Deliciously creative dishes at The White Onion

Today it’s time for somewhere new in Wimbledon Village. Well, new to us anyway. The White Onion has been a fixture in the Village for some time now – I’m really not sure why we’ve never visited before. Easily remedied.

It’s a cosy local eatery serving modern French/European cuisine using seasonal ingredients. Well, there are quite a few different influences on the menu which makes for interesting eating.

What’s on the menu

This could be my favourite starter of the year, I know that’s a big statement. Not only because of its amazing flavours but because of the amazing surprise value. I love it when the dish that arrives in front of you is totally not what you were expecting – in a positive way.

Pea and coriander gazpacho with pine nuts, espelette pepper and aged goats cheese shavings. Wow, wow, wow! I loved the idea of peas and coriander in a gazpacho – how inventive and how delicious. And the amazing surprise was its texture – more like a cross between a gazpacho and a mousse – little clouds of greenness that melted on my tongue and zinged with flavour. All perfectly matched with pine nuts, espelette pepper which gave a lovely chilly bite and the creaminess and tartness of the goats cheese. An incredibly wonderful fresh dish.

The White Onion: pea and coriander gazpacho — This is the kind of starter food dreams are made of

Sweet and tender oven baked Brigham scallops with potato gratin and a truffled nut pesto. A real treat.

The White Onion: scallops — Fresh scallops topped with truffley pesto

And on to mains

For once it didn’t take me long to choose my main. My eyes lit up gleefully at the sight of the words Iberico pork tenderloin. The Spanish do know their pigs! A beautifully vibrant plate of pork with piquillo pepper hummus, a lush black garlic puree and grilled sweetcorn and finished off with a Cognac sauce. Another perfectly balanced plate of deliciousness.

The White Onion: iberico pork — Fabulously flavoursome Iberico pork tenderloin

The menu offered some exotic choices. Like this pan fried stone bass on a bed of risotto with a black olive crust and radicchio chiffonade and completed with a Riesling sauce. Top wine sauces here all round!

The White Onion: stone bass — Delightful stone bass with a silken sauce

And how’s this for a twist on a tradition – lamb Wellington. With braised shoulder of West Country lamb with za’tar (a fragrant Middle Eastern spice mix), aubergine and tahini puree and a lamb jus. What a great idea with the depth of lamb flavours and the buttery pastry.