Making time for an Ego boost

By pkemp

EGO, LICHFIELD: So much of modern life hangs on time – Doctor Who-vian parallel worlds created or crashed by being in the right place at the right moment.

And at Lichfield's Ego, it literally pays to watch the clock.

Based on the ground floor in one of Lichfield's more controversial 21st century constructions, New Minster House, it's a modern Mediterranean restaurant on the edge of Minster Pool.

Hands down, it's arguably one of the best views in the city but does the food cut the mustard?

With a menu boasting 'the best possible produce' – local and organic where possible – fresh seasonal vegetables, homemade stocks, sauces and desserts and everything cooked to order, the promise was there.

Settled in early (take note of this) we lucked in upon a window seat and got stuck in.

I selected a starter of marinated Moroccan chicken salad with a chickpea, apricot and raisin salsa served with a yoghurt, honey and mint dressing.

There was a generous helping of chicken and a full forkful of meat with the juicy apricots and raisins, bound by the dressing, proved a tasty and well-balanced mouthful.

My partner chose grilled goats' cheese served on toasted brioche with caramelised red onions and a fig and blueberry jam.

It also proved to be well-balanced, with a huge slice of warmed goats' cheese beautifully baked over the brioche. Smashing.

I chanced my arm for the main course and selected chargrilled rump steak served with a brandy and grain mustard sauce.

The good-sized steak came with a separate dish of the fresh seasonal vegetables – roast potatoes, young shredded cabbage and carrots.

There was no faulting the potatoes or any of the vegetables, which were excellently cooked and generously presented, as was the steak.

But I was unsure of the brandy and mustard sauce, which added a sweet flavour to a robust, hearty dish.

It was a fair enough sauce, but not necessarily one I would leap to choose again.

My partner's spinach, broccoli and ricotta cannelloni came served with a parmesan cream sauce and was well-presented enough, although a tad on the small side.

It also lacked punch – 'perhaps too delicately flavoured for my pallet', my partner ventured diplomatically.

But with just two large cannelloni on the plate, three would not have been a crowd.

Luckily, we'd added a leaf salad to the spread.

For dessert, I chose the mascarpone and raspberry cheesecake served with Chantilly cream.

It came superbly presented as a singular cylinder topped with berries, a dollop of cream and a sprig of mint.

It was tasty enough although I'll wager the biscuit base needed more butter as it collapsed into crumbs at the slightest touch of the spoon.

My partner plumped for passion fruit creme brulee, which was good as a creme brulee but the sole lonesome passion fruit in there struggled to take centre stage.

Yet it seemed we had still come to the right place at the right time.

For halfway through ordering, our helpful waitress had pointed out we were in time for the 'prix fixe' menu – a choice of two or three courses from roughly a third of those on the main menu, with one vege option.

But the portions are the same and it's a hell of a bargain.

Two prix fixe courses cost £11.90, three total £13.90 per person.

Putting it into perspective, my whole meal came to 5p less than just my main course would have cost outside the hallowed prix fixe hours.

There are various other deals available too – although none seem to run in December – so it's worth taking a good look at all the options.

Like all deals, it's great if you qualify.

Yet I can't help but feel anyone tucking into the same menu an hour or so later may end up leaving with the slightly sour taste of being in the right place at the wrong time.

Cost of meal excluding drinks: £30.75.