I can't say I'm a writer or a food critic. But I do appreciate good food and I just had such a unique eating experience that I am compelled to share it. A friend, knowing of my plans to visit London this Summer, made a reservation at a 3 michelin star restaurant called Fat Duck. I had not heard of the place before but since we had to secure the reservation six months ahead, I had high expectations.
The menu was delivered to our table in a white linen envelope sealed and stamped with Fat Duck's logo. I was then told that the restaurant owner, Heston Blumenthal had abandoned their ala carte menu recently and now the chef only serves one tasting menu. Each course was not just delectable but also a piece of entertainment in itself. I savored each dish with such great delight that I may not have accurately captured everything the waiter painstakingly explained.
Lime Grove
We kicked off the meal with a palate-cleanser and were treated to a show of how the dish was made. The server squeezed a dollop of lime mousse into a saucepan of liquid nitrogen. He stirred it a couple of times as the smoke swirled out of the pan and then scooped out the perfectly poached mousse, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. It was dusted with green tea powder. Lime essence was zapped into the air so that we could enjoy both the sense of taste and smell at the same time.
Red Cabbage Gazpacho with Pommery Grain Mustard Ice-Cream (no pic)
I don't really care for cold soups so this dish did not go down as well for me. However, I must say that the mustard ice-cream tasted hot but felt cold. Unusual.
Jelly of Quail, Crayfish Cream
This course came in 3 dishes. First, a bed of oak moss was brought to our table. On it were plastic casings (one for each of us) that contained a thin film that melted on my tongue. This provided a subtle woodsy flavor on our palate before we started the meal. The waiter poured water into the oak moss bed and, when it hit the dry ice underneath, smoke spewed out of it (see the video) emitting the oak scent.
Three sculpted pieces of truffle toast was served on a block of wood while the crayfish cream made with chicken liver parfait came in a white bowl. Scrumptious especially when savored amidst the scent of lingering oak moss.
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Roast Foie Gras
The 'melt-in-your-mouth' foie gras was divided into 3 sections by 2 paper-thin crab biscuits and topped with braised Konbu. It was daintily arranged in the middle of a plate with a touch of gooseberry sauce at the side. I have to say it was the best foie gras I had ever tasted.
Mock Turtle Soup (c.1850)
The mock turtle is a fictional creature mentioned in 'Alice in Wonderland'. Not surprisingly, this dish is also called "The Mad Hatter's Tea". A teacup containing bouillon wrapped in edible gold leaf and imprinted with the face of a watch was served. For those familiar with the infamous tea event, the March Hare dipped his gold watch into his teacup. When hot water was poured into the cup, the "gold watch" dissolved into a soup with flakes of gold (ingenious).
The second part of the meal was a bowl containing a striped piece of alternating Lardo and ox tongue (hence striped) and a lump of turnip puree (the "mock turtle egg") with enoki mushrooms sticking out representing the caterpillar and the toadstool from the story. When the soup was poured over the plate, the dazzling gold leaf floated to the surface. I felt more like King Midas than Mad Hatter.
Sound of the Sea
This was my favorite dish, not just because of the flavor but also because of the presentation. A wooden tray of sand is brought to the table. The dish displayed on the glass top over the tray was a 3-D sculpture of a beach scene, complete with sand (a mixture of tapioca and fried breadcrumbs) and a foamy sea made of shellfish juice. Laid on the 'beach' were 6 pieces of mouthwatering yellowfin, halibut and mackeral. We were given earphones attached to an ipod tucked inside a conch shell. We enjoyed the sashimi to the sounds of the ocean breaking and seagulls crying. Truly we felt like we were at the beach.
Salmon Poached in Licorice
A very interesting combination. The salmon was covered in a layer of licorice jelly and poached to just the right temperature. It was topped with golden trout roe and accompanied with dollops of vanilla mayonnaise and pieces of artichoke over grapefruit pulp. Surprisingly, the salmon had just a hint of licorice.
Powdered Anjou Pigeon (c. 1720)
Pigeon confit, moist and tender to the palate. There was more meat than I had expected from a pigeon. It came with a cake of blood pudding which was delicious. This was the last entree dish and it was perfect.
Taffety Tart (c.1660) (no pic)
The first dessert was a tart made of caramelized apple, fennel, rose and candied lemon. A little too sweet for my taste.
The Not-so-full English Breakfast
This was a surprise dish which came in 3 parts. First we were given the parsnip cereal to be taken dry. This was followed by a performance I'll never forget. The waiter broke an egg into a saucepan, then sprayed liquid nitrogen into it. Smoke emitted from the saucepan as he whisked the egg. A minute later, he spooned out the egg mixture with the consistency of ice-cream and placed it over a bacon strip. (see video). Then the final touch, we were served hot and iced tea. I don't know how it was created but there 2 distinct layers and I could feel the two different temperatures as I drank the tea.
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Chocolate Wine "Slush" (c.1660)
Whoever heard of wine slushy? It's great, take my word for it. And it came accompanied by what the waiter described as "millionaire shortbread" - shortbread coated with wine chocolate. The recipe is purported to be from the 1660's and considered a powerful aphrodisiac in those days. I can't tell you if it's true.
Wine Gums
This course was presented to us in a framed map of the historic wine trade routes of Britain. Five whisky-flavored jellies in the shape of wine bottles were attached to the different areas. Such a divine way of wine tasting.
"Like a kid in a sweet shop"
The final dish was the petit four - Aerated Chocolate (Mandarin jelly), Coconut Baccy (coconut shreds infused with an aroma of Black Cavendish Tobacco), Apple Pie Caramel (with an edible wrapper) and Queen of Hearts (white chocolate with fruit compote). The last item was very nicely wrapped in linen paper (much like the menu) with a red seal. The chocolate itself was shaped like the Queen of Hearts card. I liked everything, especially the aerated chocolate.
This meal cost £130 and took four hours to complete. At the end of the meal my butt had gone to sleep but it was well-worth it. If you get the opportunity to eat at Fat Duck's, take it!
The Fat Duck
Lime Grove
Roast Foie Gras
Mock Turtle Soup (c.1850)
Sound of the Sea
Salmon Poached in Licorice
Powdered Anjou Pigeon (c. 1720)
The Not-so-full English Breakfast
Chocolate Wine "Slush" (c.1660)
Wine Gums
"Like a kid in a sweet shop"
Fri 04 Sep 2009 05:23:37 EDT