Anything but wooden...
, Wednesday, 06 February 2008
The Sylvan Oak Restaurant in Findon Village is a hidden gem, as Ann Boswell discovers.
You could almost drive straight past the Sylvan Oak – it’s on the main road into the heart of the picturesque village but tucked back slightly. You’ll have to keep your eyes peeled for it – a handy hint is that if you reach the News Agency, then you’ve gone too far by about a minute’s walk.
From the outside, you wouldn’t really guess at what awaits you. It looks posh, in a Brighton-bistro kind of way, but the reality is far better than that. Step through the door and you’re suddenly in a world of wood – from the floor to the ceiling, it’s all stripped natural wood. This has been done deliberately to keep in touch with the restaurant’s name (which incidentally means spirit of the wood, if you’re interested). The welcome that you receive is instantly warm and friendly – this is a family run restaurant and it shows in the quality of the attention to detail.
Chef Sinan Kalan learnt his trade in the village, and you can see him creating in the kitchen as you await your food. Somehow, this always makes me feel better about what I have in front of me – it’s great to see the chef working in full view rather than hidden away – this way you know that there’s no microwave action taking place.
Everything on the Sylvan Oak’s menu is homemade and the choices on offer can best be described as ‘English food with a Sussex twist in a French Style’. If that’s too much of a mouthful, use Sinan’s view on the matter: Modern Chef’s Cuisine. The menu changes with the seasons, and is generally more comforting in the winter and lighter in the summer. Since Sinan uses fresh, local ingredients, you’ll find that the menu adapts to suit what’s best at that moment.
Enough about the restaurant – onto the food! Because everything is homemade, Sinan can cater to virtually any dietary allergy or intolerance – which is perfect since I’ve had a nut allergy since childhood and have to be really careful with what I eat. It’s so refreshing to go somewhere and be told that this isn’t a problem!
The evening a la carte menu has an almost bewildering array of ten starters, ten main courses and eight desserts to choose from – if you’re at all indecisive, take someone who isn’t!
Thankfully, I know my own mind (as did my dining partner) and we plumped for the Mushroom Gateaux and Scallops respectively. The gateaux looked exactly like a cake, although with wild mushrooms and filo pastry. It was beautifully presented with a creamy sauce and a real ‘melt-in-the-mouth’ texture.
The scallops meanwhile came with a cauliflower puree mild curry and green apple veloute. In one word – ‘yummy’! The delicate flavours maintained their individuality and it wasn’t too heavy a starter.
This was quickly followed by lamb and monkfish mains, washed down with a stunning South African Chardonnay (Zondernaam 2004, if you want my recommendation) which we were assured was one of the highlights of the extensive wine list. And it certainly was!
My chump of lamb was so tender it’s unreal. Served on a bed of wilted lettuce and pea puree, it also came with fried gnocchi and a light sauce to round it off. Every bite was truly a pleasure.
My friend’s monkfish meanwhile was a treat on the eye as well as the tongue (yes, we swapped forkfuls as only good girl friends should!). The monkfish was kept company by scallops, prawns and mussels to name but a few ingredients in this stunningly coloured and delectable sauce.
By this stage of the meal, we were seriously considering dessert. Should we, or should we not? Should we sacrifice the figure for an evening of indulgence, or feel righteous after an evening of abstinence? Sacrificing the figure won the day with a Crème Brulee with Strawberry Compote and tiramisu in a cinnamon basket. Neither disappointed and both lived up to the high expectations we’d laid down after the first two courses.
While we were chatting to Sinan, it emerged that he completed each dish just before serving, hence preventing the individual flavours from amalgamating. A fine idea that ensures the food is light, airy and never too much.
The Sylvan Oak experience was truly one to savour. I couldn’t fault the food, the service or the atmosphere. Whether it’s a dinner-a-deux or a group of old friends, Sylvan Oak is the perfect place to dine.
You could almost drive straight past the Sylvan Oak – it’s on the main road into the heart of the picturesque village but tucked back slightly. You’ll have to keep your eyes peeled for it – a handy hint is that if you reach the News Agency, then you’ve gone too far by about a minute’s walk.
From the outside, you wouldn’t really guess at what awaits you. It looks posh, in a Brighton-bistro kind of way, but the reality is far better than that. Step through the door and you’re suddenly in a world of wood – from the floor to the ceiling, it’s all stripped natural wood. This has been done deliberately to keep in touch with the restaurant’s name (which incidentally means spirit of the wood, if you’re interested). The welcome that you receive is instantly warm and friendly – this is a family run restaurant and it shows in the quality of the attention to detail.
Chef Sinan Kalan learnt his trade in the village, and you can see him creating in the kitchen as you await your food. Somehow, this always makes me feel better about what I have in front of me – it’s great to see the chef working in full view rather than hidden away – this way you know that there’s no microwave action taking place.
Everything on the Sylvan Oak’s menu is homemade and the choices on offer can best be described as ‘English food with a Sussex twist in a French Style’. If that’s too much of a mouthful, use Sinan’s view on the matter: Modern Chef’s Cuisine. The menu changes with the seasons, and is generally more comforting in the winter and lighter in the summer. Since Sinan uses fresh, local ingredients, you’ll find that the menu adapts to suit what’s best at that moment.
Enough about the restaurant – onto the food! Because everything is homemade, Sinan can cater to virtually any dietary allergy or intolerance – which is perfect since I’ve had a nut allergy since childhood and have to be really careful with what I eat. It’s so refreshing to go somewhere and be told that this isn’t a problem!
The evening a la carte menu has an almost bewildering array of ten starters, ten main courses and eight desserts to choose from – if you’re at all indecisive, take someone who isn’t!
Thankfully, I know my own mind (as did my dining partner) and we plumped for the Mushroom Gateaux and Scallops respectively. The gateaux looked exactly like a cake, although with wild mushrooms and filo pastry. It was beautifully presented with a creamy sauce and a real ‘melt-in-the-mouth’ texture.
The scallops meanwhile came with a cauliflower puree mild curry and green apple veloute. In one word – ‘yummy’! The delicate flavours maintained their individuality and it wasn’t too heavy a starter.
This was quickly followed by lamb and monkfish mains, washed down with a stunning South African Chardonnay (Zondernaam 2004, if you want my recommendation) which we were assured was one of the highlights of the extensive wine list. And it certainly was!
My chump of lamb was so tender it’s unreal. Served on a bed of wilted lettuce and pea puree, it also came with fried gnocchi and a light sauce to round it off. Every bite was truly a pleasure.
My friend’s monkfish meanwhile was a treat on the eye as well as the tongue (yes, we swapped forkfuls as only good girl friends should!). The monkfish was kept company by scallops, prawns and mussels to name but a few ingredients in this stunningly coloured and delectable sauce.
By this stage of the meal, we were seriously considering dessert. Should we, or should we not? Should we sacrifice the figure for an evening of indulgence, or feel righteous after an evening of abstinence? Sacrificing the figure won the day with a Crème Brulee with Strawberry Compote and tiramisu in a cinnamon basket. Neither disappointed and both lived up to the high expectations we’d laid down after the first two courses.
While we were chatting to Sinan, it emerged that he completed each dish just before serving, hence preventing the individual flavours from amalgamating. A fine idea that ensures the food is light, airy and never too much.
The Sylvan Oak experience was truly one to savour. I couldn’t fault the food, the service or the atmosphere. Whether it’s a dinner-a-deux or a group of old friends, Sylvan Oak is the perfect place to dine.
