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You are here: Home / Restaurants / British Isles restaurants / Review: Suma’s, Jersey

Review: Suma’s, Jersey

by Jeanne Horak on August 30, 2009 16 Comments in British Isles restaurants, Foodbuzz 24-24-24

SumasRestaurantView
 

I must confess that before my husband’s best friend John moved there, I would have been hard-pressed to pinpoint the Channel Islands, and specifically the island of Jersey, on a world map.  And it appears I am not alone – when I tell friends I am off the Jersey for the weekend, the most common reaction is: “But isn’t New York quite far to go just for a weekend?”

In fact, the island of Jersey is in the English Channel, a whole lot closer to the French coast of Normandy than it is to England.  It’s an interesting place – part of neither the UK nor the EU, but rather a British Crown Dependency, which means that it has its own system of government, its own currency (although UK currency is accepted) and even its own internet domain (.je), although all its citizens remain British citizens.  Despite being English today, the island retains much of its French heritage which is a result of annexation by Normandy for over 200 years and its physical proximity to France (many islanders make day trips to Cherbourg in their small private boats).

The island is a financial centre but also a successful tourist destination with much to attract visitors.  There are miles of beautiful golden sandy beaches (particularly at St Ouen), the world-renowned Gerald Durrell Zoo, a vineyard, a lavender farm, miles of excellent cycling along the narrow tree-lined lanes, coastal cliff paths and historical fortifications and castles.  And it was towards one of these castles that we headed for a summery lunch yesterday afternoon.

Suma’s is a little gem of a restaurant and a sister establishment to Longueville Manor, overlooking Mont Orgueil Castle and Gorey harbour.  The harbour is a picturesque collection of small pleasure boats and yachts, bordered by a pretty promenade of houses and restaurants on one side and a long sandy beach on the other.  The castle was built in the 13th century to protect the island from French invasion and has been restored in order to give visitors a glimpse of what life was like for the original inhabitants of the castle.

But enough of the scenery – we had more important things on our minds, namely lunch!  Thanks to our friend John we had secured a table on the small terrace, so we were perfectly placed to enjoy the sun and the view while considering the menu.  I was pleased to see that there were many dishes on the modern European menu featuring local seafood and produce, and I was very pleasantly surprised to see that they offered a three course set menu for under £20 – fantastically good value in my book.

First up, while we enjoyed our pre-lunch drinks and perused the menu, was a bowl of excellent olives and a basket of bread, freshly baked on the premises.  The selection was impressive – foccacia, wholewheat walnut, and red onion and thyme bread, accompained by salted butter and a hummus-like chickpea spread.  If I didn’t have to save some space for the meal, I would happily have munched on this (particularly the onion and thyme bread) all afternoon.  The wine list included a number of wallet-friendly options both in the red and white categories, and a good selection of both New and Old World wines.  In the end we plumped for a bottle of 2007 Cable Bay Sauvignon Blanc, which turned out to be exactly what I want my Sauvignon Blanc to be – more gooseberry than green pepper, and an outstanding accompaniment to the seafood that was to follow.

SumaBread2Web SumaWine2Web

I started with some locally-dived scallops on a bed of lightly dressed salad leaves.  This was a form of sweet revenge for every time I’ve eaten “seared” scallops that were cooked to death, or frozen scallops that were just big, vaguely salty sponges.  Oh no, these were the real deal.  They had a seared crust on the outside that spoke of a properly hot pan, and were sweet and flavourful on the inside that spoke of properly fresh scallops barely out of their marine home.  Perfect.  Nick opted for nine locally cultivated Royal Bay oysters served with a traditional shallot vinaigrette and half a lemon beautifully wrapped in muslin.  The oysters were beautifully shucked without a hint of grit in them, with a creamy texture and a mild taste – not overwhelmingly salty like some oysters can be – Nick loved them.

SumaScallops2WebSumaOysters2Web

For the main course, I elected to stay with seafood – and even then I was spoilt for choice: it was tough to say no to the monkfish cheeks with pork belly and a langoustine & Madeira sauce; or the local lobster, prawn and crab salad.  In the end, though, the winner was the pan-fried fillet of brill on saffron noodles with samphire, scallops and local crab sauce.  This came as close to perfction as any seafood dish I can remember.  The fish was perfect (just-cooked moist flakes with a perfect golden crust), the noodles actually tasted of saffron rather than a cheaper alternative, and the crab added a sweetness that was perfectly balanced by the salty strands of samphire.  My carnivorous husband, on the other hand, chose the rib-eye steak with chips, roast tomatoes, mushrooms and a Madeira sauce.  One taste of the steak reminded me why people actually order steak in restaurants: seared on the outside, perfectly pink in the centre, and absolutely packed with flavour.

SumaSteakWeb

After all this, you’d think I might not have room for dessert… but you’d be wrong!  How could I possibly turn down the option of local strawberries with a good dollop of Jersey cream?  As with the scallops, the strawberries were the perfect antidote to every half-ripe, over-chilled, flown-around-the-world strawberry you’ve ever eaten.  They were strawberries as God intended them to be – brilliant red, properly ripe, and bursting with sweet flavour.  What more could you want?

SumaStrawberry1Web SumaStrawberry2Web

All that remained was for us to ponder how reasonable the bill was (£120 for two, including wine and service), to sip our Jersey Cream Liqueur (made locally at La Mare Estate from an apple brandy base – think Bailey’s with cinamonny apple flavours), to watch the comings and goings in Gorey harbour, and to contemplate the upside-down refraction of Mont Orgeuil castle in our wine glasses.

SumaLiqueurWeb SumaRefractionWeb

The service at Suma’s is outstanding (we had the lovely manageress Katja serving us), and everything that came out of chef Daniel Ward’s kitchen was exemplary.  The menu provided us with an agony of indecision, and it was great to see such a selection of local ingredients used.  The setting is lovely enough to make a meal feel like a mini-break – it’s hard to believe you less than an hour’s flying time from London. And after lunch, why not do what we did and wander along the harbour promenade to sit in the sun on the sea wall below Gorey castle, just enjoying an island escape.

Gorey1Web

Gorey2Web

Gorey3Web

Suma’s
Gorey Hill
Gorey
St Martin
Jersey
JE3 6ET

Tel. +44 01534 853291
Fax. +44 01534 851913
e-mail [email protected] 

DISCLOSURE: This post was created as part of the August 2009 Foodbuzz 24, 24, 24 event and I received reimbursement for my meal.  CookSister previously participated in this event with a Burns Night dinner in January 2009.

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  1. Kit says

    August 30, 2009 at 2:48 pm

    Sounds lavishly delicious and a stunning view too!

    Reply
  2. Kalyn says

    August 30, 2009 at 3:53 pm

    Lovely photos. It looks like a great place to visit. I first heard of Jersey when I met Mae Gabriel online, do you know her? She’s a great food photographer.

    Reply
  3. Jan says

    August 30, 2009 at 6:48 pm

    Oooh I want to go to Jersey! Love your pictures and I too would have had those scallops – yum!

    Reply
  4. Mel says

    August 30, 2009 at 7:07 pm

    Your toes look the most delicious of all!
    No readers, not a lesbo stalker here I am afraid, just an admirer of pretty feet.

    Reply
  5. browniegirl says

    August 30, 2009 at 7:51 pm

    Stunning post, breathtaking scenery, scrumptious food, beautiful tootsies and so very well written. I felt as though I was there…..well done!! xxx

    Reply
  6. nina says

    August 30, 2009 at 8:31 pm

    No wonder we don’t hear or see you here in blogland…you are off gallivanting again!!! Looks like a wonderful place and you’re right I did not know that it existed!!

    Reply
  7. Bellini Valli says

    August 31, 2009 at 12:08 am

    Sounds like a lovely place to be Jeanne to soak up the ambiance.

    Reply
  8. courtney says

    August 31, 2009 at 7:45 pm

    Next time Im in your neck of the woods Im going there. These islands have always fascinated me.What a great idea for this event series. Looks like you had the best time.

    Reply
  9. Cynthia Nelson says

    September 1, 2009 at 3:08 am

    What a view!
    Love the sandals! 🙂

    Reply
  10. Alta says

    September 1, 2009 at 7:42 pm

    Your photos are simply divine. Bright and vibrant and I love your focus. And the food, well, that sounds as if it were heaven!

    Reply
  11. giz says

    September 2, 2009 at 3:20 am

    I live in a bubble – haven’t heard of Jersey (Joisey yes, Jersey no) and now I’m packing a bag as we speak. How beautiful and such gorgeous shots of both scenery and food

    Reply
  12. Myfrenchkitchen says

    September 3, 2009 at 4:49 pm

    No doubt thay you are having a WONDERFUL time…thoes quaint toes give you away!Love your beautiful photos!
    Ronelle

    Reply
  13. The Winesleuth says

    September 5, 2009 at 11:50 pm

    I know “Joisy” is a pit but it’s nice to see that it’s antecedent is such a wonderful place! Only an hours’ flight from London you say? I gotta book a flight ASAP. Thanks for shedding some light on this overlooked isle.

    Reply
  14. Helen says

    September 6, 2009 at 4:13 pm

    Well this trip looks a bit good then! Your photos are absolutely stunning by the way.

    Reply
  15. Paz says

    September 19, 2009 at 12:13 am

    Very nice views. And the food looks good. I especially like the looks of the strawberries and cream.
    Paz

    Reply
  16. Bordeaux says

    September 20, 2009 at 2:27 pm

    This escape sounds delightful. I miss living in Bangkok where the closest island was a couple hours away and you could go lounge on the beach for the day, spend a night and return home the next morning, in time for work.

    Reply
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Jeanne Horak is a freelance food and travel writer; recipe developer and photographer. South African by birth and Londoner by choice, Jeanne has been writing about food and travel on Cooksister since 2004. She is a popular speaker on food photography and writing has also contributed articles, recipes and photos to a number of online and print publications. Jeanne has also worked with a number of destination marketers to promote their city or region. Please get in touch to work with her Read More…

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