Art14

One of the first Art fair I’ve been to and I felt in love with it. Located in the Olympia Grand venue you can imagine how spacious the exhibition was and they made good use of it. It was a compilation of global contemporary Art and what I especially love about it was that the Artist was actually present to explain the pieces and you weren’t just reading a vague description on the wall. It gave the artwork a sense of importance and individuality and a greater understanding to it. There was a lot to get through and although contemporary Art there were still a lot of variation of gestures and styles, from sculptures, to photography, acrylic and pastels. It was refreshing!
Being an Art fair in a venue like Olympia it means that the layout is simple and the high quantity of people in a constricted place can be distracting. But as time passed the crowd dispersed giving us more time to enjoy the art. I did wish the regions of art were arranged in a more orderly manner rather than randomly placed but what I found really intriguing was the variation of styles in each culture and the ease of going from one region to another made that very easy to see and compare.
But for me the main event of Art14 and particularly that Thursday, was really for the Food for Art restaurant pop up. Where throughout the four days a popular London chef will take over the pop up restaurant and on Thursday was Florence Knight, one of my all time admired chef. With her recent opening of Polpetto which has already receiving raving reviews by the media I felt so lucky to have booked a table knowing Polpetto has a no booking policy. The menu was very similar to what is served at her new restaurant but even better, Florence Knight was the one cooking for us that evening.
As expected her food was simple, delicate flavours, fresh and healthy combination. It is amazing how she has the ability to use single ingredients, even raw and pair it with another one to create such amazing textures and flavours without the need of extra sauces or flavouring. Something as simple as bloater and fennel which was just fennel to dip in pureed cold smoked herring was so nice– the delicate flavours and crunchiness of the fennel with something so rich yet smooth and light paired well.
The braised veal cheeks in beans and fennel was the highlight for me. One of the more complicated dishes offered without being too heavy. The veal was amazingly tender, mouth melting and juicy, soaking up the tomato sauce, Both the beans and fennel were cooked till soft so did not distract that texture either. It was just a really comforting stew also delicately seasoned to allow the natural flavours to shine though.
I am amazed how creative she can make salads to be, transforming raw Cavolo Nero into a dish with so much flavour and texture you forget it’s a salad. The thin slices of pecorino cheese gave it that smokey depth of flavour it needed and the anchovy for that saltiness firmer texture. Together it was served with a light creamy sauce wrapping things up together nicely. I just wasn’t a big fan of the buttered bread that was dry and distracted it from the overall texture but otherwise it was an amazing dish.
And salad doesn’t just have to be leafy which made the Kohlrabi, golden raisins and hazelnuts a more adventurous dish. Not used to having root vegetables raw and probably still not, I did however learnt to appreciate the organic flavours of the kohlrabi, the slight bitterness. I did enjoy this dish more so when the sweet of flavour of the golden raisin burst through, balanced with the sharp saltiness of the capers.
Potted rabbit was also very successful and that was without the prunes which I have never really been a fan of. The rabbit was deliciously tender, creamy and meaty, lightly seasoned and paired with a lightly toasted buttered bread.
I highly recommend the Honey ale fried salsify. It made me realise I do like my root vegetables cooked. In a light thin crispy batter and sweetened with honey, these were so moorish especially dipped in the accompanied sauce, creamy with a slight tang to it.
We finished with the best maple tart one could ask for. Light in sweetness with a thick smooth custard texture that just slowly melted in your mouth paired with clotted cream.
Florence Knight does not cook food to produce to a ‘wow’ factor for those who are interested in healthier, more delicate flavours using raw and wholesome ingredients. Flavours are organic, fresh and more subtle than the usual fine dining but it is everything I love about her. I did not leave the meal feeling guilty at all. It is a healthier alternative to fine dining and all in small plates, perfect for trying out a few and for sharing.
Together with the stimulating artwork it was a perfect evening and all under one roof. In most events like this I have had to sacrifice for good food and opt for a sandwich instead unless it was a food event. But Food Art had the perfect combination. Sorted!