SY23 - ‘Foraged, Farmed or Fished’
Foraged, Farmed, or Fished is how Nathan Davies describes the food of his Aberystwyth restaurant, recently awarded its first Michelin star.
I had been excited to try the food at SY23 since watching Nathan secure a place with his starter at the banquet on the Great British Menu this year.
With a table booked for 19.30 and asked to arrive no later than 19.15, we arrived at 19.15 on the dot (after a drink in Bank Vault – an absolute gem of a craft beer bar we stumbled upon before our meal).
To start, we sat in Y Sgwar (the outside dining area of the restaurant) for a drink before our meal. We chose gin & tonic (with local Dyfi Pollination Gin) and mojito. Both drinks were excellent, and Dyfi gin is now firmly on the list of gins to add to the gin collection.
From Y Sgwar, we went to our seats upstairs in the restaurant. As soon as we entered the building, we were struck by the deep blue walls, ceilings, and architraves, winding wooden staircase and spectacular contemporary chandelier suspended in the stairwell.
The restaurant itself is an intimate space set for just 14 diners. The deep blue continues on the walls and ceiling in the restaurant; A tan leather chair for each guest with beautiful spruce dining tables. The contemporary lighting also continues into the restaurant.
The open kitchen at the front is the room's focal point; Our table is a front-row seat. Two chairs face the main stage; Eyes directed to the theatre, the cooking, the fire, the performance. Nathan is at the helm, backed by a slick and efficient team.
The philosophy at SY23 is simple. It is almost so simple you question why everyone is not doing the same. It is the best, fresh, local produce, cooked over fire. We are back to our primitive cooking roots with a dash of leather in the staff uniforms for added authenticity.
Eyes to the menu. A minimalistic affair, giving away little of what to expect of the nine courses to come (ten should you opt for the optional cheese course). All elegantly presented in stunning Penrhiw Pottery tableware.
Favourites from the menu:
Mushrooms. It turns out mushrooms cooked like this may be the best course I have had the pleasure to eat this year. Aerated mushrooms, pickled mushrooms, porcini-dusted mushrooms. A bowl of utter deliciousness.
Local Grains – Cultured Miso Butter. This course could be called Bread and Butter. I must add that this is not just any bread and butter; this is SY23 bread and butter, and it is quite frankly brilliant. Better still, an entire loaf to share between two with the invitation to use the bread and butter to mop up the remaining sauces from the following dishes. It would have been rude not to.
Meringue. Akin to a miniature lemon meringue pie but with the most impeccably thin pastry, lemon is replaced with yuzu to pack the citrusy punch, and Italian meringue topping scorched with hot coal in front of the onlooking diners. We had seen Nathan do the same with his pre-dessert on the Great British Menu and our expectations were high. It did not disappoint.
Strawberries – Sour Cream – Elderflower. Delightfully fresh and light, yet somehow creamy and rich. The perfect oxymoron of a dish.
Chocolate – Burnt Butter. It was the burnt butter element that stole the show here for me. Effectively, a moreish cube of fudge. I challenge you to find fudge that tastes better than this. It may not be possible. I would buy this in bucket loads if sold separately, so a genuine relief that it's not!
All in all, this was a fabulous evening. Nathan's pride in his Welsh routes and in supporting local Welsh businesses is evident. Welsh produce and Welsh design meld together impeccably to create a unique slice of Aberystwyth worthy of its Michelin accolade.
Sara Griffiths
