London's top supper club at eleven98

London

Eleven98

It was a Friday evening and we very gladly took our seats at the chef's oh so chic table in Shoreditch. Not just any chef, I might add. This spectacular supper club is hosted and created by the very naturally talented Aidan Brooks who has delivered his fine work to many a Michelin star restaurant across both London, Valencia and Barcelona.

Aidan turned his attention to his passion project 'eleven98' two years ago and has successfully been blowing away London foodies with his outstanding culinary perfection ever since. For those interested in the story behind the name 'eleven98', it actually refers to the year in which the borough of Hackney first got it's name. And why is this relevant you may ask? Just one of the unique qualities that sets this supper club aside from others, is that all of the produce that Aidan uses to create his dishes is either grown or foraged within the borough of Hackney. Having been born and raised in Hackney himself, this solo adventure is obviously very personal and special to Aidan and it's easy to see how passionate he is about delivering a fantastic culinary experience to his guests at eleven98. We were left in suspense as to what our menu would contain until the night before and really the purpose of this was to aid us in choosing suitable wine to pair with food. Like many supper clubs, eleven98 encourages a BYOB concept which is great for ensuring a plentiful drinks supply was in order. We were kindly provided with a delicious gin based cocktail on arrival (gin distilled in Hackney obviously!) which was mixed with elderflower cordial and gala apple & elderflower sherbet, aptly named 'Respect your elders' and worryingly drinkable too! A very tasty and refreshing start to the evening. We were joined by 8 other guests (10 in total) at the table and once all were seated, the food journey began and quite literally a journey it was. Our place mats were planted with a hard copy map of our delicious plates to come and for every dish served, this was accompanied by a detailed explanation about the contents, sourcing and culinary methods used to produce the fine work. We began with an additional 'surprise course' (we knew about 7 courses) which featured a guinea fowl croquette accompanied by a red current dressing. A fine crisp coating filled with tender meat and a slighly sharp sauce- delicious. I might add that Aidan was effortlessly able to cater for various food intolerance's at the table including vegetarian, gluten free as well as slightly fussy palates (ahem my other half) and with less than 24 hours notice was able to deliver substitute and equally impressive options- top marks to our Chef for being so versatile and accommodating. Our next dish was a real tribute to summer with fresh and ripe tomatoes served with a silky smooth gazpacho and basil oil. So many exciting flavours in just one dish. Aidan evidently has a real knack for taking simple fresh ingredients and creating such interesting and impressive delights. This was certainly the case for our next dish to come which spotlighted the cucumber presented in more ways than you would ever imagine, fresh ribbons, dehydrated, iced, pureed you name it! It was beautifully paired with labne, black garlic and za'atar. I might add it was almost too pretty to eat as was the case with every dish served! An ability to be pleasing from both presentation and palate perspectives is surely a sign of pure talent. Onto the next event which hosted torched green beans with a crumbly textured pangrattato and a dash of aioli for additional substantial flavour. 3rd course complete and we're almost at our five a day quota! Admiration for abilities to produce such tasty food using super healthy ingredients. The 'main event' focused on a light and flaky sea bream fillet which was paired with courgettes and a bed of almost risotto based in chives. A most unusual plate arrived as a palate cleanser featuring an almost crystallized icy celery known as 'granita' and originating from Sicily. Very enjoyable and more to the point much needed to clear the palate of lingering flavours in order to enjoy our dessert with a fresh perspective. I'm not a huge pudding person, but this sweet service was right up my street! A pretty array of vibrant colours from berries, pistachios and rose scented malabi which is very similar to panna cotta but with an Israeli twist. The perfect end to a phenomenal meal. Aside from a flawless dinner service, Aidan's supper club is a lovely way to meet some new fellow foodies and chat over aforementioned incredible nourishment. It's not often that one is able to enjoy such a spectacular quality of food in such a relaxed and social setting. This would also make for an excellent choice for alternative private dining for birthdays or other celebrations alike. Aidan hit the perfect balance of being a professional, knowledgeable, friendly and welcoming chef and host. I can't recommend eleven98 enough.

More Info: Book Eleven98 Experience Here