainability - well, it just elevates the brand as a stand out restaurant in our eyes.
Dining at BBMK isn’t just ‘going out for a bite to eat’ - it’s a dining experience - and an excellent one at that. We also love the fact that Raymond Blanc - even in his 70s - is still very much involved with his restaurants, which explains why the standards remain so high to this day. Brasserie Blanc offers superb quality, impeccable, professional service and surprisingly incredible value - all things considered.
So, if you haven’t visited for a while or never have, we highly recommend that you pay them a visit soon.
We guarantee that you definitely will not be disappointed!
Brasserie Blanc 301 Avebury Boulevard Milton Keynes MK9 2GA
T: 01908 546590 W: www.brasserieblanc.com F: BBMiltonKeynes I: brasserie_blancmiltonkeynes
