(ad – pr) Sunday Roast is such an institution in this country that visitors from other nations sometimes struggle to believe we, as a nation, are so dedicated to it. On a weekly basis I feed Yorkshire Puddings to guests on my food tours and explain their background, history and current place in our cuisine. The Sunday roast seems firmly entrenched in visitors’ minds as a British quirk up there with the Monarchy, limiting class systems and Mrs Brown’s Boys. I’d argue though that a quality roast contributes much more to the nation’s happiness than any of those anachronisms, anchoring Sunday as a day of indulgence to set one up for the week and cook up plenty of leftovers. Letting a restaurant take the strain might limit the opportunity for leftovers but gets one out of the washing up – a decent trade off. Last weekend we went across to Harrogate for a repeat visit to Amber’s Restaurant to give their Harrogate Sunday Roast a spin.
The opening of Amber’s a few months ago set it out as a luxurious dining room in which hearty, not unduly fussy, food could be enjoyed. As such it was a pleasure to reacquaint oneself with the space and say hello to our server Jack, who by coincidence is an old friend of mine. We took up residence in a comfortable booth and submitted our orders, taking a note of the kids menu, which wasn’t shown on line, as well as the option to order a kids’ roast. Glasses of wine quickly arrived and we settled back for starters of pig cheek and salmon. These appeared in the white-gloved hands of suitably decorous servers ready for us to set about them. I’m always slightly dubious about the need for a starter with a Sunday Roast, which should be enough to satisfy in itself, but the portions were well judged to not distract and the flavours well matched. Pig cheek should feature on more menus and offers up the perfect portion for a starter, here matched with bubble and squeak and a sharp apple gel. This cut is nothing without slow-cooking and the braising this one received had done the job perfectly, a starter that deserves to be far more common than it is. The other side of the table tucked into a more classic dish of cured salmon with beetroot and a pleasant hit of caraway tempered by a spiced pineapple relish and a citrus cream, just the right level of individuality pushed upon this classic dish.
Appetites suitably whetted, mains arrived quickly with my roast sirloin joined by pork loin as I took the opportunity to double up. Pressed lamb shoulder came to the other side of the table and a kids’ roast arrived at just the right moment to head off another chant “but I’m hungry now”. Side dishes were plentiful with cauliflower cheese, greens, Yorkshire pud and jugs of gravy present to augment the roast potatoes and roots on my plate. The lamb was served with baby broccoli and beans with a delicately layered potato terrine catching the eye and a hint of marjoram in the sauce. The lamb fell apart with tiny provocation and was as tender as hoped with plenty of depth of flavour. The potato, sauce and greens came together merrily too, making this a pleasing plate to tackle. A Sunday roast is not a ‘tweezers’ dish and thankfully there was no sign here of undue attempts to over-finesse things, not to say that this wasn’t a well put together dish though with the generous slices of meat shielding roast veg from view and an indecently crispy shard of crackling for a hat. The picture was completed by a generous Yorkshire pud, and the sides all hit the spot. Thinking about it now, I must make cauliflower cheese more often… The gravy was lustrous, deep with flavour and plentiful to finish things off perfectly for mains. Tiramisu and chocolate brownie were a suitable adjunct to the meal and well executed, the tiramisu in particular being light and compelling.
The only negative comment around the table was from Little Fork who didn’t get on with the mocktail that she was presented with, though we appreciated the thought at least. £32 for three quality courses in a dining room as elegant as this represents great value and should compel repeat business from those more local to the restaurant than me. All the comforting notes of a Sunday roast were present and correct along with a few mild flourishes that reflect the establishment, service matching the food also. As an extra bonus I got to catch up with my old friend Jack who left York a little while ago and now brings his skills to Amber’s, all in all a great way to spend a Sunday. If you live in HG1 or HG2 make sure to check out “Friends of Amber’s” which entitles you to a 20% discount on Sunday lunch amongst other things.
