The Gallery, Helmsley Review

The Gallery at the Black Swan Hotel has a new head chef, Alan O’Kane. We had the pleasure of experiencing his tasting menu which we felt was prepared with a great deal of care and finesse. The warm staff took great care of us as we meandered through this enjoyable culinary journey. The menu is traditional and not unnecessarily experimental, so it’s great for those who prefer their food with taste at the forefront of the agenda. We also experienced the wine pairing, which was served generously and lasted through the duration of each course.

We started our evening off with an aperitif, two fine glasses of Louis Roederer, Brut Rose Champagne. A delicious, fruity champagne, with some intense floral notes. We enjoyed a selection of ‘snacks’ prior to the tasting menu which included, pork and apple beignet, blood pudding puree, tempura of Lindisfarne oyster with XO sauce, and finally my personal favourite the white onion and 36 month aged parmesan veloute.

To begin our culinary journey we started with bread and a choice of beef butter or cultured butter. A wonderful start to the evening and left us excited for the evening ahead.

“Each dish was prepared with a great deal of care and finesse.”

Next, we were served a dish titled Tom Khan, comprising of flavoursome Thai aubergine, mushroom and crispy herbs. This dish delivered a wonderful marriage of flavours and had the presentation to match. This dish was paired with a glass of 2014, Alsace Riesling, Trimbach, Alsace, France. A delightfully fresh and appetising wine, refreshing and enjoyable.

Our next dish was the Oakey Scallop, with Jerusalem artichoke, garlic, and Italian parsley. The scallops were perfectly prepared, and paired beautifully with a glass of 2014, Kenton Vineyard, Bacchus, Devon, England, a dry and crisp wine.

Moving on to the next course we had the Raw Scottish Venison, a well-prepared cut of venison served with burnt orange, smoked coconut, beetroot emulsion, and yolk. This dish was our personal highlight of the evening, this was paired with a glass of 2014, Bogle Vineyards, Viognier, Clarksburg, California, we can’t fault it.

Next we moved on to their Lamb dish, with texel lamb, cannon of lamb, turnip hot pot, nettle puree, ewes curd, and blackened onion. An interesting dish with a collection of flavours that worked well together. We were served a glass of 2013, Quinta do Crasto Reserva, Douro DOC, Portugal with the dish, a full-bodied red packed with dark fruits and some spicy notes.

Moving on to the dessert course of the tasting menu, we were served the Buffalo Ricotta Cheesecake, with calamansi, passion fruit curd, and pistachio. The cheesecake was splendid, very smooth and flavoursome.

For our final dish we had the Chocolate dessert, which was bitter chocolate namelaka, spice espresso cake, and a milk sorbet. A fitting end to a splendid evening of interesting and enjoyable dishes, and our final wine pairing was a glass of 2013, Sauternes, Clos Daddy, France.

The tasting menu at The Gallery was an absolute joy from start to finish. We can’t fault the experience and left with only fond memories of our culinary journey.