When one finds a restaurant that impresses, it is always risky to go back – will it be as good? Riskier still to take ones parents for a special treat. So we arrived with crossed fingers whether it would be as good as remembered. Well – Kota delivered and gets a gold star, it was even better than before! I didn’t expect edible art, but it is some of the prettiet food I’ve had! And it was delicious too thank goodness!
Porthleven is a pretty little fishing town on the south coast of Cornwall, not far from Helston. The clock tower in the photo below should be recognisable from pictures of the winter storms – it is ‘the’ place to see the power of the sea when a storm comes in from the south west, with the wave height often reaches as high as that tower. It doesn’t seem fathomable on a peaceful summers day…
I would recommend you arrive early for supper and take a stroll around the harbour and drop into a great selection of little gift and clothes shops too. There’s plenty of places to stop for a drink, including on the green at sister restaurant and bar KotaKai.
Kota is set on one corner of the harbour in a pretty little old inn. There is masses of restaurant competition in the village, but there is something rather unassuming about the pale yellow building and the intriguing restaurant name which gives rise to a wonderful mix of Asian, New Zealand and British fare. It might look unassuming but it keeps impressing the critics! More interesting is that there are even rooms, and a restaurant with rooms by the sea is my favourite kind of place to stay!
On arrival whilst we perused the menu, I treated myself to the ‘Kota Fizz’ – Prosecco, cucumber vodka (!!) and elderflower. Sounded punchy, it was in fact very refreshing! I would recommend a drink to read the menu – there were I think 8 choices for starter and main and a great mix of fish, meat and veggie – it wasn’t simple choosing what to have!
The amuse bouche set us off perfectly. What was particularly impressive was that I had said on booking that not only was I lactose free but my Dad has a terrible shellfish allergy… A restaurant that brings out amuse bouche made specially for us is somewhere to get excited about! If you are nervous dining with an allergy then this service is so reassuring for the rest of the evening!
I had the chicken liver patê and gazpacho sorbet with goats cheese curd (no lactose in a goat), a yummy start…
The standard option was a little fishcake along with the patê and was ever so elegant…
The shellfish free was different again – a vegetable tempura with the gazpacho. Everyone was happy!!
Our starters were when we realised that Kota was part fine-dining part art gallery. Just look at this food – stunning! I have said before I don’t foodblog and I abhor taking photos in restaurants, but really I didn’t have a choice… I had to be done!
Between us we had the tuna and crab salad with feta, the smoked salmon salad and the scallops and pork loin. Fortunately they were as tasty as they were pretty and all the extra little ingredients worked perfectly together!
Main course continued to impress – whether it was the lamb cooked two ways, half a lobster, or the veggie option I went for with asparagus, artichoke, beans, samphire, brioche and truffle oil. Great tastes and textures and really clever tweaks to bring the dishes to life.
I stopped after two courses but the others still had space… For a panacotta with raspberry sorbet and honeycomb and a chocolate torte with green tea ice cream. It was a quiet few minutes for me as the desserts were demolished!
We really were thrilled with our evening at Kota – London standard food with a charming local atmosphere and a lovely team at front of house! No prizes for guessing where we will eat (and perhaps stay) next time we are visiting family in Cornwall!
Make the most of the evening light after dinner too, the waterfront is peaceful and beautiful. Sunset is out of view but just look at those colours on the horizon, stunning!
Harbour Head, Porthleven
Helston TR13 9JA
01326 562407
Also consider KotaKai – this is the sister restaurant, open at lunchtime too and a little more casual, it also has a little grass area by the water to enjoy drinks at in the summer!
On my list for next time I’m in Cornwall!
Author
Well worth a visit – it’s one of those places that doesn’t realise just how good it is, so it is charming too!
These are simply to pretty to eat! (Ps. You’d make an awesome foodblogger..)
Author
I might start cooking with edible flowers as it would improve my own baked beans on toast!!