Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London

Website here. Nearest tube station: Knightsbridge. Full set of Flickr photos: Here



OK - first things first. The real reason we actually found the courage to book a table here was because of the Set Lunch Menu available only on weekdays from 12-2pm. The most important feature of this Set Menu was the Set Price of £28 for 3 courses. As I didn't fancy taking out a short-term loan from Wonga for the purpose of this lunch, this was pretty much the closest we'd ever get to eating anything that comes out from a Heston Blumenthal kitchen.



Of all the things we could've done with our free, unemployed daytime, we chose to do this. Yes, it has been my dream for many years to be able to take advantage of all these mouth-watering, money-saving lunch deals that seem to taunt most decent, wage-earning people stuck in an office from 9am to 5pm. Deals which do not exist when these hard-working people leave the office, and deals which never are valid at weekends. (Yes, I also understand why this is so, but never you mind.)



So, in our first week of free-time-dom, we put on our finest finery and got ourselves on the Tube towards Knightsbridge. I'd never been into the Mandarin Oriental before, so those really grand doors were really quite imposing and a little intimidating.



Thing is, though, everyone at that hotel is just so friendly. From the doorman to the lady at Dinner's reception counter thing, to every single one of the waiting staff who served us during lunch. All so very friendly, very welcoming, and always ready with a pleasant little chat whenever they came to our table. Rarely had I ever encountered such genuinely pleasant and warm waiting staff from 'posh' restaurants like this one.



This possibly contributed towards the first time I'd ever felt like wanting to actually pay the 10% discretionary service charge added on to the bill. Heck, why not even 12.5%.

Plus, they have jelly mould lights.

There wasn't much point in debating what to order because there was only 2 items to choose from per course, and since we were going to try every one, we just kinda said to the waitress "One of every item, please". And, because we'd seen it on telly many times before, we decided to order the Meat Fruit too (more on this later). With nothing much else to do in between ordering and waiting for the food to arrive, I looked wistfully out the window at the orange autumn leaves scattered all over Hyde Park.

They really should do more sweeping.

As with all good restaurants, complimentary posh bread.

Or as I call it, "A Minute On The Lips, And Somehow Things Don't Fit."

Now before you think I'm being all mathematical with my circa this and that, the numbers after each dish represent the year in which the recipe or dish was first discovered. Or so I'm told.

Lemon salad (c.1730) Goat's curd, Buckler Sorrel & Raisins

OK this was not a good start to the meal, but luckily this was not representative of the items yet to be tasted. Blame my unsophisticated tastebuds, but to me, this tasted like some goats cheese had been whacked on a plate, drizzled with some lemony tangy drizzle and made a little more interesting with some plump, juicy raisins. Finished it all anyhow. Like I was gonna leave any of it unfinished - come on ... it would have cost easily £15 or so if it wasn't on the set menu so I was gonna inhale every bit of it even it it did taste like goats cheese on a plate. Which it was.

Ragoo of Pigs Ears (c.1750) Anchovy, Onions and Parsley

Now I really liked this. Earthy, very full-flavoured, and interestingly crunchy yet soft - this tasted like something very familiar. I've had pigs ears before but never like this. The Chinese method of serving pigs ears is usually either the cold, stewed version of it sliced finely, or in some sort of (disgusting) jellied terrine. This version was surprising and introduced a very refreshing spin on a part of the pig so commonly overlooked. It went ridiculously well with the thick, absorbent and chewy slice of bread sat comfortably underneath the saucy mountain of ear slices.

OK OK - now comes the exciting bit. I mean, come on, this IS Heston Blumenthal's restaurant. And come on, I HAD to try it. So, don't get too excited (I know I did), but here it is.

The MEAT FRUIT.

Meat Fruit (c.1500) Mandarin, Chicken Liver Parfait and Grilled Bread £14.50

Possible like every other person before me (and after), I'd ordered this simply because I'd seen it on Heston's Feasts programme and it looked so darned good. The chicken liver parfait ball is dipped in a jelly infused with mandarin puree (recipe here) before it's left to set and cool.

Had to give it a squeeze. Come on - you would've done the same. It just looked so ... squeezable. You'd be pleased to know that it did not maintain the original shape after being squeezed, and sat there forlornly looking quite squashed so we quickly ate it.

Because as some people always like to say (and I am NOT one of them) - you eat with your eyes first or something along those lines - I had expected the parfait to taste of something orange. Or at least a hint of orange. But nope. I know the recipe said mandarin puree, and it's been written on other places about this being a mandarin chicken liver parfait but I didn't manage to taste any citrus in it. Not a criticism because who am I to criticise this genius of a chef who can pummel me with his Michelin star, but just sayin'.

Aside from that, it sure tasted good. In fact, MORE than good. Good-er?

It tasted like a hundred chickens had been put into this dish. It was meaty, it was intensely smooth, it was so many things. And it was the best chicken liver parfait I'd ever had.

Smothered on to the delicious piece of toast, this was not only a fabulous specimen of a starter, but, dare I say it - it was almost worth the £14.50 we paid for it. Portion-wise, nothing to complain about. Taste-wise, definitely nothing to complain about. Price-wise ... hey, I'll always complain about the price so let's be realistic and leave it at that.

Sure is a popular dish.

Cured Salmon (c.1670) Beetroot, Sea Aster and Olive Oil

Part-way through chewing on this, the husband and I consulted one another on what we thought of the dish. It's tough trying to look like you're thinking, while munching, so with quite an amusing-yet-thoughtful look on his face, he said something along the lines of "Mmm. Mmm mm ... mmmmm?"

Where as I went, "I think it's good, but I prefer the texture of the one we had at Casa Mia" (bearing in mind that it's a completely different dish, made by completely different chefs, and so cannot possibly be compared but hey).

This salmon was lovely and fresh, with natural sweetness and a lovely flaky texture to it, with the texture slowly changing towards the middle of the piece of fish. Thing is, unlike the poached version we had at Casa Mia, where I really liked the spongy, resistant texture of the fish, I couldn't really tell the difference in texture in the different bits of this fish.

Even though I could tell by looking at it that the textures were meant to be different, I just couldn't distinguish the difference when chewing on it. So, while it tasted nice and all, perhaps it didn't quite achieve what it set out to achieve? Or maybe I'm just being over-analytical on a piece of fish. Such pretentious behaviour really has no place on this blog. I shall shut up on the topic of fish.



Bath Chaps (c.1860) Savoy Cabbage, Lardo, Ham hock and Robert broth

Lardo and Robert Broth sound like quite fun guys, don't they.

This dish was easily my favourite of all the items we had. It was simple to eat, and it had all my favourite things in it.

Meat - yup. Cabbage - yes please. Delicious gravy which tasted like it contained all the best intense meaty juices of the last century condensed into one tablespoon of gravy goodness - uh huh. And as an added bonus, the texture of the meat was tender and yet chewy.

Prune & Tamarind Tart (c.1720)

You know how if you've been presented with loads and loads of amazing, tap-dancing gold fish, and suddenly a 'common' goldfish is just not so impressive anymore? Yes, that is indeed described commonly as 'being spoiled'.

Which is exactly how I felt when this was brought out. I don't know what I was expecting but it sure wasn't a slice of what looked like creme brulee in triangular form. But this is being rather harsh on a dish so lovingly created by the chefs working hard behind the glass-covered kitchen so just disregard all that I've said in the paragraph above.

The sugar-crust thing did crack when tapped on like a creme brulee, and the consistency of the tart filling was creamy and thick like in a creme brulee. And while the taste of it was also slightly creamy with a hint of rich egg like a creme brulee - this tart had a base to it which no creme brulee has ever had.

We finished it, we enjoyed it, and it was not creme brulee.

Orange Buttered Load (c.1630) Mandarin & thyme sorbet

Also described as 'Husband's Favourite Dessert Of All Time Except For His Mam's Apple Crumble Which Cannot Ever Be Relegated'.

Mmm warm and squishy and all things comforting - this was deliciousness in a loaf. Bready and soaked through and through with all things citrusy, every spoonful yielded the most tantalising, tangy mouthful of doughy goodness imaginable. And then, like a little burst of sunshine, the sorbet with its curiously-sweet-yet-slightly-indescribable-but-wonderful taste cleansed the palate to ready it for the comforting orange buttered loaf again.

Maybe it was because we looked like we weren't full enough (if the belly-rub isn't a universal sign of being full, I don't know what is), or maybe we were just nice to the waitress that day, they brought over this little cup of chocolate mousse infused with Earl Grey Tea.

Which I couldn't say no to. So here we go again.

It was amazing. It was like molten chocolate which somehow someone had managed to blend in with some Earl Grey Tea. I finished it. Very full. Can't type.

The Athenaeum (Toptable deal), 116 Piccadilly, Mayfair, London W1J 7BJ

If you'd read the previous post, you might recall that we tried to sort out a whole civilised tea / theatre day out but because the theatre bit couldn't be booked, we had to settle for tea and then dinner instead. And since we were going to get all dressed up for the theatre, surely we had to get all dressed up for this replacement dinner too. And if we were going to dress up for dinner, we had to go somewhere nice.

However, somewhere nice doesn't always equate to 'blow the budget' so we decided, like a lot of Londoners do, to go for a Toptable deal at a posh nosh restaurant instead. As we'd previously dined at The Athenaeum restaurant before (and loved it), we decided to go there again.

Toptable offer: Love Food Give Food - 3 courses and a glass of champagne £29.50 from a set menu

This hotel is located a little off the beaten path. That isn't to say it's not right smack in the middle of town, because it is. It's just that it's a little off the touristy path, although, ironically, it's also quite close to Hard Rock Cafe by Green Park station / Hyde Park Corner station. With most posh hotels (this one is 5 stars), there is usually a sense of 'Oh dear, I hope I don't drink the handwash water' faux pas extravaganza worry, but with the lovely waiting staff at this hotel, they sure know how to put their diners at ease. I felt immediately comfortable when sat down at the table, although I'm sure the cosy surroundings and plush seats helped too.

It wasn't just with us either, because although we did come in at a time when there weren't any other diners and so, could make as much noise as we wanted before we settled down, the waiting staff were just as friendly, in a kind way, to all the other diners who came in after us. Pleasant, with just enough chat so as to put us at ease, and always at hand to fill up our glasses with tap water (I know! They serve tap water, the darlings.)



The restaurant interior feels very comfortable, with just the right amount of posh to keep us feeling quite special for the evening. Couples get allocated to the private booths while bigger groups get the comfortable side tables. From the moment we sat down to when we left, we had about 2 waiting staff constantly at hand, making us feel looked after.



Oh yes, and did I mention they have a very wide, and very good, selection of whiskies? Husband was very pleased.



The first thing that was brought to the table, even before the menu, was this bread bag. The cherry seeds at the bottom of the sack which were quite warm kept the bread rolls nice and warm for quite a while, and the butter and sea salt was the perfect accompaniment to the soft and fluffy bread. My personal favourite was the olive bread.



The menu for the Toptable offer. Since we'd taken up the 3 courses and a glass of champagne for £29.50 deal, we went all out with the starter, main course and of course, the pud too.



Starter 1: Cream of broccoli and stilton soup

Portion size was perhaps enough to feed one person as a main. Not that we were complaining, but if you were the kind of person who couldn't left your food unfinished, then you might be a tad full at the end of this meal. J who had it said it was very nice indeed. In fact, she'd had it before and ordered it again because she liked it so much.



Starter 2: Ham hock, kohlrabi, chervil and orange salad

Husband ordered this just because it had meat and he likes ham (we had ham hock at our wedding dinner though it didn't look like this version). He seemed quite disappointed with the shredded ham as I think he was looking forward to a chunky piece of meat to bite into, and so, sat there with a bit of a sulk - nibbling the julienned vegetables and ham, muttering to himself.

I, on the other hand, took a mouthful to try, and can say most objectively that it was quite pleasant, actually. The salty ham contrasted very well with the slight tang from the orange salad, and I quite liked the fact that it had been sliced fine rather than served in a chunk. That'll teach him not to order anything which says 'salad' in the description.



Starter 3: Home-cured spiced salmon, Asian salad and soy dressing

This was my starter and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It could've done with a bit less oil though, as it didn't seem to add any flavour to the dish, and left a rather unpleasant oily feel around my mouth. The fish was sliced quite thick which, to me, is always important with cured / smoked fish because if it's too thin, it's simply impossible to get the full benefit of the chewy smoked texture. It tasted somewhere in between smoked salmon and raw salmon; while the vegetable (a bit of mango in there) provided a good contrast to the chewiness. It was just the right amount too, as if there had been any more, it would've been a little overwhelming.



Complimentary amuse-bouche - Parsnip crisp and truffle mousse

Free stuff!!! Always like some free stuff. This wasn't any ol' free stuff. It was AMAZING free stuff. When the waiter put it down, he mentioned 'truffle' and when I said 'truffle what?' (trying to figure out what the white mousse-thing was), he said 'truffle' again, so either I didn't hear what he was saying, or he missed out a word in the description? I could taste earthy mushroom in the mousse-thing, so am guessing it's a mousse made with truffle. Parsnip crisp was perfectly crispy - fine line between crisp and just burnt. This was on the right side of the divide. The mousse was so unbelievable airy; it was like a floaty cloud of truffly goodness.



Main course 1: Seared English beef rump with green beans, herbed creamed potato and mustard jus

3 out of the 4 of us had this - must have been all the cake we had earlier which made us crave a bit of meat. I had mine rare, and they must have mixed the orders up as my dining companion's piece of steak looked a lot rarer than mine. But anyhow, it was cooked really well and for a rump cut, definitely tender and easy to eat. The mash was out of this world. Soft and creamy, with a hint of cream -I scoffed the lot. And as a final compliment to the chef (for this course), how did you make those green beans taste so good? Not only were they crunchy, yet soft (bewildering) but they managed to retain flavour! You are indeed a cooking genius.



Main course 2: Braised leg of rabbit, pearl barley and glazed carrots with a rabbit sauce

This was what J (the little rebel diner) had. We all had beef, she had rabbit. Now I've not had wabbit before, so she generously offered me a nibble. I said what no one should say of wabbit, and that was 'It tastes like chicken.'



Pudding 1: Lemon curd tart with chantilly cream and fresh berries

And since we'd already stretched our bellies quite a bit that day, we thought, why not have more pudding. Also, it came with the promotion set, so we'd be incredibly generous (and logical) to have said no to it.

Lemon curd was a very good way to slice through the grease from the earlier bits of the meal. With just the right amount of tang and zest to bring out the drool from the back of the mouth (you know what I mean), it was also creamy at the same time. The strawberries were amazingly sweet for this time of the year.



Pudding 2: Vanilla crème brûlée

My pud. Usually I try and pick the least indulgent dessert on offer, because I know my own lack of self-control when it comes to not finishing the whole thing. This time, however, I decided to go with the crème brûlée, which most possibly comprised my calorie intake for the month. It was worth it, though. Each mouthful was cloyingly creamy, with beautiful flecks of vanilla emersed throughout the dish. I just had to finish the whole thing, sugar crust by sugar crust. And when I was done, I nearly finished J's portion but I just about held myself back. Well done, me.

So, overall, a most enjoyable dining experience had here with some of the most pleasant waiting staff in the whole of London. Would recommend again and again.

Nearest tube: Green Park / Hyde Park Corner (hotel link)
Telephone number: 020 7499 3464

Bea's of Bloomsbury, 44 Theobald's Road, WC1X 8NW

Our good friends J&C have been, for a while, hankering after a good ol' afternoon tea. While we've previously been to Browns, and also had tea from various other establishments, I'd also been wanting to try it out at Bea's after hearing lots about it from D&A.



It all began in earnest. We wanted to have a civilised afternoon of tea and scones, followed by an evening of theatre (Wicked) at Apollo Victoria. Thing is, these plays get booked out months in advance, so by the time I'd finally persuaded myself that it was worth £60 watching some people sing in costumes (yes, I know it is more complexed than that, but it's a lot of money) the tickets had all but sold out. Well, the good ones which weren't behind a pillar anyway.



So, what next was best? Might as well go for more food hey (more on that in the next post). But first things first. We have tea to talk about.

(If you're the kind of person who likes to, say, actually experience the afternoon tea for yourself, you might want to stop reading because there won't be much left in terms of surprises once you're done here. Lots of details ahead.)



The cafe isn't huge, so it's best to book your place before getting there. We did our booking about a month in advance, but that was because we were trying to sort out the theatre thing at the same time, so I reckon a week's notice is probably OK. Anyhow, when you make the booking, you should mention what you're going for, ie the Full Afternoon Tea, because they have to set the table up and everything.



While waiting for our friends to arrive (we'd arrive about half an hour early - talk about being keen hey), the husband decided to order some coffee (more on that below).



First things first. The teas.

They do all sorts of tea - Assam Breakfast, Earl Grey Supreme, Darjeeling, Lapsang, Gunpowder Supreme Green Tea, Dragonwell Green Tea, Jasmine Silver Needle White Tea, Rooibos, Lemon Verbena, Peppermint Leaf, Blackcurrant and Hibiscus and Vanilla Black.



But if you don't like tea (you rebel), then you'd be pleased to know that they do coffee, too. Good coffee, in fact. From Square Mile. The husband is absolutely in love with Square Mile coffee. Five months ago, he didn't even drink coffee. Now look what it's come to.

We ordered the Macchiato (pic above) which was strong and very smooth. The Flat White was pretty fab too.



There weren't too many people in the cafe when we arrived around 1.30pm. One table was just finishing their tea, and a few other tables were having some scones, so I took the opportunity to have a wander round and take some pictures.

When our friends arrived, the waitress took our order and then returned a while later with 3 fully-stacked tiers of lovely stuff. Let's eat it one at a time, shall we?

The First One - Cupcakes, mini meringues, scones and macarons



My excitement level was so high, I almost wanted to stop taking photos and dive straight in.
I say 'almost', because I managed to control my greedy little fat fingers, so you, my little blog, gets to savour the pictures, if not the food.



This was another version on display by the counter (just for comparison).



Now, when faced with so many cakes and so little time, where does one begin? Let's start with the cupcakes, why not.

(Another note: The waitress did try to explain what was what when she brought the stuff over, but in my hunger-induced hysteria and excitement at seeing these beauties, I didn't hear anything she said so most of the stuff named below is as a result of guesswork and logic.)



Guesswork: Berry cupcake

This was one of the ones which wasn't eaten there and then (I know), so our friends took it home with them. I'm guessing it's a chocolate cake with berry icing, but I could very well be wrong.



Guess: Chocolate cupcake with peanut-butter icing

OK this one is an informed guess. We took it home with us and had it the next day. For a cake which had been left overnight in my kitchen, it tasted extremely good, and even managed to stay moist and chewy. The chocolate was rich and full of flavour, and the icing had such a delicate, subtle taste of peanut that even the peanut-hating husband scoffed it down without much complain.



Guess: Carrot cupcake with mascarpone icing

Oh my favourite cake of the day. I absolutely love carrot cake, and I loved this version. The cake was very moist and delightfully chewy - partly due to the cake having just the right amount of carrot in it, as well as the sprinkling of nuts which gave it a good bite. The icing was in fact ... the icing on the cake. Ha ha. The mascarpone wasn't too strong, and didn't overpower the delicate taste of the cake, but in fact, enhanced the flavour altogether.



Mini meringues

These little morsels were absolute delights. I'd previously bought the giant meringues from here, but found them to be quite a disappointment because they just crumbled when bit into. So, without much expectactations, I put my fork into one (trying to half it to be shared) but they were so sticky and chewy that my fork kinda remained stuck to it.



The meringues were slightly tangy (with the flavouring on top of them) and so wonderfully light, chewy and sticky.



I might as well say it here. 'I don't like macarons.'

You what?!?

In addition to not liking bacon (which, to someone living in the UK is almost like not liking football or tea), I simply don't understand the fascination with these overpriced, airy, colourful little things. Some people have said that it's probably because I've not had good versions of the stuff, but I think I have tried a good few varieties, and can safely say that nope, I still don't like them.

What don't I like about them? Well, for one, it looks so pretty and when they're laid out in a row, just looks good enough to eat. Thing is, when you do eat them, it just kinda crumbles away at first bite into nothingness. The middle is pretty much all air, and crumbly air at that. There isn't much else to eat after that. Plus, most of the ones I've tried have in some form or way tasted of coconut. I don't particularly like coconut.

So, I can't objectively tell you if this was good or bad. Try it out for yourself.



Mmmmm I liked these scones (s-cones, s-kohns, whatever). My friends said it was a little on the dry side, but I quite liked it like that. The taste was full-on butter, and when generously slathered with clotted cream and strawberry jam, each mouthful was just more-ish. Portion was huge, too, if that helps.

The Second One - Mini Valrhona brownie, Belgian blondie, peanut butter cookie and marshmallow



This tier had been relegated to the sidelines while I was busy photographing the more picturesque tier above. When I then realised it was sitting quietly at the side, waiting to be eaten, we immediately put it back in the spotlight and gave it the attention it deserved.



The marshmallow cake wobbled precariously on the plate as it was put down on the table. I couldn't resist a little squish. How it bounced back with each squish - quivering slightly as it sat there on the plate.

I love chewy things. Yes, during my school years, that love of chewy things extended to my biting my erasers on a daily basis. Usually I bit the ones which were multi-coloured and which looked like cake. I don't just bite any ol' eraser, no, I go for the ones which look good enough to be eaten (alas, they were not edible) but anyhow, these days I stick to edible objects.

The marshmallows provided just the right amount of resistance when bit into, giving way to a softer chew after that. Taste-wise, remarkably similar to that of a marshmallow.



The Valrhona brownies and Belgian blondies

Sounds like the name of a band, doesn't it?

These geometrically-pleasing little bite-sized cubes of cakes were absolutely wonderful. There's something irresistable about geometrically-correct food. You might think I'm a weirdo, but then how would you explain why the Japanese package their food items in such cute, geometrically-correct ways? Each piece of rectangular sushi is wrapped round by a shiny piece of plastic. Selecting the sushi for lunch is almost like being at the jewellers (but a lot less expensive).

The brown ones are the Valrhona brownies. Lots of chocolate compacted into one small bite. Pleasing.



The white cubes are the Belgian blondies. I'd only just been introduced to the term 'blondie' sometime last year. Prior to that, 'blondie' either meant Debbie Harry's band, or a blonde person. Now I know better. Now I know that a blondie is a geometrically-pleasing cube of flour, baking soda, white chocolate, sugar, butter and brown sugar.

If you've not had this before, it is - compact, chewy, moist, and tastes similar to white chocolate



Almond cookie

I quite enjoyed these little pieces of cookies. My friends didn't like it as much, but that just meant I had more to eat so no complains there. The reason they didn't like it was kinda the same reason why I liked it. Let me describe what I mean.

When I first tried to pick one up, it kinda crumbled a little on the plate so I only managed to pick up bits of a cookie. When I then put it into my mouth, it crumbled like delicate sugary sand, taking all the moisture from my mouth with it, and then dissolved into a smooth, almondy paste.

While I found it quite interesting, the others found it to be kinda dry.

The Third One - Mini savoury baguettes



As usual with the husband, he was the first one to tuck into the sandwiches, and pretty much continued with it until he was too full to have any cakes. Not sure what exactly compelled him to eat all the sandwiches, but he did the same when we were at Brown's resulting in him having eaten about 20 cucumber and salmon sandwiches (all the cakes and scones = mine).



Not much to say about the baguettes, but if you've never had one before, then maybe you should go to a sandwich bar and get one.

I spied some sundried tomato and cheese, Italian cured meats and also had a pesto and brie one which was a surprisingly good combination for sandwich filling.





The other stuff on display by the counter.





All I'm saying is, if you're the kinda person who has problems saying 'No' to cakes, then you're gonna have real problems here. Best to come on a full stomach, or maybe just peer from outside where you're safely shielded from temptation by a glass window.



Nearest tube: Holborn / Chancery Lane
Phone number: 020 7242 8330
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 8:00am-7:00pm; Sat 12:00-7:00pm; Sun 12:00am-7:00pm