We didn't see Heston today but did see Ashley Palmer-Watts entering before service was to begin. Finally 12 o'clock came around and we went through a non descript wooden door and into the dinning room. Firstly the ceiling is low and with wooden beams I had to duck a few times whilst we walked round to our table.
We were seated and offered a glass of champagne, a choice of still or sparkling water, a look at the 14 course tasting menu (and Celia was informed that they would make some minor changes to some of the courses, but for 1 they needed her to choose between meat and fish, as it was pointed out that the 2 courses before the choice were both fish based, meat was the obvious answer).
We also had a look at the Wine list which was a 58 page volume that was huge and imposing , but there was only a single page for wine by the glass, I decided on a 2009 Châteauneuf du Pape, Domaine de Beaurenard from the Rhône Valley, and Celia asked the sommelier for a semi sweet and was recommended a 2010 Pinot Gris, Signature, René Muré from Alsace. With these chosen we received before the first course an amuse bouche made of beetroot and horseradish cream (with Celia's having the cream removed but still with horseradish). This was an interesting texture as the beetroot component was crispy almost like a cheese puff but with the taste of beetroot.
The Wine was served and then the true theatre of the lunch was started with the first course, which was listed as Nitro poached Aperitifs. We had a choice of Gin & Tonic, Vodka & lime sour or Campari Soda. Celia chose the Gin & Tonic and I went for a Vodka & lime. The waiter took a soda syphon with an egg white mousse that had been flavoured with Gin or Vodka, this was then dropped into an Ice bucket filled with liquid nitrogen which firmed up the mousse to a meringue like consistency.
For Celia this then had a lemon twisted on it to get a taste of lemon added, and for mine a dusting of lime green tea mixture.
as Celia tried her one it broke apart so after he had served mine he made Celia another. The taste was exactly as described Gin & tonic or Vodka & lime, but the texture was an initial crunch followed by nothing, it simply dissolved in your mouth and you were just left with the flavour, and wonderful light way to start the meal.
Course 2 was a Red Cabbage Gazpacho, this arrived a small bowl in a large plate with a pommery grain mustard ice cream quenelle and some finally chopped onion in side, and then the red cabbage soup was poured over these at the table, these resulted in a wonderful light but creamy cold soup.The only problem was the shape of the bowl and spoon which meant that we were unable to get every last drop and we did discuss it but decided that licking the bowl was not the done thing in public.
As course three was brought out we saw more of the show that accompanies a Heston meal. We were brought a bowl with layers in it of pea purée, jelly of quail, crayfish cream (which was skipped for Celia's version) with a quenelle of chicken liver parfait (replaced for Celia with a pyramid of peas. This was also accompanied with a thin slice of toast, with a truffle topping (Celia's was gluten free toast), then the centre of the table was cleared and a wooden tray with moss on top, and sitting on top was a couple of film casings. We were asked to take the film out of the plastic case and place it on our tongues as it was to involke the senses of a woodland forest, then the waiter poured something from a cast iron kettle onto the moss and it started to smoke and bellow which had the smell of a forest.
The truffle toast went brilliantly with the smell of the forest, and the jelly with parfait (or peas) was nice enough and had some great textures and tastes.
As they tided away this course we noticed that the table opposite was getting the Nitro aperitifs cooked and we worked out that being early for lunch was a benefit as no-one was getting their course before us so the spectacle was all on our table first. So if you are going we would recommend the 12 o'clock seating.
The next course was a Heston classic, the Snail Porridge, which was brought out is white lidded bowls which were opened with panache and the announcement of what makes up snail porridge. For myself it was a pea soup with what looked like bulgar wheat, then with minuscule slivers of Iberico bellota ham. The on top was ribbons of shaved fennel and the infamous snails. Unfortunately the snails had been cooked in butter so Celia's version was missing both the wheat and the snails, but she said that is did not harm the flavours, and was soon scrapping the bottom of the bowl trying to get every last morsel. For me the snails were just there, they do not have a bad flavour but I also would not rush to have them again, they were a bit chewy but worth trying if you have the chance.
They then offered us some bread and butter, the butter was either Carmarthenshire or Cornwall as we can't remember what they said as we both seem to heard something different, but it was wonderfully rich. Celia was given some gluten free toast and some olive oil for dipping.
We had finished the bread before the next course came along, this was roast foie gras, served on braised kombu (which is a Japanese seaweed) This must have been prepared with butter as it was missing from Celia's plate, I also had a crab biscuit, which did not taste of crab, but Celia was given a Cep gluten free option. We also had a barberry sauce on the plate to eat with the liver.
The sixth course was pre-announced with a bookmark explaining the history of Mock Turtle Soup and the link to Alice in Wonderland. Then the bowl was brought out with a collection of strange shapes within.
The main parcel was Ox Tongue and the egg at the front is made of Turnip and Swede juice, with Celia's (shown) using soya cream rather than standard cream.
The Waiters then brought out a cup of water for me and stock for celia, and we were told that the White rabbits watch was broken and he thought that it would be best to put it in hot water to fix, but then the watch got even more broken and we were told to pour it over the bowl to create our Mock Turtle Soup.
The 7th course signalled the half way stage of the meal and was listed as "Sounds of the Sea", the first sign this was a little different was when 2 sea shells were brought out with white headphones coming from the depths of them.
Then the food was brought out and it looked just like a sea scene but the waitress would not describe what it all was
The "sand" was crisp and salty, the fish was undercooked for my preference but I am not a great fish fan but it was still delicious and with the sounds of the sea being played through the headphones whilst you ate gave the whole course a feeling of the seaside.
After we had finished the course, we were told that the sand was a mixture of tapioca and mackerel and the types of fish that were included, but I can't remember what they were now.
The eight course was Salmon poached in a liquorice gel, served with roasted artichokes, vanilla mayonnaise and golden trout roe. This was almost a simple dish for the meal, as it was served simply and tasted great, the salmon was pink in the centre. But the star of this dish was the vanilla mayonnaise.
We now finally came to the main course (also known as course 9) and for this course we were both served something different and I had also ordered a glass of 2005 Château la Gasparde from the Bordeaux region, which complemented with the Anjou Pigeon. The Pigeon was served with a Blood pudding sauce (which was absolutely wonderful), some small turnips and onions, and some pigeon crackling. It also came with a risotto of spelt and umbles, this was the star of the course, creamy and flavourful, the spelt giving a great texture and the umbles provining flavour and this was topped with Sugar puffs, which is a little bit childish but also so Heston.
Celia was given a roast belly pork with cabbage, which just seemed out of place in the whole meal, it was OK, it tasted nice and was cooked to perfection and anywhere else it would have been great but against the rest of the courses, and indeed my Pigeon (even if I spent the rest of the day calling it duck).
We were now on the final straight, but had already been eating on and off for almost 2.5 hours. The next course was a palate cleanser, a cup of Hot & Iced Tea.
Now the picture of this can't prepare you for the strangeness of drink a drink that is hot on 1 side and cold on the other, and as you drink it they stay hot on a side and cold on the other. The hot side is slightly more viscous and we assume this is why they don't mix but you must understand the it is all liquid, not like a jelly on one side.
We had now moved into the dessert course and first up was Taffety Tart, which is also on the menu at Dinner that we went to a few week ago, but neither of us had had it there. So it was block of caramelized apple, fennel and rose cream with very crisp pastry for me and the thinnest slivers of apple for Celia (and no cream) it was served with a blackcurrent sorbet on the side and was delightful. Again there was little show in the course just a dessert that was put together to delight the taste buds.
The twelfth course was entitled the "BFG" or black forest gateau and although we hadn't been told in advance Celia received something different. We had ordered a couple of glasses of the dessert wine recommened in the menu for this course which was a 2009 Alella, Dolç Mataró, Alta Alella from Catalonia, which was surprising that it was a red dessert wine.
The cake was in the tower and ice cream was kirsch flavoured which made a lovely dessert and the sweetness of the wine went perfectly with the whole gateau.
Celia dessert initially seemed to be a chocolate mousse inside a hard chocolate cylinder, however once she got to the base, that was also harder chocolate but held a secret inside, Space Dust, Pop Rocks or what every you want to call the crackling candy and the grin that came across her face was a delight.
We were then asked if we wanted to add a 15th course to the meal, in the style of a cheese plate, but decided against it and we continued with the penultimate course of Whisk(e)y Wine Gums, These arrived on a photo frame, with the locations of the various whisk(e)y involved. Now with normal wine gums they all seem to taste the same, but with these you could taste the individual whisky's. We were advised to eat them in order as they did increase in strength as you went through the gums.
We were asked if we wanted Tea with our final course, and the tea menu went up to £35 for a cup, and some of the teas had fascinating names but most were also quite expensive for a cup of tea, Celia did take a coffee that she had whilst we had our final course, described in the menu as "Like a Kid in a Sweet Shop", which arrived as a candy striped bag containing 4 small sweeties. Listed as Aerated Chocolate, Coconut Baccy, Apple Pie Caramel and The Queen of Hearts. Due to diatry issues Celia had to give up the Apple Pie caramel and the Queen or hearts, and as I don't like coconut I swapped my coconut baccy.
The Aerated Chocolate, was flavoured with a mandarin gel and was like a small high quality aero, with an orangey taste, the holes were large in a chocolate almost 5mm.
The Coconut baccy, was grated coconut infused with black cavendish tobacco, but doesn't taste of tobacco and tastes like a mild smokey coconut. It looked like brown slivers.
The Apple Pie caramel was a chewy sweet in a edible wrapper, and did taste of apple pie, but the star of these sweets was the Queen of Tarts.
The Queen of tarts looked like a playing card but when you bit into it it was a strawberry filling surrounded by white chocolate with the playing card design printed on. even the "wax" seal on the envelope was edible.
As so we came the end of a 4 hour marathon lunch, during which we were delighted, engaged, fed, watered and made to feel special. I am so glad that we had this meal and now we move to to look for other meals and travels around the globe.
Wow. Like wow.
ReplyDeletethank you for sharing an amazing experience. I enjoyed reading about it.