Dining at Fairways Chevin Golf Club
It was a very different day when we arrived at Fairways, Chevin Golf Club from over a year ago, the bright sunshine was replaced with a soft grey mizzle, but driving down the lane, the beautiful landscape that opened up still brought a smile to my face. We had last visited for a summer lunch here, enjoying the blue skies as we sat in the sunny conservatory. This time, over eighteen months later, it was Autumn and the immaculate curves of the greens, punctuated by trees in their differing stages of changing colours was equally captivating against the gentle wash of a grey sky. Our lunch had been memorable, as it was Tom, a young, talented chef who had created and cooked for us previously. Tom, it must be said, is still young and has created an extensive function menu which we were privileged to be one of the first to enjoy. To set the scene though I need to tell you that Fairways, Chevin Golf Club is open to everyone, that is members and non-members and the welcome as you walk through the door is extremely welcoming and warm. There are plenty of areas where you can choose to sit and have pre-diner drinks and the conservatory dining is light, spacious and as I said, has a beautiful aspect. Hollie, the manager has a contagious warmth, and her staff are polite, efficient and helpful so it was lovely to be greeted by her again. Drinks in hand, our starters were served, both fish based. Elegant in its presentation and garnished with charred lemon and asparagus spears, my lightly poached fillet of salmon was surrounded in the most delicious lobster bisque, intensely rich and smooth, it was topped with a ravioli parcel filled with white lobster meat. This was perfectly partnered by a langoustine which nicely contributed a change of texture. I was intrigued by the description on the menu of my husbands ‘Cod quiche Lorraine’, but the soft and sweetly roasted onions which filled the pastry case, salty bacon lardons and deep yellow confit egg yolk formed the quiche on which sat a piece of cod smothered in a light and bubbly white wine sauce, topped with caviar and chive emulsion. Very creative and delicious. Moving on to our main courses, a butternut squash puree formed the base for my duck breast, slowly roasted with a glazed skin, extremely tender and not overly fatty. A crisp pastry tart was filled with shredded duck leg and topped with finely sliced baby red grapes. The red wine jus stopped the dish becoming dry and tied all the flavours together beautifully. A piece of puffed crackling crisp dusted with five spice added crunch and just a hint of cinnamon to compliment the tartlet flavours. Lamb was the theme for my husbands main, a herb crusted rack of lamb, pink and succulent, a mini shepherd’s pie topped with smooth, piped, thyme infused mash and a croquet of lamb dusted in breadcrumbs and herbs. Pea puree and glazed heritage carrots with a rich minty jus complemented each aspect of the dish. This was served with a white bread bun made with rendered lamb fat and topped with a mixed herb crumb, meant for dipping and soaking up all that leftover sauce. The first mention of apple crumble and my husband is straight there, but as you would expect from this creative chef there was a twist. A soft apple and white chocolate mousse was dipped in a fine green mirror glaze to create the illusion of a perfect green apple, and at its heart was soft pureed apple, the whole picture sat on a bed of crumbed shortcake, wrapped in a white chocolate collar. What an imagination to create such a delicious illusion. Not to be out done, my coconut mousse, surrounded by flakes of coconut, biscuit crumb and cubes of coconut sponge sat in a dark chocolate shell. Passion fruit was a sharp addition and the malibu granita melted slowly in your mouth. A honeycomb tuile and tempered ‘Fairways’ logos really emphasise the attention to detail in all these dishes. This had been a dining experience on a whole new level. Each dish well thought through, where no ingredient was included that didn’t bring something special to each dish, nothing too overpowering and nothing without its own characteristics. Tom is an outstanding young chef and although he pushes the boundaries, he also understands ingredients that traditionally complement each other and uses these to their strength. Tom’s skills also lie in his ability to train and relate to his own team of young chefs in his kitchen, and to mentor, influence and encourage them in these skill sets. What a delightful dining experience this had been. Fairway’s is at Chevin Golf Club, as you turn off the main A6 through Duffield on to Avenue Road where very quickly you’ll see Golf Lane, this takes you to the Fairways Restaurant. Our thanks to everyone at Fairway’s and for the lovely welcome we received. 00
Dining In Derbyshire – Anila Indian Restaurant
For many years I’ve driven past the little single storey building that sits katy corner wise on the green at the junction of the A610 and the A6 at Ambergate. My first memories are when it was the Little Chef and we considered it a treat for the family. Times change however and during lockdown it again became a firm family favourite when it opened as Anila, serving time honoured Indian cuisine and somewhere we could safely drive to where the kitchen would bring our order out to the car. Recently Anila opened its doors after a lengthy refurbishment, as a modern restaurant offering, as we were to appreciate, a lovely relaxed dining experience. On our visit we were greeted by courteous staff who showed us over to a quiet table by the window. The menu outlines the fascinating history of Indian cuisine and the influence Mogul rule had over the centuries, this is reflected in the variety and styles offered. Anila also source local, fresh ingredients where ever possible. Poppadoms and a pickle tray are always a good way to start and build anticipation for what is to come. My companion began with Paneer Achari Tikka, described as roasted Indian cottage cheese, although the texture is not as we would expect cottage cheese, but has much more flavour as it is marinated in Achari pickle before it’s lightly grilled. Served with a side salad it’s a starter which compliments many dishes. I chose the Salmon Macher Tikka, chunks of salmon with just a light touch of Indian spices, and cooked over a charcoal grill, served with a crisp salad and slice of lime, the garnish added texture and flavour and was gentle on the palate. I followed this with a house speciality, Murgh Makhni, a dish I hadn’t tried before, but our waiter described perfectly. The chicken was tender and buttery, and the Makhni sauce mild but with distinctive flavours including ginger and garlic but executed with a light touch. Pilau rice was all that was needed as an accompaniment. My companion enjoys his dishes with more of a medium heat and so ordered the Hydrabadi Biryani Chicken, a mix of basmati rice, chicken and onion with aromatic spices and a separate sauce. This was well presented and had a lovely balance of spices. We decided to share a Peshawar naan cooked in the traditional way. To finish our evening a dish of cooling ice cream was a simple but perfect finale, followed by a coffee. Just a note here, Anila don’t serve alcohol ( just soft drinks) but are happy for you to take your own alcohol. In all honesty I’m amazed at the skill set of the chefs to achieve these beautifully balanced dishes, each so individual with its own characteristics. They embody a rich heritage and culture going back thousands of years, and we found here at Anila they really were top of their game. We regularly enjoy a takeaway, but will in future add Anila to our list of favourite places to dine in. Our thanks also to the waiters who so patiently answered our questions and offered advice, making sure we had a very enjoyable evening . 00
