Fine Dining: Rhubarb Opens In Harrogate

Last year, I wrote about the young, 24-year-old chef Varun Khanna. I was impressed with his take on food, which had a refreshing twist where he took flavours from his Asian background and fused them with the best of European cuisine.

Having tasted his food, I was confident he would go on to run his own restaurant; he does, after all, have a fine pedigree, working at the two Michelin-starred restaurants Sat Bains in Nottingham and the one Michelin-starred restaurant The Pipe and Glass in Beverley. He won an AA Rosette for Culinary Excellence at his last establishment, and in 2023, and gained a Harden's Certificate of Achievement for High Quality Food.

Well, he has taken me by surprise at the speed with which he has moved on and opened Rhubarb, situated in Cheltenham Crescent, Harrogate, above Sukothai and opposite The Little Ale House. Harrogate is a crowded area marked for restaurants, bars, and cafés, and my warning to the establishments in the vicinity is to wake out of complacent slumber and watch out! Although Rhubarb is established in a cursed building, Varun and his team want to conquer and break the jinx.

I say cursed because it seems that the building has had more regenerations than Doctor Who. I remember it as Le Bistrot Pierre and fleetingly as Samsons, to name just two. Signage is all important to announce the arrival of Rhubarb, but I have faith that ‘Team Varun’ is committed and ambitious, and coupled with his creative flair and mastery of combining flavours, it will succeed.

His team understands what an immersive dining experience requires: ambience, excellent service, great décor, first-rate wines, and exceptional food.

I sat down in the newly decorated space, which is airy, classy, and welcoming, and started with an amuse bouche, a complimentary truffled pudding with walnut ketchup and winter truffle, which was warming.

Then one of Varun’s trademarks: his sourdough breads, served warm, the one with tomato and basil and caramelised onion, was a delight. What a treat. There was, however, more to surprise. The breads were served with a chicken liver parfait and marmite butter. It was quite heavenly. The parfait was light, smooth, and moreish; it was like a fine silk that, united with the different textures and tastes of the bread, delivered a sophisticated result. I will be honest, I do not like marmite, and although the flavour was distinctive, it was subtle and very palatable. The taste swirled around the mouth and really worked perfectly. Not too strong, a slight kick but not overpowering; my guest was of the opinion that it would go well with his steak, so he kept some aside for that purpose.

So far, Varun is living up to the high standards I was expecting.

Presentation is everything these days, and the two starters—hand-dive scallop, confit cep, winter truffle and Riesling velouté, duck terrine, duck breast prosciutto, peach and rhubarb gel, cabbage, and duck leg—arrived looking marvellous and certainly appetising.

The scallop cooked well with a lovely beef-based velouté, making the flavours wholesome but delicate. The duck terrine was colourful and gorgeous, the cabbage added a slight suggestion of Chinese, with an aftertaste that had a sweetness to it from the gel. Everything came together.

The mains included a dry-aged ribeye cooked over oak wood charcoal with triple-cooked chips and peppercorn sauce, plus my guest chose charred seasonal vegetables. I ate the herb-fed chicken breast with potato dauphinoise, black garlic, a Riesling cream, and BBQ leeks, peas, and mint mayonnaise.

The steak was cooked well, succulent, with the juices perfect on their own. The peppercorn sauce was prepared with finesse; there was nothing overdone here; it had a refinement and finesse to it that gave it a slight sharpness. The marmite butter also worked superbly well, which delighted my guest. The charred vegetables were flavourful with a well-judged cooking time.

The herb-fed chicken breast could have done with a slight increase in colour and intensity in the black garlic and pea, and mint mayonnaise, but only a slight cavil; it had plenty of taste, and the potato dauphinoise was delectable.

I am not usually a dessert man, but Varun has turned me. Those of us lucky enough to have tried his desserts will know they are scrumptious. I am pleased to report that his signature Thai curry-flavoured ice cream is also on the menu. It is always an instant hit once it has been tried.

But that aside, from the range to choose, we opted for the rhubarb and custard, consisting of a rhubarb sorbet, rapeseed oil sponge, vanilla, and white chocolate crème pâtissière, and the 'Lemon', comprising a lemon curd mousse, finger lime pearls, and bergamot meringue, both of which were ambrosial.

The ‘Lemon’ dessert was encased in white chocolate, coloured yellow, was not as sweet as my guest anticipated; it was light and refreshing, and as for the rhubarb and custard, it may have looked simple, but the preparation, I am sure, took longer than me to enjoy eating. It had a piquancy to it; the rhubarb was blanched and dipped in a syrup and vinegar, and where all the flavours amalgamated, it formed something that was the perfect end to a fine meal. Although replete, we could not resist the petit fours that included small macaroons, fudge, and a sublime Belgian chocolate, all divine.

Silviu Hasna, who is in charge of the front of the house, and his team exude a lovely calm, laid-back vibe, but that is one of Varun's trademarks because it shows that he cares about the team's knowledge of the menu's origins and their lack of pretence, which will serve him well in Yorkshire.

If you want something different that is inventive and modern to awaken your senses, then give it a go.