Sunday, May 08, 2005
fei2 ya1 zheng4 zhuan4 (or "Green Eggs and Ham")
(clockwise from top left) Oyster, passionfruit jelly, horseradish cream, lavender; Pommery grain mustary ice cream, red cabbage gazpacho; Jelly of quail, langoustine cream, parfait of foie gras; Snail porridge, Poache breast of Anjou pigeon pancetta; Bavarois of basil, beetroot jelly; Parsnip cereal; Smoked bacon and egg ice cream
The best restaurant in the world?
So on a sunny Saturday in April I set out with 3 similarly gluttonous friends in a rented car to Bray. Getting to The Fat Duck was fairly easy thanks to the expert driver (OLY) who incidentally had just been to Waterside Inn (just down the road from TFD) the week before.
The restaurant is a rustic cottage of sorts - low ceilings, dark wood beams and (thankfully!) none of that minimalist modern sharp lines that seem to have taken over the restaurant world (more on that in another post save to say that it's quite nice but it does get SOOO boring). In fact the uneven walls and beams helped to create a rather intimate setting - not at all stuffy. It was comfortable and rather relaxing without anything too distracting, though I can't say I noticed too much once the food arrived (which is perhaps the point of simple décor). Our waiters were also very helpful - explaining each course in turn to us (they must do this a million times a day since everyone seemed to be there for the same menu!) service was generally attentive and unobtrusive.
Having cursorily considered the set lunch and the a la carte menu, we decided on the menu dégustation (having come this far, there really isn't any point having anything else - ok so it's not that far but when you've actually rented a car just to come for this meal!). I think we considered the other two options really as a brief courtesy to my wallet (my friends are flush financiers so money is really not a problem), but I'm sure the choice was obvious for all of us even before we got there.
After consultation (SJ for red and me for white) with the friendly sommelier we were recommended a Baron Heyl 2002 Estate Riesling and another red (which was alright but paled in comparison so much to the brilliant white that none of us can remember what it's called). The Riesling was very rounded, with just the right sweetness, dryness and fruity substance. The red was more mediocre but the two bottles were priced very reasonably, with the Riesling at £28 and the red at approx £35.
Anyway, down to the food (combining OLY and my thoughts - another of us has put up his own review while the fourth diner has approved both)... [ click here for more pictures and another magazine review]
We were first presented with 5 amuses bouche:
i) NITRO-GREEN TEA AND LIME MOUSSE
This was mousse prepared in liquid nitrogen in a metal container (making the whole process look like dry ice being used at weddings) in front of us looking a bit like a squirt of hair mousse so we were very intrigued even as the waiter explained how it was done (a concoction of vodka, lime and green tea foamed in a whipped cream canister and then "poached" in liquid nitrogen).
This was interesting much more on the texture front than on taste - it appeared somewhat like a meringue but the mousse melted straightaway on the tongue leaving only a very light taste of green tea and lime. This would be what I'd imagine clouds to taste like in a magical foodie land! We were all like kids in a toy shop at this point: ooohs and aaahs. Anyway it was perfect for cleansing the palate to start on our food journey
(The ephemeral nature of this amuse bouche meant that it was impossible to take a picture of - sorry!)
ii) ORANGE AND BEETROOT JELLY
This was orange-coloured jelly (looking like rowntree's jelly cubes) tasting like beetroot and beetroot-coloured jelly tasting like orange - designed to confuse the brain. However, other than that it wasn't particularly memorable.
iii) OYSTER, PASSION FRUIT JELLY, HORSERADISH CREAM, LAVENDER
A raw oyster on the shell presented on a black stone slab. This combination was a dream - an absolutely fresh oyster accompanied by slightly tangy passion fruit jelly and smooth horseradish cream (for just that little bit of Tabasco-like kick) and fragrant lavender. I could so easily slurp a dozen of these. However, while the lavender adds a very distinctive taste I'm of the personal opinion that it would have tasted just as wonderful without it, though perhaps presentation-wise, the little bit of purple does look great against the yellow jelly!
iv) POMMERY GRAIN MUSTARD ICE CREAM, RED CABBAGE GAZPACHO
The first of non-conventional ice creams in the menu, the mustard ice cream was really yummy and not at all shocking especially when paired with gazpacho. [Once you're used to ice-cold soup (I used to think it terrible till I got hooked on it in Andalucía - it's the perfect summer soup!) then mustard ice cream isn't such a big leap.] I loved the presentation here too - striking colours - very Spanish in spirit! The gazpacho itself was brilliant, full of everything that is wonderful about red cabbage without being overpowering.
I wanted to ask for more of this but was afraid I'd be turned down like Oliver Twist.
v) JELLY OF QUAIL, LANGOUSTINE CREAM, PARFAIT OF FOIE GRAS
All three ingredients are particularly strong flavours but they complemented each other well - in fact it was quite sublime. However, this clearly wasn't that shocking a combination (relative to eg bacon and egg ice cream) and was simply an example of good execution.
Next up were various starters -
SNAIL PORRIDGE Jabugo Ham, shaved fennel
While this dish sounds like something out of a Roald Dahl book (and the porridge's bright green made it look like it too!), I'm sure being fans of escargots all of us were thinking "this should be good!" Unfortunately somehow this didn't quite do it for me (or my fellow diners). It wasn't bad, just rather bland and sludgy and at a weird temperature (seemed to have been left out too long). While the Jabugo ham felt a bit too dry. And the snails looked so unattractive out of their shells.
ROAST FOIE GRAS Almond fluid gel, cherry and chamomile
This was meltingly smooth - perfectly roasted with the slight caramelised edges - another example of good execution and a respite from his "nostalgic" creations. The Amaretto-flavoured jelly added a nice touch with the cherry, though the chamomile white foam tasted not much of anything. (OLY hates chamomile tea but was pleasantly surprised that it didn't taste like that - otherwise though it was just foam.
SARDINE ON TOAST SORBET Ballotine of mackerel "invertebrate", marinated daikon
The "sorbet" was actually quite creamy although it didn't have the consistency of ice cream - OLY felt that the mini toasted brioche/fish (can't remember) was very forgettable because it tasted very fishy and in fact smelt like slightly-off fish. I just felt it was too fishy (never been a sardine on toast fan - despite loving fish generally) and the salmon roe probably didn't help. The point here again was to confuse the senses which it did but unfortunately for me, not in a good way.
On to the entrées -
SALMON POACHED WITH LIQUORICE Asparagus, pink grapefruit, "Manni" olive oil
The thing about liquorice is you either hate or love it. Rather regrettably, the waiter had asked us before we embarked on the menu if there was anything we hated and we said "no" - of course we forgot that we hated liquorice, but we hardly expecting it in such a large quantity nor did we realise it was going to be on the menu! Anyway, this was salmon covered in a slightly shiny black liquorice jelly, with the salmon perfectly cooked with the middle being slightly rare. Since I hate liquorice it was worse because the flavour had permeated into the salmon but I can imagine that if you loved liquorice this would be a dream - I can't really comment on whether liquorice goes with salmon just 'cos my mind just went "eek!".
This made the nicest part of the dish (for me and OLY at least) the asparagus! (also cos I think the dishes up to then had not had any whole vegetables)
POACHED BREAST OF ANJOU PIGEON PANCETTA Pastilla of its leg, pistachio, cocoa and quatre épices
This was one of the best dishes on the menu on just taste and execution, though interestingly again, it was not one of the "nostalgic" dishes. I love game and the pigeon was gorgeously pink and tender, with a slight saltiness reminiscent of cured meat. (owing undoubtedly to the pancetta)
The "samosa" though wasn't special - this combination is often used with pigeon and does work well but I felt I've had better even at places like momo café. While at the time we were full of praise for this dish, looking back I almost feel instinctively that I've had or can have better pigeon somewhere else. Maybe cos the leg was served without skin - and I do so love crispy skins! Besides, if getting the right level of cooked-ness is just about controlling the temperature, then the other accompaniments should really have been what made the pigeon brilliant, but it didn't really - it was all perhaps a little too subtle for my unrefined palate. I did like the cured taste (sort of chicken plus bacon combination) but pigeon on its own already possesses a marvellous taste and I'm not sure if the pancetta actually took away some of that wonderful gaminess.
Very good then, but a tad short of brilliance.
We were now ready to move on to the introductions to the desserts although interestingly enough, at this stage, being ½-way through the menu, we actually thought that we might be hungry later and might just have to pop by for something else on the way home!
i) WHITE CHOCOLATE AND CAVIAR
Served on a metal stand, the contrast of the white chocolate discs and osetra looked lovely - the tastes interestingly blended too - with the sweetness of white chocolate offset by the saltiness of osetra.
ii) MRS MARSHALL'S MARGARET CORNET
This was rather gimmicky - we were given a small leaflet explaining who Mrs Marshall was (the inventor of the edible ice cream cone) and were presented with tiny ice cream cones together with a sugared rose petal to be eaten afterwards. It was all very cute but I can't remember now what flavour the ice cream was except that it was fruity (maybe peach?). In a way I almost feel as if we were so caught up with reading the little piece of paper that that was why we couldn't remember what flavour it was or perhaps it really was just not very memorable.
iii) PINE SHERBET FOUNTAIN
Hilarious - this was a little rolled up contained of very fine sugar that melted immediately on the tongue, giving a high dosage of saccharine. There was quite a lot of this but it was amusing and reminded me somewhat of the "nerds" sweets I had as a kid. Maybe this should be introduced to coke fiends but they might just develop diabetes instead.
As for the proper desserts -
MANGO AND DOUGLAS FIR PUREE Bavarois of lychee and mango, blackcurrant sorbet
Couldn't really taste the lychee in this (maybe we're all too used to the really strong taste of lychee in our martinis at zouk). Anyhow this didn't taste bad at all - but neither did it grab me nor have me gushing. By now I was starting to suspect that desserts might not be Blumenthal's strongest suit. (ie competent but not amazing)
CARROT AND ORANGE TUILE, BAVAROIS OF BASIL BEETROOT JELLY
I believe we had specific instructions to eat these in order - the first tasted exactly like carrot and orange (for some really good tuiles, I think Tom Aikens is a star), the second exactly like basil, and the third like beetroot. Introducing basil in dessert is rather extraordinary though and since none of these are really dessert-sort of ingredients perhaps they were designed to provide a buffer before we went on to the atypical savoury dessert.
Before we went on to the legendary bacon and egg ice cream though we were given a cereal box with a little packet of parsnip cereal and a little pitcher o parsnip milk. To me this was just TOO gimmicky. Taste-wise: it wasn't bad but I think Blumenthal could have done away with this entirely. It didn't add anything and if anything is what turns most of his greatest critics off - that he tries TOO hard.
SMOKED BACON AND EGG ICE CREAM Pain perdu, tea jelly
This really messed our brains up, tasting perfectly of bacon and egg but in the form of ice cream. The pain perdu was good, and tasted like crunchy sweet French toast/waffle with maple syrup like crunchy sweet french toast/wafffle/maple syrup... However, I don't think I'd keep a regular tub of the stuff in my freezer if it became available at tesco's.
The tea jelly served in a little half egg-shell shaped cup was great though and was the perfect accompaniment to the salty ice cream - light and refreshing. Think this was the last memorable thing in the menu too... since already our minds were wandering. At this stage i think we were matching the little egg containers to see if we put two together they'd fit (obviously we knew they wouldn't but that didn't keep us from trying).
LEATHER, OAK AND TOBACCO CHOCOLATES PRALINE ROSE TARTLET
OLY felt the praline rose tartlet was just "bai sui" (to look pretty) only and really just for pple who want a sweet ending. I agree, since this just tasted like an inferior version of laduree's (in paris) rose macarons. The chocolates though were quite special (despite sounding extremely dubious). We were pleasantly surprised that the leather chocs tasted quite nice - chewy texture was particularly good since it was not at all sticky like caramel. The oak ones weren't too bad too, with a slightly solid musky taste. But the tobacco ones were just WRONG. They tasted like tar and according to OLY, road (although I have no idea how she knows what the road tastes like). This reminded me of the Harry Potter jelly beans that came out after the movie - I actually tried a grass one and it really tasted like grass. ___________________________________________________________________
In conclusion then, clearly there were both hits and misses. Although admittedly some of the "misses" came down to a cultural bias (eg the salmon poached with liquorice and the sardine on toast sorbet), I felt a nagging feeling that Blumenthal has spent so much time in his molecular gastronomy/food alchemy/culinary constructivism that his food lacks the spontaneity and the passion of chefs who work with whatever is freshest on the menu that day.
Arguably his goal is different - to present a whole different view of what food can be to his diners, by playing with textures and flavours and linking them to our memories, as evidenced by his "nostalgic" dishes. Also, judging from how we felt that his best dishes were in fact those that were simply well-executed and ungimmicky, there is no doubt that the man can really cook, and I suppose, having reached that stage, he feels a need to foray into something a little more special.
Yet spontaneity is something I admire a lot in chefs. Blumenthal's operation seems a bit *too* put-together, just as we'd imaging big food giants to research into what we'd like to eat or not and all this emphasis on psychology takes away from the food itself. A Willy Wonka he might be, but remember Willy's failed experiments!
All in all, I don't think this would be the best restaurant in the world. (I think we can only really judge TFD against El Bulli and French Laundry since they do sort of aim for the same effect and when I've tried the other two I'll let you know. Otherwise "the best restaurant in the world" is really an unrealistic award)
Nonetheless, I would recommend at least one trip to The Fat Duck for the menu dégustation. The meal was highly enjoyable (even with the misses), the service was very good, and at £135 per head (including 2 bottles of wine shared between 4 people), hardly extravagant compared to haute cuisine in Paris. And hype aside, Blumenthal has made eating fun. My fellow diners and I demonstrated excitement at a dining table befitting of 7 year olds)
Further, Blumenthal might not have invented the idea of food psychology but he is trying to innovate and run against what many critics have commented on: the stagnation of haute cuisine. His constant experimentation with new techniques is also commendable.
At the same time, I DO hope that he'll change his menu degustation soon (he hasn't seem to have changed it for YEARS! And when that time comes, I'll be sure to go try it again. Otherwise I'll be saving my money for my trips to Paris and finishing off my must-eats in London.
Despite thinking we'd might be hungry at the end we felt content - ready for a meal in another 3 hours or so! So thumbs up for "just right" tummies where others have failed. (usually I am bloated after having tasting menus!)
Side note: I've also heard that the a la carte is very good and may be worth visiting again for - it showed less adventurous dishes but since Blumenthal has showed his execution skills are rather good (though I feel, less polished than Gordon Ramsay), I might just pop in to check it out if I'm around the area.
____________________
THE FAT DUCK
www.fatduck.co.uk
High Street
Bray, Berkshire SL6 2AQ
+44 (0) 1628 580 333
____________________ ¶ 2:53 PM
(clockwise from top left) Oyster, passionfruit jelly, horseradish cream, lavender; Pommery grain mustary ice cream, red cabbage gazpacho; Jelly of quail, langoustine cream, parfait of foie gras; Snail porridge, Poache breast of Anjou pigeon pancetta; Bavarois of basil, beetroot jelly; Parsnip cereal; Smoked bacon and egg ice cream
The best restaurant in the world?
So on a sunny Saturday in April I set out with 3 similarly gluttonous friends in a rented car to Bray. Getting to The Fat Duck was fairly easy thanks to the expert driver (OLY) who incidentally had just been to Waterside Inn (just down the road from TFD) the week before.
The restaurant is a rustic cottage of sorts - low ceilings, dark wood beams and (thankfully!) none of that minimalist modern sharp lines that seem to have taken over the restaurant world (more on that in another post save to say that it's quite nice but it does get SOOO boring). In fact the uneven walls and beams helped to create a rather intimate setting - not at all stuffy. It was comfortable and rather relaxing without anything too distracting, though I can't say I noticed too much once the food arrived (which is perhaps the point of simple décor). Our waiters were also very helpful - explaining each course in turn to us (they must do this a million times a day since everyone seemed to be there for the same menu!) service was generally attentive and unobtrusive.
Having cursorily considered the set lunch and the a la carte menu, we decided on the menu dégustation (having come this far, there really isn't any point having anything else - ok so it's not that far but when you've actually rented a car just to come for this meal!). I think we considered the other two options really as a brief courtesy to my wallet (my friends are flush financiers so money is really not a problem), but I'm sure the choice was obvious for all of us even before we got there.
After consultation (SJ for red and me for white) with the friendly sommelier we were recommended a Baron Heyl 2002 Estate Riesling and another red (which was alright but paled in comparison so much to the brilliant white that none of us can remember what it's called). The Riesling was very rounded, with just the right sweetness, dryness and fruity substance. The red was more mediocre but the two bottles were priced very reasonably, with the Riesling at £28 and the red at approx £35.
Anyway, down to the food (combining OLY and my thoughts - another of us has put up his own review while the fourth diner has approved both)... [ click here for more pictures and another magazine review]
We were first presented with 5 amuses bouche:
i) NITRO-GREEN TEA AND LIME MOUSSE
This was mousse prepared in liquid nitrogen in a metal container (making the whole process look like dry ice being used at weddings) in front of us looking a bit like a squirt of hair mousse so we were very intrigued even as the waiter explained how it was done (a concoction of vodka, lime and green tea foamed in a whipped cream canister and then "poached" in liquid nitrogen).
This was interesting much more on the texture front than on taste - it appeared somewhat like a meringue but the mousse melted straightaway on the tongue leaving only a very light taste of green tea and lime. This would be what I'd imagine clouds to taste like in a magical foodie land! We were all like kids in a toy shop at this point: ooohs and aaahs. Anyway it was perfect for cleansing the palate to start on our food journey
(The ephemeral nature of this amuse bouche meant that it was impossible to take a picture of - sorry!)
ii) ORANGE AND BEETROOT JELLY
This was orange-coloured jelly (looking like rowntree's jelly cubes) tasting like beetroot and beetroot-coloured jelly tasting like orange - designed to confuse the brain. However, other than that it wasn't particularly memorable.
iii) OYSTER, PASSION FRUIT JELLY, HORSERADISH CREAM, LAVENDER
A raw oyster on the shell presented on a black stone slab. This combination was a dream - an absolutely fresh oyster accompanied by slightly tangy passion fruit jelly and smooth horseradish cream (for just that little bit of Tabasco-like kick) and fragrant lavender. I could so easily slurp a dozen of these. However, while the lavender adds a very distinctive taste I'm of the personal opinion that it would have tasted just as wonderful without it, though perhaps presentation-wise, the little bit of purple does look great against the yellow jelly!
iv) POMMERY GRAIN MUSTARD ICE CREAM, RED CABBAGE GAZPACHO
The first of non-conventional ice creams in the menu, the mustard ice cream was really yummy and not at all shocking especially when paired with gazpacho. [Once you're used to ice-cold soup (I used to think it terrible till I got hooked on it in Andalucía - it's the perfect summer soup!) then mustard ice cream isn't such a big leap.] I loved the presentation here too - striking colours - very Spanish in spirit! The gazpacho itself was brilliant, full of everything that is wonderful about red cabbage without being overpowering.
I wanted to ask for more of this but was afraid I'd be turned down like Oliver Twist.
v) JELLY OF QUAIL, LANGOUSTINE CREAM, PARFAIT OF FOIE GRAS
All three ingredients are particularly strong flavours but they complemented each other well - in fact it was quite sublime. However, this clearly wasn't that shocking a combination (relative to eg bacon and egg ice cream) and was simply an example of good execution.
Next up were various starters -
SNAIL PORRIDGE Jabugo Ham, shaved fennel
While this dish sounds like something out of a Roald Dahl book (and the porridge's bright green made it look like it too!), I'm sure being fans of escargots all of us were thinking "this should be good!" Unfortunately somehow this didn't quite do it for me (or my fellow diners). It wasn't bad, just rather bland and sludgy and at a weird temperature (seemed to have been left out too long). While the Jabugo ham felt a bit too dry. And the snails looked so unattractive out of their shells.
ROAST FOIE GRAS Almond fluid gel, cherry and chamomile
This was meltingly smooth - perfectly roasted with the slight caramelised edges - another example of good execution and a respite from his "nostalgic" creations. The Amaretto-flavoured jelly added a nice touch with the cherry, though the chamomile white foam tasted not much of anything. (OLY hates chamomile tea but was pleasantly surprised that it didn't taste like that - otherwise though it was just foam.
SARDINE ON TOAST SORBET Ballotine of mackerel "invertebrate", marinated daikon
The "sorbet" was actually quite creamy although it didn't have the consistency of ice cream - OLY felt that the mini toasted brioche/fish (can't remember) was very forgettable because it tasted very fishy and in fact smelt like slightly-off fish. I just felt it was too fishy (never been a sardine on toast fan - despite loving fish generally) and the salmon roe probably didn't help. The point here again was to confuse the senses which it did but unfortunately for me, not in a good way.
On to the entrées -
SALMON POACHED WITH LIQUORICE Asparagus, pink grapefruit, "Manni" olive oil
The thing about liquorice is you either hate or love it. Rather regrettably, the waiter had asked us before we embarked on the menu if there was anything we hated and we said "no" - of course we forgot that we hated liquorice, but we hardly expecting it in such a large quantity nor did we realise it was going to be on the menu! Anyway, this was salmon covered in a slightly shiny black liquorice jelly, with the salmon perfectly cooked with the middle being slightly rare. Since I hate liquorice it was worse because the flavour had permeated into the salmon but I can imagine that if you loved liquorice this would be a dream - I can't really comment on whether liquorice goes with salmon just 'cos my mind just went "eek!".
This made the nicest part of the dish (for me and OLY at least) the asparagus! (also cos I think the dishes up to then had not had any whole vegetables)
POACHED BREAST OF ANJOU PIGEON PANCETTA Pastilla of its leg, pistachio, cocoa and quatre épices
This was one of the best dishes on the menu on just taste and execution, though interestingly again, it was not one of the "nostalgic" dishes. I love game and the pigeon was gorgeously pink and tender, with a slight saltiness reminiscent of cured meat. (owing undoubtedly to the pancetta)
The "samosa" though wasn't special - this combination is often used with pigeon and does work well but I felt I've had better even at places like momo café. While at the time we were full of praise for this dish, looking back I almost feel instinctively that I've had or can have better pigeon somewhere else. Maybe cos the leg was served without skin - and I do so love crispy skins! Besides, if getting the right level of cooked-ness is just about controlling the temperature, then the other accompaniments should really have been what made the pigeon brilliant, but it didn't really - it was all perhaps a little too subtle for my unrefined palate. I did like the cured taste (sort of chicken plus bacon combination) but pigeon on its own already possesses a marvellous taste and I'm not sure if the pancetta actually took away some of that wonderful gaminess.
Very good then, but a tad short of brilliance.
We were now ready to move on to the introductions to the desserts although interestingly enough, at this stage, being ½-way through the menu, we actually thought that we might be hungry later and might just have to pop by for something else on the way home!
i) WHITE CHOCOLATE AND CAVIAR
Served on a metal stand, the contrast of the white chocolate discs and osetra looked lovely - the tastes interestingly blended too - with the sweetness of white chocolate offset by the saltiness of osetra.
ii) MRS MARSHALL'S MARGARET CORNET
This was rather gimmicky - we were given a small leaflet explaining who Mrs Marshall was (the inventor of the edible ice cream cone) and were presented with tiny ice cream cones together with a sugared rose petal to be eaten afterwards. It was all very cute but I can't remember now what flavour the ice cream was except that it was fruity (maybe peach?). In a way I almost feel as if we were so caught up with reading the little piece of paper that that was why we couldn't remember what flavour it was or perhaps it really was just not very memorable.
iii) PINE SHERBET FOUNTAIN
Hilarious - this was a little rolled up contained of very fine sugar that melted immediately on the tongue, giving a high dosage of saccharine. There was quite a lot of this but it was amusing and reminded me somewhat of the "nerds" sweets I had as a kid. Maybe this should be introduced to coke fiends but they might just develop diabetes instead.
As for the proper desserts -
MANGO AND DOUGLAS FIR PUREE Bavarois of lychee and mango, blackcurrant sorbet
Couldn't really taste the lychee in this (maybe we're all too used to the really strong taste of lychee in our martinis at zouk). Anyhow this didn't taste bad at all - but neither did it grab me nor have me gushing. By now I was starting to suspect that desserts might not be Blumenthal's strongest suit. (ie competent but not amazing)
CARROT AND ORANGE TUILE, BAVAROIS OF BASIL BEETROOT JELLY
I believe we had specific instructions to eat these in order - the first tasted exactly like carrot and orange (for some really good tuiles, I think Tom Aikens is a star), the second exactly like basil, and the third like beetroot. Introducing basil in dessert is rather extraordinary though and since none of these are really dessert-sort of ingredients perhaps they were designed to provide a buffer before we went on to the atypical savoury dessert.
Before we went on to the legendary bacon and egg ice cream though we were given a cereal box with a little packet of parsnip cereal and a little pitcher o parsnip milk. To me this was just TOO gimmicky. Taste-wise: it wasn't bad but I think Blumenthal could have done away with this entirely. It didn't add anything and if anything is what turns most of his greatest critics off - that he tries TOO hard.
SMOKED BACON AND EGG ICE CREAM Pain perdu, tea jelly
This really messed our brains up, tasting perfectly of bacon and egg but in the form of ice cream. The pain perdu was good, and tasted like crunchy sweet French toast/waffle with maple syrup like crunchy sweet french toast/wafffle/maple syrup... However, I don't think I'd keep a regular tub of the stuff in my freezer if it became available at tesco's.
The tea jelly served in a little half egg-shell shaped cup was great though and was the perfect accompaniment to the salty ice cream - light and refreshing. Think this was the last memorable thing in the menu too... since already our minds were wandering. At this stage i think we were matching the little egg containers to see if we put two together they'd fit (obviously we knew they wouldn't but that didn't keep us from trying).
LEATHER, OAK AND TOBACCO CHOCOLATES PRALINE ROSE TARTLET
OLY felt the praline rose tartlet was just "bai sui" (to look pretty) only and really just for pple who want a sweet ending. I agree, since this just tasted like an inferior version of laduree's (in paris) rose macarons. The chocolates though were quite special (despite sounding extremely dubious). We were pleasantly surprised that the leather chocs tasted quite nice - chewy texture was particularly good since it was not at all sticky like caramel. The oak ones weren't too bad too, with a slightly solid musky taste. But the tobacco ones were just WRONG. They tasted like tar and according to OLY, road (although I have no idea how she knows what the road tastes like). This reminded me of the Harry Potter jelly beans that came out after the movie - I actually tried a grass one and it really tasted like grass. ___________________________________________________________________
In conclusion then, clearly there were both hits and misses. Although admittedly some of the "misses" came down to a cultural bias (eg the salmon poached with liquorice and the sardine on toast sorbet), I felt a nagging feeling that Blumenthal has spent so much time in his molecular gastronomy/food alchemy/culinary constructivism that his food lacks the spontaneity and the passion of chefs who work with whatever is freshest on the menu that day.
Arguably his goal is different - to present a whole different view of what food can be to his diners, by playing with textures and flavours and linking them to our memories, as evidenced by his "nostalgic" dishes. Also, judging from how we felt that his best dishes were in fact those that were simply well-executed and ungimmicky, there is no doubt that the man can really cook, and I suppose, having reached that stage, he feels a need to foray into something a little more special.
Yet spontaneity is something I admire a lot in chefs. Blumenthal's operation seems a bit *too* put-together, just as we'd imaging big food giants to research into what we'd like to eat or not and all this emphasis on psychology takes away from the food itself. A Willy Wonka he might be, but remember Willy's failed experiments!
All in all, I don't think this would be the best restaurant in the world. (I think we can only really judge TFD against El Bulli and French Laundry since they do sort of aim for the same effect and when I've tried the other two I'll let you know. Otherwise "the best restaurant in the world" is really an unrealistic award)
Nonetheless, I would recommend at least one trip to The Fat Duck for the menu dégustation. The meal was highly enjoyable (even with the misses), the service was very good, and at £135 per head (including 2 bottles of wine shared between 4 people), hardly extravagant compared to haute cuisine in Paris. And hype aside, Blumenthal has made eating fun. My fellow diners and I demonstrated excitement at a dining table befitting of 7 year olds)
Further, Blumenthal might not have invented the idea of food psychology but he is trying to innovate and run against what many critics have commented on: the stagnation of haute cuisine. His constant experimentation with new techniques is also commendable.
At the same time, I DO hope that he'll change his menu degustation soon (he hasn't seem to have changed it for YEARS! And when that time comes, I'll be sure to go try it again. Otherwise I'll be saving my money for my trips to Paris and finishing off my must-eats in London.
Despite thinking we'd might be hungry at the end we felt content - ready for a meal in another 3 hours or so! So thumbs up for "just right" tummies where others have failed. (usually I am bloated after having tasting menus!)
Side note: I've also heard that the a la carte is very good and may be worth visiting again for - it showed less adventurous dishes but since Blumenthal has showed his execution skills are rather good (though I feel, less polished than Gordon Ramsay), I might just pop in to check it out if I'm around the area.
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