Fancy trying a restaurant where the cooks are still learning the craft? Catherine Whyte is delighted to have done just that
Christmas has come early in Woking with the recent Commercial Way revamp. All of a sudden, the choice has gone from woeful to wonderful. If you want comfort food, go to Bill’s; for Italian, va a Carluccio’s. Something more exotic? Journey to Las Iguanas. Hallelujahs all round.
And it doesn’t stop there. Diners now have the option of eschewing these national chains – however novel their appearance in Woking – in favour of somewhere more individual: a place where the menu is unique, not idly replicated in countless other establishments up and down the land.
Tante Marie Culinary Academy has relocated to the centre of town and opened a restaurant in the process. It’s a showcase of sorts, with graduates from the school’s well-regarded Cordon Bleu Diploma on the floor and in the kitchen, alongside full-blown professional staff. Note, however, that diners are not treated like guinea pigs.
It’s not a new concept – Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen and, more locally, The Clink at HMP High Down near Banstead have already paved the way – but it’s a brave one. There’s nowhere to hide, as the completely glazed exterior allows pedestrians to gaze into the smart, open-plan, canteen-style interior. Then again, that may be precisely the point.
Will it work? Well, there’s certainly a call for somewhere like this in Woking – according to Trip Advisor, the restaurant is the most in-demand of any in the town. But my visit had its low points: the Brazil nut and wild mushroom tart was too dry, while the rice pudding needed more cardamom.
On the other hand, it also had its highs. The glass of bubbly infused with homemade rhubarb cordial was a promising start; the wild mushroom amuse bouche with truffle oil was rich and robust; and the spontaneously offered starter – we reviewers get spoilt – of asparagus, potato croquettes and wasabi hollandaise was bang on.
I liked the energy of the place. As with The Clink and Fifteen, there’s an extra ingredient, which makes it just a tad more exciting. To remind diners of Tante Marie’s instructional raison d’être, the menus are fashioned like school exercise books. Throw in Tante Marie Live – essentially an extension of the restaurant, where classes take place in full view of both diners and passers-by – and the result is something unique.
It’s great to see a local business invest so boldly in its future. Ten years ago, a project like this in Surrey would have been folly. But now, as a nation – primed by the likes of MasterChef and GBBO – we have developed a taste for the theatre of food. Couple that with the rapid renaissance of Woking’s culinary scene, and one feels that this opening has been timed to perfection.
The Restaurant at Tante Marie is also open for brunch, lunch and pre-theatre deals.
You can find out more about The Clink on their website
