Where excellent cooking has a heart in Oaks; TABLE TALK Alison Davison finds a gem of a restaurant on the weleeled a nd wellessed streets of Ludlow.

If you like your restaurants super-modern, you may find it looks ever so slightly dated. It's slightly reminiscent of those doily-type places that used to dish up the roast beef and Yorkshire puddings.

It seems jolly unfair that Ludlow has more good restaurants packed into a few (very attractive) streets than most of Birmingham put together.

As Sir Julian Critchley has pointed out in the Post's Saturday food pages, the town is a little bit of gastronomic heaven.

This particular firmament may be a little dominated by Shaun Hill with his Michelin-starred Merchant House (reviewed on these pages last year) but there's plenty of friendly competition to keep everyone on their toes.

There are many venues I keep promising myself to visit but first on the list was the Oaks on Corve Street, which merits a Michelin Red Meal rating in the prestigious guide.

The restaurant's rather plain exterior gives way to a richly oak panelled (hence the name) cosy interior. If you like your restaurants Conranesque and super-modern, you may find it looks ever so slightly dated.

It's ever so slightly reminiscent of those doily-type places that used to dish up the roast beef and Yorkshire puddings.

But who cares? It's intimate, welcoming, totally unpretentious and one look at the wonderful menu confirms why (apparently) fans travel out from Birmingham and regulars include none other than Shaun Hill on his nights off.

It's a joy - none of that worrying which is going to be the duff choice; everything looks wonderful.

Starters include new potatoes filled with a mousse of duck foie gras served with asparagus on a thyme lemon cream, the fish course has a terrine of red mullet of tomato jelly with fennel vinaigrette, the five mains include monkfish bourride on dill risotto or fried fillet of Hereford beef with mushroom crumble.

And at just pounds 22.50 for three courses or pounds 27.50 for four, it's a bargain.

The friendly staff make you feel instantly at home. Bringing us some excellent canapes, they inquired after my partner's health so solicitously (a bout of flu had forced a postponement of a previously-planned visit) I started to worry that they were showing him more sympathy than I had.

Hearing fellow diners ooh and aah over their food certainly improves the appetite.

Although we were given tasty appetisers of mixed vegetable tortellini, I was still ravenous by the time my starter of a tomato tart with raclette cheese and pesto arrived.

Not that there had been a long time to wait but it would have been worth it whatever.

The mixture of tastes nestling in superbly crisp (even the base) and clearly homemade puff pastry was wonderful, the pungency of the cheese balanced by sweet tomato. As for the pesto, it may well win my nomination for a desert island luxury.

My partner was equally in raptures with his squab pigeon which came sliced on polenta with a pistachio, orange and tarragon sauce.

It was cooked to perfection, deep pink and moist throughout. The orange in the sauce lent an extra dimension but the whole effect was very integrated.

Excellent bread rolls - served warm, another treat - accompanied the dishes.

I nibbled far too much of the bread as my partner enjoyed his fish course of smoked haddock boudin on marsh samphire and chive sauce.

This, he said, was quite salty but deliciously soft. "It just fell into the mouth and almost disappeared of its own accord, without the necessity of chewing," he decided.

There isn't a vegetarian main course on the menu but as you are quizzed over any dietary preferences when booking, it wasn't a problem.

Chef and owner Ken Adams had two choices on offer - a parmesan risotto or parsnip pancakes layered with courgettes and pine nuts on a red pepper sauce.

I chose the latter. It was a showstopper - a tower of pancakes (the rissole-type variety rather than the rolp ones) sandwiching the moistly flavoursome courgettes and pine nuts.

It was very good, if slightly on the heavy side.

After a while, I regretted gorging on bread and had to admit defeat. The staf attentive as ever, were concerned I hadn't enjoyed it but I assured them, as I slumped in my chair, that it was no criticism.

Still, it was never say die on the other side of the table where a breast of Trelough duck, spiced and honeyed on a muscat wine sauce with braised prunes, quickly disappeared.

It was top quality meat, "gorgeously" cooked though he found the honey-flavoured crust a little cloying.

Accompanying vegetables were seriously al dente, a tad too much for me perhaps, although they suited my partner.

If I'd had any strength left to gnash my teeth, I would have done so happily around some of the puddings on offer ... a rich chocolate fondant with vanilla ice cream, baked winter fruit charlotte or perhaps the exotic fruit soup with mango jelly.

Heroically, I managed a taste of my partner's creme brulee, which seemed rather unusual, almost reminding me of cake mixture (delicious!).

He wondered if it slightly lacked the heart attack element!

My coffee and petits four added another pounds 2.50 to the bill. From an excellent wine list (this is clearly another great love), we had a half bottle of a delightful and powerfully aromatic Gewurztraminer and a strong Amarone which was a fine accompaniment to the meat. It led to a final bill of pounds 73.80, good value for money.

The care and attention to detail is very impressive here with enthusiasm for, and love o food evident from start to finish.

The only possible complaint could be about the music - a Richard Clayderman (or some other pianist who winks at the camera) hits compilation so cheesy it should have been accompanied by celery and biscuits!

The Oaks, 17 Corve Street, Ludlow.

Telephone: 01584 872325.

Rating: HHHH

RATINGS GUIDE

H Forget it HH Disappointing HHH Worth a visit HHHH Make a date HHHHH Book now!

For a full guide to eating out in the Midlands - the best restaurants and pubs - turn to pages 14 & 15.

Article Details

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Author:	Davison, Alison
Publication:	The Birmingham Post (England)
Date:	Mar 25, 1998
Words:	1020
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