Mission is a new restaurant in Bethnal Green by the husband and wife team who created the ever popular bar and toastie haunt Sager + Wilde.
It’s based in a large railway arch but the large palm tree (is it a palm tree?) in the middle of the dining room turned it from something quite plain and ordinary to something a little more fun. We were seated against the large glass wall which shook ferociously every time someone opened the door which wasn’t ideal.
To start, the ox heart tartare (£7.50) was a tad disappointing as the heart was really chewy. The accompanying toasted bread was so hard and crunchy that it actually hurt my mouth chewing it. I know it sounds so fussy but these things are important if you want to make an enjoyable plate of food.
Squash, hazelnut, kale and ricotta (£7.50) was a far more successful dish; it was the sort of salad that even on a cold day you’d want to munch on for hours. The duck pappardelle (£12) has become something of a signature dish and I can see why as the flavour was superb and the pasta was expertly made. I found the sauce a bit thin though.
For main, they’d run out of the lamb shoulder for three to share (£38) once we ordered it which was annoying. The ox cheek, carrots and coco de pajmpol beans (£17) was nice big chunk of meat and it was sitting in a beautifully rich sauce. The breasts of the partridge with sweetcorn and giroles (£17) were cooked perfectly but the legs were quite dry and chewy.
Grilled onglet, purple sprouting broccoli & chili (£16) was an odd one; the onglet was lovely but it came swimming in soy sauce which I wasn’t expecting. It was fine but I don’t think I would have ordered it if I’d known.
A side of garlic & rosemary potatoes (£3.50) were pungently garlicky which was great – they were crispy and really salty which made them totally moreish. The cauliflower cheese (£5) was the cheesiest I’ve come across – a definite must order.
I didn’t hate Mission but for the price I was hoping for a little more perfection with the food – the dishes all sounded like the sort of grub I love to eat but they didn’t quite deliver. Service was charming; we were served by the owner who was so sweet and lovely which is always a good thing. I’m just not sure I’d go back for that food though.
6/10
