Pea Porridge, a michelin star in Bury St Eds

Dinner at Pea Porridge, a Michelin starred restaurant in Bury St Edmund. Thanks to local gourmet guide Simon, and his mates Andy, Bron & Lawrence. Its modest exterior at the end of one-way street is misleading. Inside is an airy conversion of an old bakery, with the bread oven still there. They had a huge loaf in front of it and the smell was heavenly. Right beside our table too, so tempting.

Wow. I had lamb, with roasted head of green garlic, a roasted aubergine and some greens on the side. Delicious. The crab toasts looked amazing, even though I don’t eat fish or seafood, and the quail looked delicious too. Mr Arcadia had a half a lobster and was in 7th Heaven. Other people had other things. There seemed to be no bad choices.

Dessert was surpassingly good, I teamed a Visciolata del Cardinale wine – a cabernet sauvignon infused with sour cherries – with the chocolate mousse. I have tried a number of wine & chocolate pairings over the years, with variable success. This was the first time the chocolate desert made the delicious wine taste even better, and the wine added an extra dimension to the desert. The mousse was denser than usual, closer to the consistency of a chocolate tart filling rather than the cloud like substance I’m accustomed to thanks to the late, great Victoria Emery. A truly great chef lets you step outside your usual comfort zone, because you trust that she or he knows what they’re doing. The desert was described on the menu as ‘chocolate mousse with custard’, which made me hesitate. It turned out to be a light creme anglaise that pointed up the dense dark chocolate beautifully. I’m sure the others at something or other delicious too, but I was past noticing.

Not at all cheap, but excellent value at £55 for an indulgent experience. This is only my second Michelin starred experience. Worth a frugal few days.