Review: Two Cats Kitchen, Birmingham

What is “New Baltic Cuisine”? Well, one answer is: it’s the tag line that’s meant to intrigue you into eating at Two Cats Kitchen. Another answer might be: it’s a themed menu that sticks pretty rigidly to the idea of only using things grown or found in northern Europe, with a couple of nods towards traditional Baltic dishes thrown in. A third answer could be: proof that a splendid meal can be had without resorting to tropical or even mediterranean ingredients.

The dining room is stylish industrial-urban, with a bit more character than most such places. Staff are friendly, a young team still getting used to the fine dining schpiel, which was fun. We took the drink pairing with the tasting menu – I can’t really say wine pairing because it included a vodka, a beer, three wines and a sake! So we were looking forward to some interesting cooking to go with that lot.

The amuse was a little crispy potato nest with a quail egg, scrunchy and good. It was dusted with black trumpet mushroom powder which sounds marvellous but did absolutely nothing for me. Either I have faulty tastebuds, or black trumpet powder is better off cooked. Loved the “haladnik” that came after: a ready lurid cold beetroot soup, max flavour and nice choice of summery salad in the bottom.

Goat cheese pelmini were little tortellini-like dumplings, in a sweet onion broth with lovage oil. Those flavours were great, but the pasta was a bit too sturdy for these tiny pelmini. Still good. Next up, wagyu beef tartare dressed smartly with coal oil, cured egg yolk(!) and crutons of a dark Baltic rye bread. De-licious. Next up, crab! I can honestly say I’ve never had hot shredded crab with ancient grains (spelt and whatnot) draped with a sheet of sea lettuce in a dashi broth. Like a weird prehistoric crab risotto by way of Japan. In fact this was my favourite dish, it really took me back to the completely alien flavour/temperature/texture profiles of kaiseki meals in Japan, so different from classic fine Western cuisine (even when it uses Japanese ingredients). I’m waffling.

There was a lovely lump of lamb for the main course, pink and juicy and tasting like it was up on the hills yesterday chewing on herbs and hay. Blob of oyster emulsion was a good touch, along with broad beans and samphire, another clever combination with the lamb. Loved it.

Dessert was whacky, and probably not one for your sweet-toothed chocoholic. A big sorrel leaf sandwich full of sorrel and apple sorbet, a hilarious mess to eat! The reprise of sorrel and elderflower under scorched meringue was more dainty and just as tasty. Final dessert was a choux bun with white chocolate, dusted with more black trumpet powder! It still did nothing for me, alas.

I couldn’t help but enjoy my meal at Two Cat’s Kitchen. It’s a cool dining room, and a really inventive menu with a good theme. The food is generally really well executed but even the couple of mis-fires were still perfectly tasty. Loved the original drinks pairings too. For £45 this was very good value, a great evening out. I’d go back.