Alastair Walling: One to Watch...

We love meeting up-and-coming young chefs, and Alastair Walling of Noble Rot is most definitely one to watch!

His ‘French Fancy’ takeover at Wine Bar and Shop Dina Wines in Leytonstone at the end of last year had all the right ingredients, a laid-back Saturday vibe, a beautiful menu, and exceptional but versatile wine pairings.

We were glad we skipped breakfast, as we got the opportunity to sample every one of the dishes on his curated a la carte sharing menu.

Starting with some neutral fizz (Sol Gueti Pignoletto) selected by Dina Wines we loved his Fin and Flounder Oysters with a Tomato Ferment.

From then on, each of his creative fancies was a delight, but some standouts for us were the seasonal salad of Pear, Girole, and Spenwood, the satisfying and sublime Spinach and Ricotta Malfatti with brown butter (there was nothing badly made about these dumplings!) and the mussels with Nduja, the juices of which we enthusiastically mopped up with Alastair’s homemade bread.

The chocolate tart with Chantilly cream to finish was just the right side of sweet and decadent, balanced with it's touch of saltiness - particularly enjoyable with the fine-structured Nebbiolo red suggested.

With views of Alastair working away happily in the kitchen, who made regular appearances to serve and chat with his guests, and wines to complement each course, the experience was memorable and of exceptional value too.

Alastair himself is a humble, charming, and gifted young chef with the passion and ambition to try new things independently. Next, he’ll be venturing into the world of Thai food, mixing it with the best of British produce at @thescrandsrit in Bristol between the 1st and the 4th of February. If you are in the area, you won’t want to miss this.