Eggs Benedict is one of my all time favourite, comfort giving, wonderfully satisfying indulgences. Because of this and as I am sure many other people love this ultimate unbeatable combination, I am going to compare 3 restaurants interpretations of this classic.
The Almanack in Leicester is a relatively new opened establishment. I went soon after it opened and I think at this time they may have been cutting some corners to ease themselves in. Or maybe they are just lazy. Either way, I’ve not been back to try anything else because of the poor effort in the Eggs Benedict department.
The Almanack is a nice place, pleasant atmosphere and all but it lacks a certain je ne sais quoi. On the plus (and a big thumbs up from me) they advertise an excellent ethics policy; minimising carbon footprint and local sourcing and all the other “in Vogue” strategies. Regrettably this doesn’t make up for the food.
R had the most meagre portion of risotto I have ever seen. I would say about four teaspoons worth of rice and it was nothing special. A few pieces of butternut squash strewn around in an inelegant fashion.
Firstly, I was served only one muffin on my prodigious plate. Disappointing yes, but open mindedly and with conviction I thought, it must be quality and not quantity. I was wrong. The muffin was so flavourless and soggy I thought they might not as well have bothered putting it on. I had it with smoked salmon instead of the traditional Parma ham. When paying almost £6 for my minute Eggs Benedict I do not expect to find the brown bits of the salmon on my plate. I don’t see anything wrong with them, it is a natural thing but don’t put something that looks like the inside of a Victorian U-bend on my plate when I am a paying customer.
The hollandaise was indescribably awful. This is one of the areas I think they cut corners, to be this appalling it must have been bought in and shoved unceremoniously onto my plate from a big bucket. It was so acidic that if they didn’t buy it in they must not have had the skill or the time and effort to make the creamy sauce I expect.
Overall the portions were too minute to be worthy of what they cost, the staff were friendly and they give the impression of really wanting to involve people and create a nice atmosphere. Perhaps things have improved but I’m not sure I trust it enough to give it another go.
1 out of 5.
All That I’m Eating
This restaurant has since closed.
Excellent start to this series and a great idea to compare restaurants on one dish. Thank you for sharing this.
Having recently ventured into the eggs benedict arena, I can tell you that while it takes some careful attention, making a good sauce is not especially difficult. And neither are the muffins. Bad food really depresses me–especially when I’ve paid $$ for it. I hope the next is better.
oooh, eggs benedict is such a smart choice as the dish to judge everyone on. the egg should be cooked just right (have you ever had an overcooked version of eggs benedict?, its dreadful) and the sauce that will be noticeably poorer if not prepared (a) at said establishment, and (b) correctly.
smart idea though, even if you did have such an awful experience, hopefully the next round will go better.
Great review. Eggs Benedict is definitely one of those dishes that can’t just be thrown together!