Wild and Exotic “Sagri” Barbecues at The Ambrette.

I have too many email addresses and blogs etc. I get a lot of spam from Viagra to pay day loans, and that's the clean stuff. I received this today and it touched a chord, Rye is one of our favorite towns, my Wife and I love the place hence posting it up here. The menu as you can see is interesting to say the least.  Please note ! we have not tried this restaurant but next time we are in Rye, who knows. 


The Ambrette at Rye Restaurant which has taken the town’s dining scene
by storm since opening in December, has installed an outside Tandoor

oven and Indian charcoal barbecue, to offer fine out door dining
Indian style during fine weather.

The “Magnolia Garden” at the White Vine House, named after its tree
which was spectacular in late spring.i Opening times are weather
dependent, so no advance bookings will be taken.

The Ambrette’s location on Rye’s high street in the 5 AA starred White
Vine House is drawing considerable numbers overnight guests to the
historic Cinque Port.  Whilst locals and gastro tourist from London
and beyond, have flocked to the East Sussex town to sample chef-patron
Dev Biswal’s unique style of “culinary art”, the introduction of a
special “Wild & Exotic” menu featuring meats such as zebra and
kangaroo, as well as more traditional fare such as salmon, brochettes
of spiced lamb, a grazing menu and a vegetarian platter, is expected
to is expected to further expand the restaurant’s growing fan base.

Depending on local availability the exotic menu may also feature
bison, water buffalo, ostrich, python and crocodile.

Indian barbecues or “sagris” are a common feature at weddings and
functions and integral part of the country’s street food scene.

The barbeque is available on The White Vine House’s terrace garden,
which seats up to 16 guests, weather permitting, on a
first-come-first-served basis, Tuesday to Sunday.

As long as the habitat is protected and hunting is sustainable, Biswal
says there are many advantages in eating wild animals over those that
are farmed.

“To top it all the exotic meats taste amazing – like everything else
in life you don’t know it until you have experienced it,” he said.

Those making the journey are likely to find some unusual dishes on the
daily-changing menu that are likely to include:

Ideal as a starter, the tender South West African Ostrich Brochette is
smoked with cloves then char-grilled on a low flame.
Tender boneless Fillet of Python from Vietnam is flamed with Indian
dark rum then slow cooked in an Indian-style rich tomato and onion
sauce for five hours.

The Fillet of Crocodile from Southern Africa slow is cooked for
several hours in an aromatic coastal Indian-style sauce of coconut,
tamarind and spices.

The tender, succulent Zebra Steak pan-grilled is served with a complex
sauce of plums, ginger and black pepper.
“Sometimes people laugh at me for admiring a specific vegetable, a
species of fish or a piece of meat - “he rarer an ingredient, the more
it fires me up, admits The Ambrette’s executive chef Dev Biswal, who
is well-known locally for his passion for ingredients and food in
general. “It’s naturally exciting when there is an opportunity to cook
exotic meats such as python, a water buffalo and fillets of crocodile
tail.”

Diners wish to ensure any specific dish is available for their visit,
may pre order their meal a few days in advance.



Editors’ Notes: The Georgian Room seats 26, the Elizabethan Room 16,
the and the Club Room 14 and the outside terrace a further 20 diners.
Head chef: Deepak Surman.

Dev Biswal grew up in Calcutta.  He trained at the Dubai Sheraton,
before moving to London, aged 26 in 2003 for spells at Mangoes and
Eriki.   He became a partner in The Indian Princess in Margate in
December 2006, becoming patron and rebranding it as The Ambrette in
2010.

The White Vine House accommodates 14 guests in 5 double rooms (one
4-poster), and a family room (sleeping four).  Room rates from £130 to
£190 a night including breakfast.

The original building was destroyed during one of the many French
raids on the town during the 100 Years War.  The Elizabethan Dining
Room named for its exquisite and unique French oak panelling, which
probably cost more than the original building, with each panel
individually formed to fit the timber frame.  The room is “signed”
with a carpenter's mark visible just above the fireplace.

Set on Rye's High Street, the Georgian frontage of the White Vine
House belies its medieval heritage. Beneath the dining room lies a
C13th cellar, complete with stone spiral staircase. Refurbished in
2005, the once grand home is now one of the country’s premier bed and
breakfast venues. Each of the 6 guest rooms includes period furniture,
contemporary en suites stocked with locally made organic toiletries,
the latest in home entertainment technology.

Weddings: Specialising in small intimate weddings the White Vine House
is licensed for civil ceremonies.

The Ambrette Restaurant at Rye
T: 01797 222 043  E: info@theambrette-rye.co.uk W: www.theambrette.co.uk

I hear his sautéed pterodactyl with roast walnuts is sublime. Who says lowcarbing is boring.

Eddie