Test Driving the Wild Pasta menu at The Ninth on Charlotte Street

Catherine Hanly 08 January 2019

ninthroom Perch up at the bar or find yourself a quieter table - either way the dining rooms here are very comfortable

We're as guilty if not more of chasing after the new here at Hot Dinners, but every once in a while we get a good reason to return to an old favourite.

That was just the case with The Ninth, Jun Tanaka's restaurant on Charlotte Street. For three years now, the team there, including Head Chef Kevin Burke, have been building a reputation as an always-dependable restaurant for a good time. Twelve months after they opened, Michelin agreed and gave them a star which they've retained.

And the reason we were back? Well, Jun has recently brought in a Wild Pasta menu. Focusing on premium wild British game and wild mushrooms by the Vicars Farm in Berkshire it's all about celebrating seasonality.

We squeezed in on a busy December lunchtime to try it out. Here's what we had:

Oxtail croquettes with watercress sauce - these have been on the menu since The Ninth opened and thank goodness for that, we say. (£2.50 each)

Pheasant ravioli with chanterelles, grapes and consomme (£10) - the ravioli is made with confit leg and roasted breast along with a light pheasant mousse – and the kitchen uses the bones used to make the consommé. The next time we're ill we're getting Jun to courier us a bowl of this.

Hare and foie gras agnolotti, trompettes and Jerusalem artichokes with crispy sage (£12) - a beautifully balanced dish given that super-rich pasta filling.

truffles Orecchiette with black Winter truffle and egg yolk (£20 - for this small dish, £39 for a main) - a dish that tasted of the earth, in a good way. The fact it looks so beautiful too doesn't hurt.

painperdu There are other desserts - and the chocolate cremeux was very good to be sure, but if you only have room for one here than it HAS to be the pain perdu (£9).