The Fat
Duck, June 2009
Having observed the meteoric rise of The Fat Duck and Mr
Blumenthal since his very early days when he was being touted as the ‘next big
thing’ by the trade press & foodie journalists alike. My admiration for the
man, his methodology & ideas on how food appears to him has rarely waned,
often collecting articles & recipes to try & absorb his thinking. Even
during the much publicised noro virus outbreak which would have certainly sent
many restaurants to the wall my belief that the Fat Duck rightly held the place
as one of the top restaurants in the world.
Much has changed, gone has the jasmine crème
brulee and in comes the much lorded egg & bacon ice cream, the Fat Duck
restaurant clearly has become a well lubricated machine indeed.
Much is often made in the press at obtaining a table at
such restaurants; the Fat Duck is no different. They take bookings 2 calendar
months in advance & even then you must be quick on the phone. This is were
the similarities end with other top end restaurants. At 10 am sharp I was
through to reservations & then immediately put on hold, not to some nasty
muzak which would belong in a 70’s porn film, but somebody reading extracts
from Alice in wonderland. How refreshing and an insight to the whole
experience, even if it was 2 months away. After a not unplesant wait, I put
through to a lovely lady who guided me through the booking process, credit card
details, dietary requirements etc & an email address. Strange I thought,
but not wanting to pass up on potential first peeks at some of Heston’s new
creations I duly had one over.
The days passed & with about 10 days to go ‘Miss’ discovered
my cunning plan. Like a child I spilt the beans, no matter I thought it’ll
still be a great trip. Then I remembered that ‘Miss’ has 1 or 2 food issues
(foie gras being one), no problem. I emailed the reservations email &
explained the situation.
The meal was for ‘Miss’s birthday & how she wasn’t
fond of some foods, then a stroke of genius & major opportunity for brownie
points. Would it be possible to have a signed menu for her (they must get asked
this all the time, so I wasn’t pinning much hope on it)?
The next day I received a call from the very same lady in
reservations, just confirm the dietary requirements & ‘Miss’s name so it
wouldn’t be a problem for the menu.
Eventually the big day arrived; we landed in the tiny
village of Bray on a bright sunny day ready for our gastronomic adventure.
Upon entering the
restaurant, we were shown to our table. Now I understand the economics of how
the restaurant industry works, but when I dine at places like the Fat Duck I
would like to feel a little bit of space rather than getting the feeling that I
was almost joining the next table for lunch as well. Both ‘Miss’ & I were
slightly irritated by the fact that our chairs were nudged & knocked by the
adjacent tables when they decided to go to freshen up.
After nearly 50minutes of waiting proceedings finally
commenced, we had chosen the tasting menu (which can come with wine flights
priced at 3 different levels starting at £90 per person & escalating from
there). A Highly polished wooden bench was dragged to our table (this would
grow to become tiresome for the next 4 hours) and the show would begin.
First up is the famous ‘Nitro- poached lime & green
tea mousse’, the mousse is dispensed from a pressurised canister on to a spoon
which is then poached in liquid nitrogen at the table. The effect is amazing,
the mousse hardens on the outside but is soft in the middle (not unlike a
meringue). As with most of Mr Blumenthal’s work, it is for a reason. The
main flavours of the mousse are there to
cleanse the palate and so start with a blank canvas.
Next was the just as famous ‘Red cabbage gazpacho &
grain mustard ice cream’, I remember reading about this dish many years ago and
just being dazzled at the different train of thought – an ice cream that could
be savoury? How did his customers accept this at first? Needless to say it was
amazing, to the point where there wasn’t enough of it. The easiest way to
describe the combination is, make coleslaw with a good dollop of wholegrain
mustard in it then really chill it and you’re somewhere close. Really
refreshing and ideal as it was nearly 30 degrees C outside.
The team at the Fat Duck were really starting to get into
their stride at this point and the theatre of effects was to be taken up yet
another notch. A wooden bed of moss was placed in the centre of the table, we
were then given a small bowl each (containing quail jelly, langoustine cream,
foie gras parfait) & a wooden block which had a piece of toast with 3 ½
slices of radish topped with chervil.
We were invited to then place a piece of edible film on
the tip of our tongues which gave off a oaky aroma, the waiter then poured a
clear liquid (I’d like to say water, but very possible not as with Alice
nothing was quite as it seemed) onto the bed of moss which then also gave off a
slightly weaker scent of the forest. Whilst the individual components of the
dish were very good, by the end of the course my palate was so confused. The quail
jelly & foie gras was a complex and outstanding dish in its own right with
the multi layers of flavour (all of which were very rich) it didn’t require the
truffle toast, which in turn certainly didn’t need the radish (although this
may have been part of the homage to the 3 Michelin starred chef Alain Chapel).
After a slight pause, came the moment that ‘Miss’ had
been dreading, the famous Snail porridge.
The most immediate thing that strikes you is the smell of
the delight that waits in store, it’s a very intense almost
Bovril/Marmite/Twiglet aroma, as the large plate is placed in front of you.
This for me, is classic Heston. The imagination for the
idea, sourcing of ingredients, the execution the dish I feel is the most synonymous
with the Fat Duck. The Snails were plump, delicate not at all like the rubbery
things I’d had to prize out a shell in a Beef Eater as a child. The porridge
itself is more akin to a runny herb risotto with predominantly flat parsley being
the main flavour, giving you sense that if the snails were still alive that
this is what they’d be eating. This was all topped with wafer thin shavings of
dressed fennel which just added a delightful lift to the dish. This was one of
the dishes I was looking forward to the most, it didn’t disappoint. Just with
this dish alone it was easy to see how the Fat Duck had won the plaudits it
had, my only critsisum; is that there isn’t enough of it is the tasting menu
after all.
Next up was the Roast Foie Gras “Benzaldehyde” with
almond fluid gel, cherry & camomile. Now I don’t know what Benzaldehyde is,
but it sounds like something that Damien Hirst would be pickling sheep in. So
in a way I was a little dismayed when it arrived, that it was food that I could
identify with. The foie gras looked like foie gras as I knew it, topped with a
crust of finely chopped chives, camomile; surrounded by a solitary griottine
(with a vanilla stalk), a swipe of cherry puree & an almond fluid gel. The
almond fluid gel was just like a puree, very smooth, delicate, and not the
usual pairing with foie gras at all yet it all came together so well combining
the delicate tones of the foie gras topping with its richness. ‘Miss’
unfortunately isn’t a fan of roasted foie gras after a small incident earlier
in the year at Gidleigh Park. So the kitchen staff kindly exchanged her foie
gras from roasted cepes, all in all very nice but less successful on the
flavour pairing front.
We were some way into tasting menu at this stage and yet
another Alice in wonderland moment was upon us as we were presented with a
large conch shell with some earphones casually dangling from the cavity,
attached to an iPod. This was soon to be followed by the now infamous “Sounds
of the Sea”, again another dish that only Mr Blumenthal could pull off,
instigating memories from yesteryear & playing on Blackpool beach as a
child. The waitress kindly informed us that she would explain the dish on her
return after we had finished. The food element of the dish was made up into 3
parts, the sand, the flotsam & the tidal surf, all of which was edible.
The sand had a sand like texture when you ate it yet was
pleasantly appealing with a slight fish sauce hint to it. The flotsam was awash
with pieces of raw tuna, mackerel & seaweed, again spankingly fresh just to
finish the illusion off the tidal surf tasted of that slight ozone sense you get
from the beach on a warm day. I have read that Mr Blumenthal & his team can
take years developing dishes, and after this I’m not surprised. The recording
of the soundtrack which plays on the iPod, lapping of the waves, the seagulls
etc just adds to the very surreal dining experience.
We now entered with trepidation with what we both felt
was the worst dish in the whole experience, “Salmon poached in liquorice gel”.
So far, throughout the meal the level of thought that has been involved in the
designing, sourcing & execution of the dishes has been apparent, until now.
I can categorically say that this is the worst dish I
have ever eaten at this level. Ill conceived & poorly executed, it is
bland, oily, lack of seasoning & no coherence of flavours at all.
The Salmon had been cooked at low temperature in the
liquorice gel so when it is plated it has a chemise coating, which when broken
to reveal the Salmon inside comes away like a jelly. The Salmon its self had
the slight apperence of being semi raw flaked away to reveal beautiful opaque
flakes.
The problem with this dish is that it lacked depth, I don’t
want to eat warm mayonnaise as it makes me think that it’s been left out on the
side in a very hot kitchen, drizzling ‘Manni Olive oil’ over the dish didn’t
help either, it added nothing other than more oil to an already greasy
situation. It was only the separated pieces of the pink grapefruit that did
anything to close to saving this dish by cutting through the oily richness.
Needless to say neither of us finished this course.
The main course soon rolled into sight, Ballontine of
Anjou pigeon, black pudding (made to order), spiced juices. This is of all the
dishes we had had so far, the most ‘normal’ (for want of a better word). The
pigeon was cooked to perfection, lovely & pink casually garnished with
caramelised baby onions. The made to order black pudding came in the form of smear
down the centre of the plate, again accurately judged with the balance of the
dish, which was given some texture with what could only be described as pigeon
scented prawn cracker.
The next attack on our senses came in the form of Hot
& Iced Tea (2005). A Glass vessel
was placed in front of us, which quite frankly looked like it had escaped from
the experimental lab across the road. It was a clear liquid which looked like a
lightly brewed cup of tea which was waiting for some milk. Again not really
knowing what to expect, I took a sip. On the left hand side of the glass was
hot tea as most people would know it, but on the right hand side was iced tea.
Absolute genius, the only clue that slightly gave the game away was the
slightly thicken viscosity of the teas to stop them mixing. This was what was
need at this point in the proceedings as my palate was becoming a little jaded.
Thankfully, Mrs Marshall’s cornet was little relief for
the next course. Small in size but packing big flavours of Apple & ginger,
a pinch of salt on the top to counter the sweet ice cream made from one of the
earliest recipes that could be found. All according to the little pamphlet you
are given to read before its arrival.
With all the quiet serious elements of the experience at
the Fat Duck, Mr Blumenthal never loses sight of the fact that food should be
fun. His Pine Sherbet Fountain (pre hit) is a case in point.
Again he plays on your memories as a child, but all the
time it is serving a purpose. The sherbet whilst fun, is actually cleansing
& revitalising your plate readying it for the next onslaught of bizarre
flavour combinations. The Pine sherbet itself has that slightly acidic grasp to
it, yet leaves you wanting more. Again as with all things Fat Duck, nothing is
as it seems, the straw for the fountain is a dried vanilla pod.
Now came the first of the many dessert courses, Bavarois
of Lychee & Mango with Blackcurrant sorbet. This clearly comes from the
more traditional repertoire of the kitchen team. On one side of the plate was a
small oblong of brilliant white lychee bavarois topped with a mango jelly,
which was dotted with some small jellies (which also made an appearance around
the plate as well). There was also a perfect roche of blackcurrant sorbet,
topped with a dainty dentelle & the plate was completed with a line & a
large blob of mango & Douglas fir puree just to give the dish some
coherence. The bavarois was so light & delicate, yet the flavours were so
clean as was the sorbet, then the surprise of the jellies kicked in. This took
the dish to another level, highly spiced (think chilli or schwann pepper) they
just added an imaginative edge to an already excellent dish.
Yet again Mr Blumenthal redirects you back, possibly to
your child hood for the next dessert course. You are presented with a duck egg
blue box about the size of Kellogg’s individual portion paks with the Fat Duck
logo on it with ‘Fat Duck Cereals’ underneath as the only clue as to what comes
next.
Inside is a tiny packet of parsnip cornflakes and a jug
parsnip milk is then present at the table.
Truly imaginative, the slight sweetness of the dried parsnips
lends itself to the whole dish so well.
Unfortunately we were coming to the end of our gastronomic
adventure, but yet again the little wooden table made an appearance & a
small flambé stove was placed on it. What happen next just defied belief, so
was probably just as well I filmed it.
The ‘Nitro Egg & Bacon Ice Cream’ was just about
finished when out came the pain perdu with tomato jam & a sweetened bacon
crisp. For all intense purposes it was Heston’s take on breakfast.
Again this was a bit of a hit & miss dish, the ice
cream was excellent, tomato jam – really good. Then the down sides, the bacon
crisp- way too sweet & the pain perdu too doughy. But as with all things
Fat Duck the level of imagination is from another planet.
So after 4 ½ hours in the world of Heston Blumenthal
& his team, was it worth it?
As an event yes, would I go again? Yes, would I have the
tasting menu? No, is it the best dining experience I’ve ever had? No.
There is no doubting the talent & imagination on
display at the Fat Duck, but there are too many elements which let it down. The
room is too small, the tables are to close together, the Salmon dish is appalling
and the wait before we even got anything to eat all started to sour the
experience. The friendliness and the dedication of the staff go some way to
balancing the little niggles as does the autographed copy of the tasting menu for each of us (in a sealed envelope) .
At £350 for two it isn’t cheap, we had a modest bottle of
wine at £45 (I was glad to see that the restaurant had accommodated those of us
that couldn’t quite stretch to the £6950 Petrus, with a decent selection under
£40 per bottle).