Second birthday dinner at the end of 2019 and we were lucky enough to secure seats at Joy, which had only recently been bestowed two chef's hats by Good Food Guide 2020. I had long been looking for a good enough excuse to try out the food here and a birthday was the perfect opportunity. Staying up to midnight 3 months ahead of time to book the last 3 seats for the night, it was definitely exclusive.
As mentioned on quite a few other blogs and sites, the menu changes regularly and is individually sealed with wax. We were super excited when we got ours. That night, rather than an option between a short and a long course, there was one option of a Joy course, which saved us having to make a decision.
Starting off with a glass of Genmaicha to accompany our first course, this was warm, toasty and light.
Our first course was the Japanese inspired Chawanmushi with smoked cream, quinoa, corn tarragon and scallop. Compared to the chawanmushi I have at home or at other Japanese restaurants, this had a far smoother and creamier texture almost like a custard rather than the usual gelatinous feel. Corn tarragon added a lot of texture to the dish. I also really loved the ikura that it was topped with.
Our next course was the Venison and Wagyu Tartare with golden sesame, celeriac and buckwheat. As a huge fan of tartare, this was a very delicious rendition of one of my favourite dishes. The tartare was well seasoned, fresh and went well with the crisp celeriac.
The highlight of our night was Zucchini with confit squid and fragrant herbs, this was served with Buckwheat bread. The squid was thinly sliced and amazingly tender, with a texture that was almost noodle like. The zucchini and herbs added so much depth of flavour, and the buckwheat bread soaked up the residual juices wonderfully.
This was the Octopus with prawn xo crunchy veg and garlic. This was a very light and refreshing dish, the octopus was very soft and well seasoned, the xo packed a spicy kick to the dish and I loved the addition of garlic.
Final savoury dish for the night was the Wagyu with banana blossom, wasabi leaf and roasted cabbage. This was cooked to a rare pink centre and melted in our mouth. The wasabi leaf and cabbage added balance, but we woul
Palate cleanser for the night was a Cucumber, jalapeno, mint, melon and blue pea flower granita. Cool and refreshing with a hint of spiciness, it was a good interlude before our much anticipated dessert.
First dessert was the Japanese inspired Cherry Blossom with green tea, roasted white chocolate, musk and strawberry. I absolutely loved the smooth fragrant cherry blossom, the texture reminded me a little of the chawanmushi that we commenced our meal with. The green tea element was crunchy and textured whilst the strawberry gave it some added tartness.
Final dessert was the signature Joy Mont Blanc with hazelnut, artichoke and salted cream. It was a very decadent dessert, with a crisp biscuit base, smooth hazelnut and artichoke, the salted cream gave it balance to ensure it wasn't overly rich. Of course, gold flake made it all the more special, and the perfect way to round off our meal.
We loved our time at Joy, especially the wonderful hospitality of Tim and Sarah :) Can't wait for another special occasion to come back again!
Taste: 10/10
Value: 10/10
Service: 10/10
Environment: 10/10
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