The Interim Table

The Interim Table is the brain child of chef Chris Bailey — half pop up restaurant, half supper club, it left me wined, dined and feeling fine!
Chris has recently moved to Brighton having previously been head chef at the Michelin starred Black Rat in Winchester. While searching for the right premises to open his restaurant here he is trying out his ideas on a few lucky diners once a month via The Interim Table.
As soon as I heard about what Chris was doing I signed up, transferred the cash, and waited in anticipation for the day to roll around. We rocked up at the bright red door of this private house at dead on 7.30. Taken downstairs we were seated on a large wooded table in the middle of the kitchen while Chris and his team (3 chefs and a waitress) busily prepared our food right in front of us.
Wines to match the food had been specially selected by local wine merchant Ten Green Bottles and we were provided with a champagne cocktail (featuring cherry blossom and lychee) as an apéritif.
Chris specialises in local food and has a particularly love of foraging, and this in clear when you peruse the menu. He was also able to explain each dish to us as it was presented, telling us where the products were sourced or foraged, and how they were prepared. A real novelty compared with normal restaurant dining.
Canapés came round first and included a savoury cheese macaroon, a breaded morsel of pork, and some deep fried kale leaves. Next was some delicious home baked sourdough bread served with either normal butted or a smoked pork butter that was delicious and rather naughty tasting, much like slathering your bread in pork dripping!
Next came a steamed oyster with cucumber gel and garlic foam. Beautifully delicate favours and the perfect texture. Salt cod was up next, cooked to perfection (maybe just lacking a crispy skin) with a volute of wild garlic, creamed potato and some delicate herbs and flowers foraged from the local area.
The next dish was a slow cooked hens egg. This was cooked in a water bath until the white was just set and the yolk runny and magnificently flavourful. This dish was served with broccoli stems, broccoli purée and a dusting of toasted hazelnuts to bring in some texture.
My favourite dish was the ox heart risotto — served with and oaty grain giving it a feel more similar to porridge than risotto. However, the nuttiness worked really well with the pieces of ox heart and the madeira jelly helped cut through the richness. A divine if some what filing dish!
The pork dish was up next — tenderly braised pork cheek with a delicate piece of pork loin served pink, a selection of spring veg and garnished with primroses. I never knew you could eat primroses, and I have to say, as pretty as they were, I probably prefer to see them growing in the wild than on my dinner plate!
Next up was a dish called sweet, sour, sweet. On the table were bowls of rhubarb and slices of lemon. We were then given a South American sweet which we were told to suck for a while and then chew. This would have the effect of turning normally sour food sweet. It worked! I was able to happily chew raw rhubarb and suck on slices of lemon until my hearts content. A novel food item and a bit of fun for the table!
Pudding was apple ice cream with a tonka sponge, salted caramel, pop corn espuma and crunches, and a sprinkling of popping candy. A very sweet finale to the meal. But just when you thought it was over there were almond biscotti and peppermint macaroons to finish us off.
My only slight criticism was the large number of people here. I think there were 25 people at the table which made getting the food out a bit tricky and it was perhaps not quite as hot as it could have been with a smaller number. However, I really can’t blame Chef for wanting to get his food out to as many people as possible.
We left close to midnight absolutely stuffed but very satisfied customers. At £50 per head (wine is extra), I thought this was extremely good value for money. I really can’t wait for Chris to open his restaurant here. We do have a great selection of eateries in Brighton, but fine dining is something that we are surprisingly lacking — It’s about time that the Michelin inspectors had reason to visit us here on the south coast!