One of the MOST AFFORDABLE 3 Michelin Star Restaurants - Core By Clare Smyth

Notting Hill. You know, the film with Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts. It’s also one of London’s top neighborhoods. But there is so much more to Notting Hill. And one is our restaurant for today. Core by Clare Smyth. In this channel I take you to some of the world’s most  exclusive 3 Michelin-star restaurants. My name is Alexander. I’m the co-owner of a 1 Michelin star restaurant. Welcome to Alexander the Guest. Today’s Notting Hill is very different  from what it was in the 1950s. Back then, it was a slum. In the 60’s, things started to turn around. The slums were cleared and new buildings went up. Now it’s one of London’s most prominent areas. It shows us that great things  can come from humble beginnings. The same is true of Chef Clare Smyth. She was born in Northern Ireland in 1978 and grew up on the family farm. But Clare had bigger dreams. She wanted to be a chef. At 16, she ran away to England and signed up for culinary school. Clare finished her studies and started  getting experience in London restaurants. And then, in 2002, Clare got a job with Gordon  Ramsay at his flagship restaurant. The hard work growing up on  a farm proved to be an asset. In 2005, she was offered the  chance to work for Alain Ducasse at Le Louis in Monte Carlo. Ducasse is one of the all-time greats, known for his high standards. She went for it. It must have been super  challenging to work for not one but two of the biggest chefs in the world. Two years later, Gordon Ramsay was back. He offered her the role of Head  Chef at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay. This made Clare the first female chef to run  a three Michelin star restaurant in the UK. And that’s where she stayed for 9 years. She was ready to do her own thing. She opened Core by Clare Smyth in 2016 with the focus on Modern British cuisine. In 2018 she was voted Best Female Chef and she catered the royal wedding  of Prince Harry and Megan Markle. In 2019 Core makes it’s way into  the Michelin Guide with 2 stars. In 2021, it receives the third. We arrived for lunch on a sunny August morning. Clare Smyth strongly believes in sustainability. Looking around you can see it everywhere. Almost everything is sourced in the UK. The tables are works of art. They have leather and walnut tops with brass base. They might be the most  beautiful tables in the world. The entire space is luxurious but modest. It’s almost like I’m in someone’s home. The staff are elegantly dressed There are two tasting menus to choose from The classic Tasting Menu for a £190 and the Core Seasons menu for £215. There is an optional wine  pairing for a 135 pounds. This makes it one of the most  affordable 3 Michelin star restaurants I’ve ever tried. My daughter went for the classic menu and I went for the Seasons The first thing we notice is the presentation. Stunning. An oasis on a plate. We start with pea and mint cheese puffs foie gras and smoked duck eel and seaweed with a spray of malt vinegar and here we have smoked chicken  wings with honey and thyme What an opening. Our Amuse bouche looks like a tiny pie. I love the presentation and the flavors are spectacular My daughter’s first course is scallop tartare the presentation is just gorgeous My first course is a Scottish langoustine   cooked in shellfish butter with pea and wasabi puree It is stunning You can see how much work went into it. The combination of shellfish, butter and spicy wasabi make for  a unique dish with rich flavors. It was excellent. My daughter’s second course Potato and roe with smoked herring and trout Mine is a Girolle and toasted  buckwheat tart with fresh almonds Girolle is a mushroom with an earthy taste. Buckwheat gives it a nutty crunch. Together with the almonds it had a really  nice balance great flavors and textures. The third course Roasted cod in brown butter sauce for my daughter and Cornish turbot with grilled mussels for me It was cooked beautifully. The grilled mussels had a smokey taste and made the whole dish work really well. The next course was Cheese and onion with aged cheddar and onion broth. It’s truly amazing how they  can take something like onion, make something delicious out of it. but keep the original sharpness. The other plate was veal  sweetbread with honey and mustard It was delicate and creamy with a soft texture. The honey and mustard flavors really came through. The main course for my daughter was Herdwick lamb and for me it was Highland  wagyu beef and Porthilly oysters They prepared beef and  oysters in two different ways. One was a traditional dish and  the other a progressive one. I loved tasting for what was  different and what was the same. In both dishes, The beef was rich and tender  and melted in the mouth. The oysters had a smooth and  silky texture and a sweet finish. The this combo is magical. Next were the pre desserts One was called ‘The other carrot” It was a carrot cake crumble and carrot sorbet The other was called ‘Core apple’ which is apple mousse and spiced apple compote Both were sweet and cool. Very good. Then came the desserts I had the Core-teser. It’s chocolate, malt, hazelnut ice cream amazing My daughter had the English cherry with almonds She loved it. Finally the petit fours. An other chance to amaze us. Warm chocolate and lavender tart  and Wine gums for both of us. What a finish! For drinks, they had a nice wine selection at Core and the sommelier was really helpful. I had two champagne by the glass The Ulysse Collin to start  and later a Charles Heidsieck I also ordered a Batard-Montrachet 2018 Grand Cru Its one of my favorites and it paired really nicely with the menu. I had a chance to try a  glass of 1996 Chateau Decru.  It works brilliantly with the beef. And now for my final thoughts  on Core by Clare Smyth. Although I came here months ago, I remember this place like it was yesterday. The space is like a living room in a cozy home. It’s bright and warm. Perfection really describes this experience. There is no dress code here, but maybe there should be. On the website they say to  express your individual style, but shorts and flip flops? I find this disrespectful. The people here work really hard  to create this amazing experience. The least we can do is put on a pair of shoes. The staff are professional and attentive. They were knowledgeable and and they  took the time to chat a little bit. I love friendly service like this. The food was out of this world. The presentation was really a new level. the structure of the menu amaze me, the taste was fabulous and each dish was as beautiful as the next. Both Notting Hill and Clare Smyth prove that great things can come from humble beginnings. Her early years on the farm gave Clare  the resilience to chase her dream. Working with Gordon Ramsay and Alain Ducasse she learned to create  excellence in her own kitchen. This was a brilliant experience. Core by Clare Smyth is in my top 3. A huge thanks for the team for this experience. thank you for joining me, if you like this video, hit the subscribe button. see you next time

Channel: Alexander The Guest

Views: 365,096

Keywords: most affordable, core by clare smyth, clare smyth gordon ramsay, clare smyth chef, Gordon Ramsay, gordon ramsay michelin, Michelin London, The world’s best restaurant, The world’s 50 best restaurant, fine dining restaurant, tasting menu, food, three stars, three Michelin stars, Michelin Guide, Michelin star, gourmet, best chef, alexander the guest, fine dining, masterchef, 3 michelin star restaurant, 3 michelin star chef, top chef, london, uk, united kingdom, english cuisine

Id: NFycW5xTP9U

Length: 8min 32sec (512 seconds)

Published: Fri Apr 28 2023