It’s been a big few months for Tom Brown. First, the Michelin-starred chef opened up his eponymous fine dining restaurant at The Capital in Knightsbridge, and now he’s added to his empire with a joint venture alongside Birmingham boy and fellow Michelin-star wonder Brad Carter. Island – floating on the top deck above Mare Street Market in King’s Cross, festooned with plants and quirky, recycled material chandeliers – is designed as a surf and turf restaurant. Seafood savant Brown helms the surf side and Carter, the turf. Vegetarians, you may as well stop reading now: there is nothing for you here.
A skewer of oysters in blankets is the Common People of snacks
If the idea of surf and turf brings about memories of lunch at the local Harvester, then Brown and Carter have taken the old school concept and given it a thoroughly modern makeover. Each dish is playful in the ways you’d hope from Brown who, at the now-closed Cornerstone, invented the oft-copied potted shrimp crumpet. Split into small, large and tiny ‘islands’ (essentially starters, mains and sides), plus skewers and oyster options that includes one laced with lamb doner sausage, it’s a menu that’s meant to pique your interest.
We begin with sumac mignonette oysters that come tucked under a pile of chunky purple pickled bits with a pot of crispy, smokey fried onions on the side. If you were to take an oyster down the pub, it might emerge like this. Beef tartare, loaded with chopped gherkins and with the traditional egg yolk swapped out for a lighter, cleaner dollop of oyster emulsion, is a standout. It comes with a bowl of prawn crackers, extravagantly dusted with a prawn cocktail powder that makes them taste like massive Skips. The idea is exceptional; the execution, a little heavy handed. Knock off about two-thirds of the dust and it’ll be a winner.
A skewer of oysters in blankets, with a fruity pot of brown sauce for dunking in, is the Common People of snacks: a posh morsel in working class cosplay. Their star dish, the Island mixed grill for two, however is proudly extravagant. A pair of scallops, served in the half shell and submerged in a robust, citrus-zingy sauce is truly fantastic. Chicken wings, filled with a prawn mousse that gives them the vibe of a meaty siu mai, we’re told have been divisive but get a firm thumbs up for us. There are tender lamb chops and thin slivers of oyster steak, a lesser-known cut that entirely melts in the mouth. Little squids stuffed with sobrasada sausage don’t pack as much of a punch as they promise, but as a plate it’s at least a show-pauser, if not a full showstopper.
If fun twists and clever cooking with a relatable swagger are the order of the day at Island, then when it comes to pudding they’ve dialled it up to ridiculous levels. Malibu and pineapple soft serve is akin to a rum and raisin ice cream with a fake ID. With raisins soaked in the coconutty booze so beloved of teenage drinkers, it’s nostalgic in the most specific of ways. An absolutely enormous slab of salt-studded chocolate fudge cake, meanwhile, could feed at least four. It is, we’re told, a homage to Bruce Bogtrotter’s infamous cake in Matilda: delicious, excessive, insane.
You can imagine these two chefs having fun concocting Island’s menu and it shows. Brown and Carter’s surf and turf reinvention still has room for tweaks but there’s already a lot to love.
The vibe: A self-contained top deck restaurant space above King’s Cross’s bustling Mare Street Market.
The food: A modern take on surf and turf.
The drink: Creative cocktails and varied wine options, with an excellent chilled red for a summer evening.
Time Out tip: Those prawn-stuffed chicken wings are also available on Island’s very comprehensive bar snacks menu.