Head chef Ben Watson‘s CV speaks for itself, having previously worked at Core by Clare Smyth, Jason Atherton’s Pollen Street Social and Little Social, The Square and Restaurant Gordon Ramsay.
Now parked firmly in the 17th century Golden Ball in Lower Assendon with his wife Priya, just outside Henley where Ben hails from, his Modern European menus are blended with Punjabi influences to reflect Priya’s heritage.
And it’s a match made in heaven. We swanned up for lunch, keen to try his prestigious food for ourselves, and were not disappointed.
It’ a beautifully simple set up, the sunlit series of small rooms offering multiple seating choices, the original bar still firmly in place. No ornate furnishings here – the onus is centred firmly on the food.
Proudly seasonal and obsessed with local produce, the two menu choices were the a la carte and the set menu, the latter offered for a hugely enticing £23 for two courses or £28 for three, and rather than the usual collection of more abstemious dishes, boasted a mussel chowder and chicken liver parfait, then mallard or hake.
The a la carte offered a more experimental and ambitious series of dishes from mackerel and quail to venison and John Dory.
But first some stunning bread served with two handmade butters; pumpkin and plain, which defied belief, Ben’s bread soft and light, the sweetness of the pumpkin tangible.
The mussel chowder was a must, the lightly curried soup poured onto the steamed mussels and celery leaf, the dill oil adding extra fragrance. Creamy, vibrant, silky, the pert mussles the perfect foil, it was an impressive start, the spice subtle.
The pan fried paneer with spiced pumpkin, homemade yoghurt, pumpkin seed, coriander and chutney (£12), was another irresistible addition, yet hard to picture, the sophisticated presentation belying any doubts, while the solidity of the paneer toped with pumpkin seeds, proved the ideal foil to the marinaded pan seared pumpkin which had the texture of a peach – juicy, flavoursome and cooled by the homemade yoghurt.
As for the roasted breast of mallard with black pepper mash, autumn greens and a green peppercorn sauce, the duck sliced and served on the creamy bed of mash, bursting with heady flavours and picture perfect as always.
The most unusual dish was the beetroot falafel with homemade labaneh, hummus, pickled chilli and batata parra potatoes (£25), virtuous yes, but wonderfully innovative. We had no idea what to expect and even when the dish arrived it wasn’t until you tried the individual components and admired how they all worked together that it became clearer.
The falafel weren’t even purple, beetroot powder used instead, the crispy spiced potatoes blending well with the tang of the pickles, the piquancy of the hummus and the softness of the labneh. Each mouthful was an unexpected delight.
Onto safer realms with the dessert, but first the cheese platter from up the road at the award-winning Nettlebed Creamery, always a winner, served with some gorgeous tortilla crisp shaped crackers and a tangy homemade chutney, and then two desserts! I know shameful but they sounded too good to be true.
A chocolate macaroon with chocolate ganache, English cherries and cherry ice cream (£9.50), crunchy, sweet and then the tang of the cherry. Delicious
The plum jelly with vanilla parfait, Genoise sponge and fresh plums (£9.50) had a similar zing, the plum jelly layered on top, the parfait soft, the sponge bouncy.
All in all a really refreshingly personal and original set up where Priya and her team make you feel incredibly welcome while Ben’s accolades in the kitchen shine through. Pay it a visit!
The Golden Ball, Lower Assendon, Oxfordshire https://www.goldenballhenley.co.uk
