» Mandarin Oriental Hotel Paris Le-McKernan Images

mini-blog: Eating Our Way Around the Best of London and Paris . . .

This is work in progress & still in DRAFT mode . . . . please be patient. (August 2017)

Please note that there are no advertisements, no sponsored links, and not even a Facebook LIKE button on this site. In short, this website is neither governed nor influenced by commercial interests. Without exceptions, all travels and related expenses are paid for by ourselves (or by our dinner companions). Moreover, we do NOT receive any perks, advantages, endorsements, and/or discounts from the travel blogs. As such, all opinions/ viewpoints/ recommendations/ critiques featured on this site are wholly our own and are not influenced by commercial interests.

Editor’s Note: This site is created for our families and friends and is a way for us to share our travel experiences with them; this site is not intended to be a ‘foodie site’ (therefore there won’t be any culinary rhapsody or technical gawking). We had such an amazing tasting adventure during our travels around London and Paris that I thought this experience merits a mini-blog in its own right. This mini has 2 sections: the first is a photo essay purely on The Fat Duck whereas the second part explores the many delightful bites from both sides of the English Channel.

The Fat Duck:

A meal at The Fat Duck is a journey in and of itself. The journey is based on a childhood memory of going on a holiday to the seaside and to the woods. The meal represents a single day in this nostalgic adventure. To assist us through this journey, the Fat Duck provides a map which is also our menu as we meander our way thru the 17 courses over 4.5 hours. Our compass on this journey is our senses: sight, smell, sound, touch and taste.

Journey Stage 1: getting ready

Course 1: A Change of Air

A choice of alcoholic refreshers to fortify the adults before disembarking on a summer holiday to the shores!

Course 2: beetroot macaroon with a sweetish savoury horseradish creamy filling

Course 3: Just the Tonic!

Smoked cumin Royal Jerusalem artichoke ice cream in a bed of herbs reminiscent of a G&T

Journey Stage 2: Breakfast

Course 4:

Course 5:

Deceptively simple yet crazy-complex breakfast cereal: the brain expects normal grain cereal in milk but the taste bud gets a savoury FULL ENGLISH with undeniable bacon, baked beans, and eggs. The texture on the tongue is a light and airy crunch but the aroma assaulting the nose is a deeply hearty and smoky bacon. Unbelievably weird but respectfully wonderful …. and as if Heston isn’t done playing with our senses, ‘hot-cold coffee’ is served during which we were advised to drink the concoction in one swoop during which one part of the mouth is embraced with a warm sensation whereas the other half experiences a cool summer drink.

Journey Stage 3: At the Seaside

Course 6: Believe it or not, the ice lolly (at the top) is Heston’s re-imagined Waldorf Salad (!)

Course 7:

The famous course …. If I am honest, I was prepared for the ‘gimmick’ (e.g. listening to the sound of waves crashing into the beach) and therefore perhaps I had a lower expectation for this dish. But I was wrong — it was exceptional despite the gimmick. Every bite was an explosion of genuine sea flavours accompanied by the texture of the sea (eg. sand, foam, etc.). If I could lick this plate without embarrassment, then I would!

Course 8:

Journey Stage 4: Walking Thru the Woods

Course 9: Damping Through the Boroughgroves …

Journey Stage 5: Time for Dinner

Course 10: Mock Turtle Soup

... and then the Main Event:

Course 11: the Starters

Lobster

Snail Porridge

Course 12: the Primary Dishes

Turbot

lamb

Course 13: Desserts ….

Course 14: Digestif

Journey Stage 6: Off to Bed

Course 15: Fluffy pillows floating on a flying pillow ….

Journey Stage 6: Dreamland

Course 16:

Course 17: finally, off to the Sweet Shop

Verdict:

Whist some of the whizz-bang wonderfulness of the meal is a little gimmicky, all special effects employed tie back to the original goal of getting us to experience the meal thru our senses of sight, smell, sound, touch and taste. And, as I have now completed this journey, I would also add ‘imagination‘ to the list.

Although the meal spans multiple courses, at the end of journey, I was happily replete. It appears that The Fat Duck engineered the meal so that it feeds the senses first and foremost so that the stomach is not overloaded and laden. The end result is: Perfection. Succinctly, I’ve eaten very well but did not feel overburdened.

Some writers have opined on the morality of the costs of a Fat Duck meal. I acknowledge this position, but, I would argue that a meal at The Fat Duck is not just ‘a meal’. It is an interactive theatre (between the diner and the chef as well as between the diner and his/her companions) that spans 4-5 hours. The front-of-house service operates as flawlessly as a professional ballet production. The technical expertise front & back of the house is as demanding as any West End musical production. Therefore, in appreciation of the hugely technical and professional skills set required to produce each sitting, I think the costs associated with this is fair value. Especially as this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

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Overall Assessment from this trip:

Covering meals from Le Gavroche (Mayfair), Heston’s Dinner (Mandarin Oriental Hotel London), Camelia Restaurant (Paris), City Social (Tower42), and others:

This is super difficult as some of these dishes are simply unique and incomparable. Moreover, the selection is highly personal as the experience is subjective to mood, time, and context. As such, reviewing a ‘fine dining experience’ is as similar as reviewing a theatre experience — and with all the pitfalls and caveats! For example, the 2003 Theatre Royal production of Ibsen’s Brand consistently ranks in Bruce’s Top 3. Although I’ve seen the production along with Bruce in exactly the same environment, this production would barely break my Top 50! The other thing to note is the volume of exceptionally delicious dishes means that the bell curve skews the ranking. Some dishes that would normally rank highly on a normal day are not in the top tier in this assessment. (Sorry ‘Old Spots Ribs’ at the Hawksmoor Borough — you were absolutely delicious but you just can’t compete against Thierry Marx’s exceptional dishes at the Camelia Restaurant!)

Top Tier: Almost Spiritual

Camelia Restaurant (Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Paris). A very memorable plate from this trip! This is surprising wonderful because it so simple and clean. The combination of sweet tomatoes and strawberries with soft cheese and a light vanilla-esque dressing is unimaginably delicious!

CALAMARI RISONI – with squid ink, tagliatelle of cuttlefish, crunchy vegetables

Another triumph from Camelia Restaurant! This was simply stunning. The saltiness of the Parmesan cheese shaving complimented the earthiness of the risotto and the smooth texture of the cuttlefish tagliatelle.

Dinner at Mandarin Oriental Hotel: everyone at the table had a taste of the Meat Fruit and all were in agreement that it was a show-stopper! The chicken liver was incredibly smooth and the sweetness and tang from the ‘mandarin’ shell just added another depth and oomph which complimented the richness of the uber-buttered toast. The main plate was a spiced squab and it was cooked to just pink perfection. The dessert was a boooooozy ‘Tipsy Tart’ and it hit just the right note in terms of punch and in terms of lightness. Wonderful meal.

City Social: Pea Tartlet – both light (pastry) and hearty (smoked haddock) tartlet to start off a wonderful meal.

City Social also scored another ACE with it’s amazing Rum Babba…..

2nd Tier: Memorably Delicious in Every Way

Another Camelia triumph … This suckling pig delight is just on the cusp of breaking thru to the 1st Tier ranking. But on balance, it is slightly better than the near flawless duck from Le Gavroche but just a shade shy of exquisiteness to tip this dish into the top rank!