Whine and dine

September 25th, 2008

The art of cooking is no doubt interesting. The science of it is equally intriguing. Chefs cook, chefs taste, chefs plan their day, but how often do chefs actually dine? The most important thing that all chefs work towards seems to be the least practised.

As chefs, it really is our personal responsibility to dine out. Not just to hide in the kitchens. In the past, everyone said that chefs needed to be out of the kitchen and into the restaurant to mingle with the guests. Some have evolved and some still stay hairy and hunched-backed in the room of stainless steel. Now that the first step has been taken, we need to take that next step out the door and into another restaurant! Dining out, as I have found over the years, is a great way to unwind and to learn.

I once knew a chef who told me, “Dining out assures me that I can cook better than the chefs at restaurants I go to…”, and if not, then that would be a wake-up call to improve, wouldn’t it?

We learn and grow when we dine out. From the mistakes made by others and to be astonished by the trend setters. Not all have to be great experiences; I have been here for 2 and half years and dined around a lot in Dubai. But sadly only two of the many places I visited were good. Bad dining experiences aren’t just the result of the meal itself, but, good grief! the sloppy ‘big-arse’ service too. The point is, if a chef does not dine out to appreciate a meal from a guest’s perspective, how can he assure his guests a great dining experience? I wonder how long it will take for some chefs to take note of this.

The Great British Feast

September 10th, 2008

The very first trip made in dedication to cuisine, the senses, dining and having that Michelin experience. We make our way to the Great Britain to feast at the restaurants of the 3 biggest chefs in the UK. Heston Blumenthal, Gordon Ramsay and Michel Roux.

Not knowing what to expect, we enter the door and walk through the small hallway. Our first ever 3 Star dining experience had begun. Restaurant Gordon Ramsay.

Feelings of excitement and curiosity run furiously through. Greetings from the staff calm our nerves. They are inviting, extremely professional and most importantly, genuine. As it was a celebration of Bernadette’s birthday, a special table is reserved for us. Jean-Claude, the Maitre d’, greets us at the table and puts us further at ease. This exceptional host goes about entertaining and speaking to the diners. Each time he leaves a table the guests are smiling. The guy even sings a birthday song for Bernie at the end of our meal, in a calm, composed yet thoroughly entertaining manner.

A Michelin star restaurant often gives the impression of being stiff and tense. Not here. The mood set at this 3 star establishment which also happens to be one of the top 20 restaurants in the world today is calm and relaxed.

We order the Menu Prestige, which is the tasting menu, plus champagne to start with and wine pairing for each course.

Amuse bouche – Cornet of lobster with avocado. Potato chip with pesto.

Chilled tomato consommé with spring vegetables – Very fresh and light.

Foie gras and Duck terrine – Absolute attention to detail in this dish. From the arrangement of the salad to the seasoning of the micro leaves. Served with a light as air toasted brioche. [More photos here]

Lobster, Salmon and Langoustine Ravioli – A Gordon Ramsay signature which has become a classic of his. Full of flavour with a hint of fresh basil, perfect texture from the pasta. Somehow one is not enough!

Roasted Turbot – Nice Roasted Turbot which has a sweet flesh with a citrus sauce.

Barbary Duck – I am crazy about this dish! The crisp skin and moist flesh of the breast. The cream cabbage and the sauce is savoury. Accompanied with the sweet/earthy beetroot, the earthy black trumpet, sweet/savoury shallots and the bitterness of the navé all hit the right spot. One dish with all the basic taste senses. Absolutely brilliant!

Lamb Loin with confit of shoulder – Tender and succulent loin and the restructured pre-braised shoulder is pan fried for a crisp outer layer. The consistency and flavour of the sauce is perfect.

Cheese Trolley – A favourite of mine in any meal at any restaurant. The winning formula at Ramsay’s is the nice selection and the service. For the first time I have ‘Plaisir au Chablis’ and love it! So I ask the waitress where I might be able to buy this cheese or similar alternatives. She writes the name of the cheeses down and suggests a few places.

Ramsay Crème Brulee – Bernie’s pre-dessert instead of the cheese course. Light and smooth. With pears and a nice hint of spice.

Champagne and strawberry soup – Arrives in a tall glass with a glass straw. The popping candy is hidden away somewhere…..Playful and flavourful.

Apple Tarte Tatin – This is the motherload!!! Thin, crisp caramel puff pastry with tender caramelized apples. The portion is rather big but I’m not complaining.

Petits fours – Turkish Delight; Super bouncy like a waterbed. Strawberry ice cream coated with white chocolate. And a silver stand with ‘silver balls’ of bitter sweet chocolates.

Birthday special – Bernie is presented with a Mango sorbet with a candle and a birthday song from the perfect host, Jean-Claude.

Although we were the last to leave, we were never made to feel rushed (our dinner booking was at 10.15pm and we left at about 12.40pm). In fact one of the front-of-the-house staff chatted with us for a while and showed me the kitchen. There I learnt they have a total of 50 chefs and that the kitchen was renovated in 2006. It was a well maintained kitchen, of course.

I am certain that there are so many other 3 star restaurants out there with the same quality of food and service, but to find another one that can be this genuine? That will be the challenge. Will definitely make it a point to visit London again for another experience.

The highly anticipated 3 star Michelin Heston Cuisine at The Fat Duck. Nicely tucked away in the small ‘one-street town’ of Bray. I guess much of the structure has not been meddled with since he bought it in 1995. The setting of the restaurant is very classic English-cottage-style. From the ‘duck-foot/fork-feather/knife’ sign hanging outside to the wooden beams of the interior structure of the restaurant. Apart for the paintings on the walls and the food of course, which made it anything but classic. With the intense flavours and effects, The Fat Duck is truly in a league of its own. The best part about the food is it isn’t overdone. His dishes are cleverly designed to excite both the palate and senses. And he serves actual dishes (not minute tasting portions), which is great.

We have the tasting menu of course, with a wine pairing, and start with a glass of delicious Taittinger Demi-Sec each.

Nitro Green Tea and Lime – We begin the course with a palate cleanser – a mousse of green tea and vodka which was solidified in LN2. A lime perfume is sprayed over the table to enhance the lime flavour. Nice and refreshing. It shows here how important the sense of smell is for taste.

Orange and Beetroot – 2 Squares of jelly arrive – one red and the other orange. It is playfully suggested by the waitress to begin with the ‘orange’. The orange-coloured jelly is actually yellow beet and the red jelly is blood orange. A dish that tricks our eyes.

Oyster – It is set in a passion fruit jelly with lavender petals and horseradish crystal.

Ice cream – A micro quenelle of pommery mustard ice cream with a red cabbage gazpacho. Slightly spicy.
[More photos can be viewed here]

Drama – The full setting for the next course arrives.

A bed of oak moss with 2 packs of oak moss films. A small bowl of Heston’s famed smooth quail jelly and a crispy toast of truffle. We start with the film, and then the waitress pours the oak moss tea onto the oak moss bed and the smoke effects with the flavour of oak moss start draping our table. Then we savour the jelly and toast.

Porridge – Another signature, which has become a classic of Heston. The snails are nicely tender and flavourful with his garlic butter and oats porridge. The julienne of crisp Joselito ham enhances the flavour and texture of the whole dish.

Foie Gras – The foie gras is pan seared and crusted with shavings of almond, chopped chives. Along with it, a swipe of cherry coulis (I think, if my taste buds were not too numb from alcohol) and a swipe of almond fluid gel (stabilized with Gellan, served warm). Plus a cherry with a fine vanilla pod stem.

Sea – Then, each of us are presented with a large seashell containing an iPod with earphones. Shortly after an elevated glass dish is presented. We are instructed to put on the ear phones, and listen to the calm sounds of the sea – waves washing up to shore, and sea gulls calling in the background. Not to sound too corny, but instantly the scene of a sunset came to mind (at least for me). The dish is supposed interact well with the senses, to have the feel of actually enjoying the dish at the seaside. I am not certain, but the dish seems to taste slightly sea salty…or it might just be my imagination, which means he may have met the objective here… hmmmm…

The dish is composed of an oyster, clams, fried baby eels, 3 types of seaweed and a flavoured Maltodextrine to resemble the sand and shore. Plus foam which is just lightly salty, like the juice of an oyster to resemble the sea or foam from the waves.

Salmon – A slow cooked piece of salmon which is encased in a liquorice gel. I am guessing from Kappa Carrageenan, which gives a firm, brittle texture. Vanilla Mayonnaise and artichokes. The plate arrives and the liquorice bark is grated over the salmon and olive oil is drizzled over. Smooth fish and tender gel. The vanilla mayonnaise adds to the satin feel of the whole dish.

Pigeon – Surprisingly this dish reminds me of Christmas. Must be the smell and taste of the pigeon and spices from the kitchen back when I was in training. The texture of the pigeon black pudding has a nice slight bounce but tender. Should be from the pickling of the meat, I think…again. Overall, flavourful and satisfying.

Hot Iced Tea – Yet another signature, which has become somewhat of a classic for Heston. Where one side is chilled and the other is warm. Really cool.

Mrs Marshall’s Margaret cornet – This next course, comes with a pamphlet explaining when and by whom the first iced cream was really invented. It is a good read. Then the cornet, which is designed with much detail is served. Sweet and slightly salty. Smooth and crisp.

Pine sherbet fountain – A small paper cup arrives with a vanilla pod straw. It contains a kinda sherbet powder.

Mango and douglas fir puree – Ok, people who know me well enough should know that I seriously detest the texture, taste and smell of Mango. I guess it will not be too nice if I explained it, so I should and will keep it to myself.

But here, I try it anyway, because it’s The Fat Duck!!! The mango is not too strong in flavour, and it is on a Lychee Bavarois. Overall, it goes well together, and the texture of the Bavarois is really good. But I still do not like MANGO!

Parsnip cereal – The first part of our breakfast for the evening begins. We are presented with a little box that contains a packet of cereal. I guess, the root is sliced horizontally and dehydrated. If this is the case, then it explains the sweet note, which a parsnip naturally has. Eaten as per a normal breakfast cereal. Light in taste and delicate in texture.

Eggs – The famous nitro scramble eggs with toast. The waiter arrives with a grill stove, a pot, and a tray of eggs. The eggs are all branded with The Fat Duck logo. The eggs seem heavier than regular chicken eggs. The true magic is when he cracks it open – the liquid appears to be a beaten egg mixture. Amazing. It is then “scrambled” with LN2.

It is served together with a pain perdu, perfectly caramelized and tender in the centre, a crisp bacon slice, and an Earl Grey Tea jelly which resembles raw egg white. Again, another dish which deceives the sight.

Petits fours – Mandarin aerated chocolate, Violet tartlet, Carrot and orange lolly

Yet another excellent dining experience brought to a whole other level. 3 Michelin stars, Check!

After the 2 days of Ramsay’s Haute Cuisine and The Fat Duck’s Heston Cuisine, we prepare ourselves for Michel and Alain Roux’s Waterside Inn. Another 3 Star Michelin restaurant. Here the setting is calm, as we dine in for lunch where the restaurant has an open view of the River Thames. Some guests even arrive in their boats which dock directly in front of the restaurant.

Elegant classic setting, where the food is not handled too much. Another style of cuisine that balances up our UK culinary expedition.

Diners are invited to sit at the terrace and start of with drinks and canapés before their meal. So we relax at the terrace, snacking on canapés, sipping champagne, watching the ducks and occasional boats go by. That’s a holiday!

We are escorted to our table at the restaurant and order the Menu Exceptionnel.  We have a nice table which allows us a lovely view of the Thames and nature around.

Foie Gras – I start with a foie gras terrine with Fig chutney and almonds. Smooth, tender and straight to the point.

Mango – Bernadette has the Langoustine and crab with mango. I do not try for obvious reasons. She says it’s nice and fresh. So I’ll leave it as that.

Scallop – I have the seared scallop & einkorn risotto with sorrel and white truffle shavings. Nicely cooked scallops with the flavourful risotto.

Lobster – Lobster medallions with white port and ginger. Somehow the taste reminds us of home cooking. “Hao you jiang”, which is ginger and oyster sauce. Hmmm…

Sorbet – A ball of icy sorbet of rose arrives to get us ready for the mains.

Duck – Challandais duck with lemon confit, thyme jus and a puffy ducky on the side. Sadly the duck is a little over cooked, but the overall flavour is good.

Lamb – Bernie has the roasted lamb loin with pine nuts, served with aubergine confit and saffron jus.

Sweets – I have a plate of a trio of desserts, a smooth pistachio crème brulee, chocolate parfait with MANGO and a raspberry parfait.  Bernie tries the raspberry soufflé, light, flavourful, neither too sweet nor tannic.

End – We then “retire” back to the terrace for coffee and tri stand of Classic French Mignardises and ended the afternoon admiring the calm scenery and ducks.

After 3 huge fine cuisine sittings, it is time to enjoy some good old English Pub Food. What will a “Great British Feast” be like without experiencing pub food? And what better way to do it while in Bray, than to visit The Hinds Head, Heston’s Pub situated just metres away from The Fat Duck. He bought it a few years back.

The Hinds Head actually used to be a hotel way back, and even welcomed members of the royal family as guests. Prince Philip even staged his stag night here. So as you can tell, it’s a place of rich history. The young wait staff even tells us the about the rumoured sightings of the infamous “white lady” at the Hinds Head. Anyway…… Some dishes served are taken from Heston’s “In Search of Perfection” TV series. So it is great to sample some of them.

Devil – We try the Devils on Horseback snack first. It’s a hot traditional English snack, where a date puree is rolled with bacon and seared through till crisp. Sweet salty note.

Oyster – We also try the fresh Colchester oysters, which is on a salty note and slightly creamy.

P&H – Pea & Ham soup. Rich in flavour with a smoky note. The best part is it is not too thick.

Fish – I had to try the fish pie which is from his Perfection Series. The pie is served slightly over the warm note, about 50degrees, so as not to overcook the fish. This leaves it nice and tender, topped with fried breadcrumbs and seafood foam. I must say, it is nice.

Pot – We also have a Lancashire Hotpot, which is composed of braised lamb topped with sliced potatoes and it has an oyster in it. The young wait staff explains that the oyster is added for tradition’s sake. Back in the day, oysters were cheaper then lamb so the hotpot use to contain oysters and a little lamb. Interesting isn’t it?

Tart – Another from Heston’s Perfection Series, Treacle Tart with milk ice cream. I remember, this was the episode where he made ice cream from freshly squeezed cow’s milk in the milking shed with dry ice!! It is nice and chewy, sweet. Not so keen on the milk ice cream though. Must be that scene of the ice cream making. An interesting note, The Hinds Head has a rich food and wine tradition. It used to be quite famous for Treacle Tart back in the day, like in the 1960’s. Even when the queen once dined there, she was served this famed tart.

[View all the photos from the entire "Feast" here]