Superclub- Vintage Tube Train Edition

Many, many months ago now (sorry we slack, the blog writer has Adhd) back in October, we were lucky enough to get a reservation on the converted Tube train in Walthamstow Pumphouse museum. This little carriage can only seat a few, sells out quickly, and serves a delectable 6 course tasting menu, all of which is columbian cuisine.

Now if you follow our food blog (theautumncook) then you would have seen our meal posted, if you don't then do not fret, there are photos to come.

First of all, this was a really unique and cosy little experience. The chef came out and personally introduced the menu, told you about herself, and served the first course. It was then down to us to find out a bit about each course going forward, and entertain ourselves with drinks and chatter between each sitting. This was absolutely something we'd do again and the menu does change throughout the year, although the tube train wasn't really any different to those in service today. It didn't fell that way anyway, although there was certainly a vintage aspect. 

We would have loved to have had a nosey about in the museum itself but that will be for another day as it was shut aside from the carriage for the evening meal.

This food was unreal though, honestly something neither of us would have ever picked ourselves, but delicious. You could taste the love and effort put into each mouthful. How the additions perfectly married with the highlights of the dish. It was a love letter to the chefs heritage and we came along for the ride. It certainly opened our palates up to new adventures on the culinary spectrum.

First course was Tamal De Muerto. This was a primarily corn based dish, and the best way I can describe the flavour is soggy tortilla chip-but in a good way. The texture was crumbly yet paste like, but the flavour was overwhelming alongside a tangy salsa. Our mouths were full of a corny, almost musky taste. It was something we'd never come across before and although delicious, will unlikely encounter again.

The second dish, Pan De Bono Con Chorizo, was a little bit more up our street. This was a little chewy bread roll topped with the nicest Chorizo I have ever encountered. This was not the usual overwhelming hit of paprika you get from the shop stuff, this was warm, salty, a little oily but bursting with savoury goodness. We both agreed that we could eat more of those. The bread reminded me of a puffer version of kebab bread. The sort that absorbs the oil off the meat but still holds. This dish was by far our favourite of the night.

Civiche Nikkei De Atun, our fish course, was something we would usually avoid, but equally something Lauren had on her food bucket list to try. As a couple who would not thrive in a pescatarian world, we reluctantly dug into our Civiche (raw, treated tuna) and found that it was surprisingly pleasant. Jamie finished his plate and Lauren had to concede after a few mouthfuls as the idea of raw fish in her mouth overode the pleasant taste. Without the lime juice, chilli, and Chipotle mayo we wouldn't have enjoyed this. It was the tang and spice that made for the enjoyment of this course. The texture was a bit off-putting, cold, slimy tuna mixed with sauce and coated in crunchy bits. This was the reason Lauren struggled, too many textures and none of them complimentary. It was an experience, but one that both of us will unlikely take part in again. Next on her culinary bucket list is Oysters...

Next up is the main, Ajiaco. A classic combination, chicken and potatoes, but with a columbian twist. The chicken was juicy and seasoned nicely. The block of dauphinois potato was slightly undercooked but delicious all the same. What really made this dish stand out however was the guacamole. This was unlike any treated avocado we'd ever eaten. It wasn't mushy and it was actually flavourful. The sauce/gravy was disappointing. If I'm going to have a wet addition to my dish then I expect it to be flavourful or do something, not just be wet and add another texture. Otherwise this was a bit of a boring dish considering the courses before were all something different.

The predessert, Mora Berry ice dome with White Chocolate soil was a bit of us. It tasted like a frosty version of the strawberry dream in Quality Street. The dark chocolate was blunt, a nice palate cleanser and the sorbet was fresh and clean. The soil was a little pointless but was nice to look at, it didn't bring anything to the dish where it's task was to clean the mouth for the final dish.

The final course, a simple Churro with Mango Sorbet was yummy but equally just that, simple. Served to us was a single Churro, a scoop of mango sorbet, and little chunks of brownie with a splodge of cream. An unusual mix which didn't marry and was a bit anti climatic. The Churro was crisp and a little chewy, sweet and cosy with the cinnamon dust. The mango sorbet gave some sharpness to the sweet and was a nice addition, but the brownie and cream was random and bland. Didn't do anything to the Churro and there should have been more of said Churro to complete the dinner. We appreciated it was a tasting menu but a tiny Churro to round off a meal left us feeling a little sleighted considering the price (almost £80 a head, while the cheapest experience we've come across, it's still a pretty penny).

Overall our date was cute, niché, and very us. It was a little adventure which we rave about and has opened us up to other experiences in the same genre, but it needs to be worth the money. 

Have you done anything similar? We're always open to recommendations especially food related!

DISCLAIMER: Now for the official bit. This blog does not receive any paid promotions from the places mentioned above. We have not been approached to promote or act as spokespersons for any attraction mentioned within this post and this is simply a post intended to act as a day in the life of a couple on a cute date. All photos included are taken by ourselves and as such the rights for these images our ours, no links, brands, or companies mentioned otherwise belong or are associated with Phantom Adventures UK. We are responsible only for this blog. Opinions are our own and not influenced by any third party source.. 

If you have any recommendations on places to visit or somewhere you would like to see on the blog, please feel free to drop us a message on instagram under @phantomadventuresuk or email us at phantomadventuresuk@gmail.com