Ah, Franco's...that intimate and romantic little Italian you've been meaning to try for ages, but it's that bit of Hove that escapes your mind post 7pm. And I'm the same. I can't recall how many times I've banked that memo in my mind, probably from the days they still used to put the Italian Disney red and white checked tablecloths out. But when I speak to resident Hovites in the area, they are fierce in their protection of their 'hood restaurant. A good sign.

This year sees a number of eagerly anticipated restaurant launches in Brighton & Hove and one that has created a particular buzz is the opening of Etch by Steven Edwards. Winner of Masterchef Professionals and with an impressive CV behind him, he has decided to open his first restaurant here in Hove, celebrating Sussex produce over a series of weekly changing taster menus.

Depending on day and service, diners can choose between 4 (£40), 6 (£50), or 8 (£60) courses. As is de rigueur, the menu is cryptically written, with just two ingredients listed per dish. However, waiters, or even chefs themselves, will fully explain each plate at your table. Wine flights are available for each menu or available by the bottle or glass. I was pleased to see a lovely selection of our Sussex sparkling wines too.


The first thing we taste is a snack of miniature mushroom doughnuts; light, delicate and heady with the scent of truffle. If the first thing I taste in a restaurant is truffle, then I know we are going to be friends, I am CRAZY for them. Next to this was a little biscuit topped with an onion and cheese cream. Familiar flavours, just, well, better.


The bread arrived as a light, warmed brioche bun with a glossy Marmite glaze (I love it) accompanied by a dehydrated seaweed butter and welcome pinch of salt to tailor to your taste. There is so much carb bashing these days but proper bread is a beautiful thing worth celebrating and hard to get right. I'm really loving the attention to detail with breads and butters in the restaurants, historically overlooked but now standout.


The menu's theme has classic flavours at its core and the pea and mint soup was a perfect example, something we've all had a hundred times over. But reworked as an aerated soup, with tiny cubes of pea jelly and plenty of fresh peas suspended throughout was the luxury version of its common cousin. I adore fresh peas, and this vivid, rich and silky soup did them justice.


Beautiful hunks of sea trout had been cured for just 20 minutes before being blow torched for the fish course. Normally raw fish isn't something I enjoy unless very finely cut or in sushi, but that short cure time had transformed the texture into something very pleasant to eat. I thought we were being had on with the description of "Big Mac lettuce" under the trout but indeed, warmed, finely shredded and with sweet and sour pickle and onion flavours, I got it and it worked! Gorgeous charred flavours from the fish skin and the blow torched lettuce contrasted beautifully with the rest of the dish. It's been ingrained in me that cheese and fish should never be on the same plate, but the hard cheese here added a savoury edge that had its place.

The show stopping, glossy slow cooked duck egg yolk sat on top of buttered, raw and charred asparagus with aerated hollandaise was another brilliant example of a classic reworked (dish photographed at the top of this post). The rich yolk and the citrus from the hollandaise made this a lovely thing to eat with fresh asparagus. Simple, but probably my favourite dish.


Cooked sous vide for a day, the pork belly was perfectly rendered, soft, squidgy and melting, accompanied by a succulent breadcrumbed ball of shredded pork. Broccoli had been given three treatments; pureed, braised and the raw stem cut thinly. On top of all this, an impressive piece of pork crackling, dehydrated and somehow given a crumb texture, was puffy, crisp and without chew. The dish was brought together with a rich jus - a seriously delicious end to the savoury dishes.


Manifested into a disk of light chocolate mousse with a glossy chocolate jelly and crumb topping, the chocolate and rapeseed pre-dessert hit the sweet spot. But I wanted more of the rapeseed oil flavour from the ice cream. I vividly remember an olive oil and chocolate dish I had before and know both can punch their weight in flavour, it's such a great combination. (I even pour grassy olive oil over a good vanilla ice cream - seriously, try it.)


The classic lemon tart didn't disappoint though. Sharp and sweet with a brûléed top, burnt orange ice cream and hibiscus crumb and meringue shard. Refreshing and a perfect end to a pretty faultless meal.

Etch have their priorities in order. Yes they want to impress, but they manage to do that with enough technique whilst keeping things simple and, above everything else, enjoyable to eat. Modern fine dining can often be too complex, thought provoking and technically excessive at the sacrifice of enjoyment. Simplicity is hard, especially when you want to show off creativity, but the food is pitched perfectly here - it's one of the nicest meals I've had in a while. I'm certainly going to be thinking about it for a very long time.

Prices at a glance may seem at the top end, certainly in this neck of the woods, but broken down for each course and with the quality and technical ability of the dishes in mind, it represents incredibly good value. I'd rather come here over two or three visits to mediocre restaurants, that's for sure.


There's nothing pretentious about the experience at Etch (the Imprint. Define. Impress. strapline aside - eeek). The interior may be stylish but you'll find it warm and comfortable with a slight retro vibe. Service was perfectly paced, friendly and relaxed without sacrificing professionalism that the food deserved. Steven himself even mills around the room to talk to the diners during service. Personally I like this touch and his likeable, laid-back nature will put anyone at ease. Seeing as they had only been open six weeks, they seemed to have most things ironed out

(I don't normally mention loos but how could you not here. They have those fancy Japanese ones with a control pad of settings that do things to your derriere - advanced bathroom culture it's called(!?). Mildly terrifying but a point worth making - trying one is just one of those life experiences to check off the list.)

Etch's location in Church Road may be a little out of the way but this is destination dining. It's fully booked for dinner until July, and even after the initial excitement has died down, I'm sure diners will continue to flock.


Etch.
216 Church Road
Brighton & Hove

I dined as a guest of Etch. Words and thoughts, as always, are my own.

The space may be small but the interior is a style triumph. Pillar box reds, graphic monochrome flooring, THAT Hague Blue hue, neon signage and an entire wall of waving lucky cats create a quirky, fun and stylish setting. I love it. The branding has also been invested in which really adds to the visual experience (I would say that as a branding designer, but it's true). They also talk the talk with the ingredients and sourcing too. Attention to detail? Ten points and a gold star.


We started with the "Better Than Squid" dish which was slices of meaty oyster mushrooms marinated in turmeric and garlic, given a crisp coating then deep fried. I get where they were going with this  - the texture was quite like very tender squid strips but I couldn't help but think it would have been glorious with the real deal in there. Still, it was different and happily eaten, dipped in the chilli sauce.

Fatto a Mano have had a huge success so far in Brighton after opening their first branch on London Road. And deserve it they do. They brought authentic, Neapolitan pizza to Brighton when we were starved of the real deal. Although we are now lucky to have a small selection of excellent pizzerias, they still hold their own in the top three.

The premises at Hove are larger and I a fan of the interior. Whereas London Road is simple, bright and intimate, Hove has deeper tones and, indulge me for a second, the dreamy colour of the year - Hague Blue. The kerb side terrace in the summer no doubt will be full of clinking Prosecco glasses and chatter. Their imposing wood-fired oven is there centre stage where you can choose a table to enjoy the theatre of pizza creation as you dine. It never gets old.


Typically I have a personal rule not to have a starter when at a pizzeria. For some reason this went out of the window and I chose the special menu with the Tronchetto. This arrived as an enormous rolled pizza dough stuffed with Brighton Blue cheese and wrapped with good quality Parma Ham. As a lunch this would hit the spot beautifully and it was delicious with that melting cheese centre, but as a starter was far too large for one person. And, because I like being right, my rule still stands as it took the edge of the enjoyment of my pizza.


Mr GF, who has been a part of the family for a good 18 years, decided to take life into his own hands and chose the Melanzane Parmigiana to "see if it was better than his Mother-in Law's". Now my Italian mamma makes a mean Melanzane Parmigiana, but regional Italian food being what it is, hers is sandwiches of aubergine slices stuffed with cheese, lightly battered and fried before soaking up a rich tomato sauce. Honestly, and with my inheritance in mind I would say they were different and both glorious to eat. Again, I would happily return for this dish as part of a lunch. Cooked in the ceramic dish, it was vibrant and succulent, the thin layers of aubergine giving a beautiful squish rather than sogginess in the well-seasoned tomato sauce.

They also offer chips as a starter too which is beyond my understanding. But lots of people order them so there you go.

Fatto offer the perfect number of pizzas on the menu. Not too many, but enough of a choice, split into red sauce bases and "white" versions without.

I chose the Sussex Pancetta, mushroom, potato, mozzarella, parmesan and sage. The dough was as I would expect from Fatto. Pillow soft crust with a slight chew, thin and tasty as it comes from the char of the oven. Just look at that leaoparding (the black blisters) and underskirt (base char) - perfect. I like how they honour local produce in a lot of what they offer and the selection of toppings here were just right. For me, pizza is about the base first, then the toppings, so I normally go very simple with Margarita or a Napoletana to enjoy the dough, but aside from a dulled appetite, I polished of the majority.


Mr GF went for the salsiccia and friarielli, a broccoli-hybrid not commonly found in the UK which to me, is the ideal partnership with that fennel seed rich sausage. I love a little heat on pizza too so the healthy sprinkling of fresh chilli was welcome.

I like to end my pizza meals as simply as possible so a scoop of gelato or an affogato  and a digestivo does the trick. They offer a small selection of desserts including the scugnizzielli, Italy's answer to churros, but a trio of dough for a meal is too much even for this carb, loving gal.


Although I enjoyed my meal, I think I ever so slightly preferred my visits to Brighton. Maybe it was the Hove air (it takes a LOT for me to cross that Palmeira border!), but the nature of fresh dough is that it's going to be different in the hands of different people on different days. Saying that, the people of Hove should be beside themselves that they now have this gem on their doorstep.

You can be guaranteed of a great meal here that won't break the bank. Staff are great. Quick (as every pizzeria should be), efficient and friendly. This is very much a perfect neighbourhood restaurant.

My Brighton branch review can be found http://www.thegraphicfoodie.co.uk/2015/09/review-fatto-mano-pizzeria-brighton.html

A complete review of all the key Brighton pizzerias, good and bad, can be found on my Brighton pizza listing here http://www.thegraphicfoodie.co.uk/2015/02/gf-guides-best-and-worst-pizza-in.html

Fatto a Mano Hove
65-67 Church Rd
Hove BN3 2BD

I was invited to the launch of Fatto a Mano Hove. Words and thoughts, as always, are my own.

It's has been a good old while since my last visit to Little Fish Market, yet I still have some strong food memories from that meal, which is always a winning sign of good food. But the LFM has evolved since those days, now offering a single five course menu. Even the place seems a little smarter but is still relaxed and pleasant in an upmarket beachy way. One thing that hasn't changed is that Duncan Ray is still the sole chef at work in the small kitchen, and I suppose this restaurant's success is down to his ability to control and set the creative direction of the food.

It was actually a real bonus not to have trawl through a menu on the night (lazy me, I know). If you did have any dietary requirements I think they are happy to assist with notice, but for us eat-alls, it was nice to sit down and and relax from the offset. And if you can't be bothered with the wine list either, there is also a wine flight available to match the foods. At £25 per person it is well priced too.

From the starter you knew you were in for a special meal. A miso glaze is ideal for the smoke and strength of flavour of mackerel and the spring onion added a sweet element with the yuzu a little lift.


The food has simplified and even though it has always been of an exceptional quality, the cooking feels more self-assured. There are no flourishes and certainly no reliance on the smoke and mirrors of trendy processes or edgy accessories on the plate. The slip sole in seaweed butter, becoming somewhat a signature plate by the look of things, is exactly that. Being used to pretty garnishes and the like, it does feel a little stark but kudos for that confidence. And when you delve into the dish there is no need for any more at all, it's exquisite. Firm and sweet flesh flaked easily from the bone and the seaweed butter added depth and richness. Perfect.


Even thought the focus of LFM is, obviously, fish, the meat dishes are also very good. The pork belly was perfectly rendered so you had all of the flavour delivered in a soft, succulent texture. I loved the freshness from the pea puree and broad beans and the decadent, sticky reduction of the sauce.


Back to fish, a generous portion of halibut was served with pillow soft Parmesan gnocchi, pickled mushrooms and crisp Parma ham. This was the most complex course and I would have loved to have seen it stripped back like the other dishes, but was still hugely enjoyable.


We finished with a light strawberry mille-feuille with wild strawberry sorbet, perfect for the warm evening and to cleanse the palate. This is exactly the fresh dessert I prefer really over anything sweet and chocolate based.

So a pretty faultless meal and at £50 for all the courses, I would say exceptional value for money. The attention to detail and pure focus on the food makes me really struggle to think of a better restaurant in Brighton. This was actually my birthday treat from the husband so eating out as much as I do, I want somewhere really special and was so pleased we chose Little Fish Market, for an occasion it's an absolute must.

Most people with his talent would be shouting it from the rooftops, but Duncan works diligently and quietly at mastering his craft here, and the location, tucked away in the residential streets of Hove, suits it perfectly. But if you haven't already, do go and discover it for yourself.



thelittlefishmarket.co.uk
10 Upper Market St, Hove BN3 1AS

I have a lot of time for people who are passionate about sharing their food culture. I also love unexpected accents. Owner Az, clearly of Indian decent, enthusiastically explained everything in a joyful Yorkshire accent. Coming from the curry capital of the UK, Az and his partner Kirti, settled on Hove to fulfil a life long dream of setting up a restaurant that offered proper Indian food and culture with a contemporary, Dhaba style twist.