During maturation, the tins of sturgeon eggs are chilled at an optimum temperature of minus three degrees celsius,” explains Macouin. ”They are turned every two weeks to ensure an even spread of oil and tasted by the caviar master every week.”

Angels danced on our tongue. The main followed, a perfectly tender rump of Salt Marsh hogget with a crisp round of slowly rendered belly alongside lovage and courgette. Deep, rich and intense, the flavours and textures showcased a rare skill. Then there’s the Sakelees Ice Cream served with dehydrated lime meringue and topped with a generous quenelle of Polenco Siberian Caviar. It’s a divisive dish; Ong is a fan of the sweet and savoury combination while my table mate and I aren’t too sure if we are. The sake kasu gives the ice cream enough of its own umami-fruity flavour to go with the roe but was overpowered by the saltiness of the caviar.We see it appealing to celebrities, managing directors and CEOs, ambassadors and other VIPs who wish to give their cats the finest things in life. Good food. Good hospitality. Good value for money. Harborne Kitchen justifies the hype. Sample menu Desogus is operating at an elite level while being ably supported by an engaged, professional supporting cast, who operate at the highest standard. Good company. The post-Covid dining experience has been carefully considered. Instead of printed wine lists, drinks of available using a QR code to avoid the risk of many hands touching one menu.

Fortunately there’s some champagne to wash it down. The drinks list is pretty expansive, offering a reasonable selection by the glass such as NV Champagne Legras & Haas Intuition Brut and Johnnie Walker Blue Label. Whereas the list of bottled champagne lean into the older vintages, the likes of a 2006 Krug Brut or the splendid 2003 Dom Perignon P2 Brut. Uses: Due to its high cost caviar is usually served in small portions, lumpfish roe can be served in the same way. Serve it on thin toast with a little butter or on blinis (small Russian pancakes) with a little soured cream as an appetiser and offer with a glass or two of chilled sparkling wine or a glass of vodka before a special meal. Other popular accompaniments are chopped onion, chopped hard-boiled egg white or a squeeze of lemon juice. To make the caviar go a little further, serve a selection of toppings such as smoked salmon with creme fraiche or prawns with cream cheese on the toast or blinisFor the caviar connoisseur, Ong’s establishment could well be the playground they’ve been looking for. After all, you can be sure the man knows his product having been a supplier of premium seafood for eight years. The entire spread of caviar, in their tin containers of various sizes, is put on display along a shallow ice trough by the open kitchen where the chef’s table resides. Like cheese and ham, the refining stage gives personality to the final product,” Macouin says, highlighting at the same time that Kaviari’s minimum ageing time is three months.