Celebrity chefs are now bigger than ever and scoring a table at one of their restaurants can be hard work, though the reward is usually well worth the trouble. Five weeks before traveling to London was enough to get me an early seating at Heston Blumenthal’s Dinner in the Mandarin Oriental hotel with plenty of time to get excited about the superb meal to come.
Although Heston became famous for his molecular gastronomy, expertly displayed at his three-Michelin stars restaurant The Fat Duck (voted No. 1 in The World’s 50 Best Restaurants in 2006), Dinner is all about traditions and is definitely carving its own culinary niche on the London food scene. It opened five years ago with the novel idea of celebrating 600 years of British cooking and is still, two Michelin stars later, one of the most celebrated restaurants in the city.
After passing through the dimly lit bar area, you’ll find yourself in the main dining room, rather ordinary looking as far as five-star hotel restaurants go though it does afford beautiful views over Hyde Park during the day (obviously pitch black this time of year despite my early 6:30pm dinner reservation).
Much brighter and exciting is the view into the huge kitchen which could have entertained me for hours. Notice the big white cart at the forefront? That’s an ice cream machine for on-demand frozen concoctions ready to be rolled to any table side… I sadly missed out on that and it’s reason enough to come back!
From the moment you sit down you’ll be treated to world-class service and food and THAT’s why we plan and book so far ahead and pay the prices listed on those beautifully printed menus…thinking every minute and British pound spent on these delectable hours were truly well deserved. These restaurants are a treat, a fact reminded to us when the first thing our waiter said to my friend and I was “And what are we celebrating this evening ladies…?” It is their automatic opening line for a reason, though we couldn’t come up with anything other than blathering and giggling a “Uh…it’s Wednesday?”, a slightly embarrassed foodie grin on our faces.
‘Wednesday celebration’ calls for champagne…and simply passing through the opulent marble lobby confirms this is the drink of choice in such a place.
This was the start of a delectable 3-hour long dinner during which we took great delight as much in the impeccable service as in the flavorful dishes. While Dinner doesn’t try to impress with theatrical flourishes and over composed plates, you can definitely taste the Michelin-worthy technique in every single bite.
With such expertise you’d be very well fed ordering any items off the menu though for first-timers there are classics that must be ordered. I’m of course talking about the signature dish of meat fruit which is as visually stunning as it is heavenly tasting. What looks exactly like a mandarin down to the stalk and dimpled skin is in fact a ball of chicken liver and foie gras parfait encased in mandarin jelly. You must order this, the perfect example of Heston’s elevated cooking style and most talked-about item on the menu.
The famous Meat Fruit (c. 1500): Mandarin, chicken liver parfait & grilled bread
Inside you’ll find the richest chicken liver mousse complemented perfectly by the acidity from the jelly…you’ll wish you could have two of those!
Salamagundy (c. 1720): Chicken oysters, salsify, marrow bone & horseradish cream & pickled walnuts
There are main courses to suit every taste so you can make a blind pick here in total safety.
Spiced Pigeon (c. 1780): Ale & artichokes
Roast Halibut (c. 1830): Mussel & seaweed ketchup, salmon roe & sea rosemary
The second signature dish comes in dessert form and must be ordered at the beginning of the meal considering it takes about an hour to make. I’m talking here of the tipsy cake, a most wonderful soaked brioche that has gained cult status and absolutely needs to be experienced once in your lifetime. You’ll get five balls of brioche dough that have been rolled in butter and sugar before getting squeezed into a little cast-iron pot and slowly baked while also being generously doused in a mixture of Sauternes, brandy, sugar, vanilla, and cream… This ain’t healthy but you won’t care after one bite of this insane creation. Don’t ignore the pineapple on the side, it has also been spit roasted for hours and basted with spiced caramel for one of the best combination desserts I’ve ever had.
Tipsy Cake (c. 1810): Spit roast pineapple
Taffety Tart (c. 1660): Apple, rose, fennel & vanilla ice cream
Complimentary chocolate ganache with caraway biscuit
Ginger tea with a view of the spit roasted pineapples…
It was all around splendid and perfect for a celebration (or just a Wednesday night, heck you deserve a treat for no reasons sometimes!). You won’t walk out blown away by crazy dishes you can’t explain but supremely happy by the chic experience and seeing yourself coming back here again and again…that’s the sign of a truly successful restaurant, though everyone seems to have realized that already! Go check it out, soon.
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal
Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park
66 Knightsbridge,
London SW1X 7LA
T: +44 20 7201 3833
Map
