Wednesday, November 5, 2014

London - To Eat (03Nov2014Byron Burgers, Dinner, The Perfectionist's Cafe)

London - To Stay
London - To Eat
London - To Do

London - To Eat 
 03Nov2014
Like ABBATravel's Facebook Page to get the latest updates and more!
Follow us ABBATRAVEL on Instagram @ABBATRAVELS #ABBATRAVEL

Byron Burgers
(200m from Holiday Inn)
Ordered on
02Nov2014
Byron Burger
 

(Dry Cured Bacon, mature Cheddar, shredded Iceberg,
tomato, red onion and Byron Sauce £9.50)
*Their bacon wasn't the super crispy brittle type that I had expected, but it could be like that because of the dry curing process. Their special Byron Sauce, really seems just to be nothing more than thousand island dressing. Besides that, the great pop to the dish was really the chunky red onion cuts that just perfumes and awakens the senses with every bite. The meat patty is respectable and an absolutely beautiful pink in the middle (Although they said burgers were done to medium). Good burgers*
Byron Pale Ale £4.25 (330ml)

 
A light fruity beer.
Trio of Sides ordered


Home Made Skin-On Fries £3.50

 *Indeed fresh cut fries. You can see the skin on at the ends but they were a little soggy.*
Onion Rings £3.50
 *The classic, solid, sweet full onion ring, in fluffy batter. Could have been better if served
hot of the fry, but I personally prefer onion rings prepared in this way.*
Coleslaw £2.95
 *Chunky cut vegetables, with the right amount of dressing. Not a hit with everyone and
seemed more cabbage salad than coleslaw.*
Total £52.35 Fed4.

Descent burgers really. Onion rings are lovely, prepared in that manner. A convenient location for to-mark burgers. 
Click here for ABBA location of Byron Burgers, Byron - Proper Hamburgers, 75 Gloucester Rd, London SW7 4SS, United Kingdom

Dinner

by Heston Blumenthal
 
2 Michelin Star Restaurant and 5th Best Restaurant in the world as of April2014.
 *Wikipedia; Dinner by Heston Blumenthal is a restaurant in London, England. Opened in
January 2011, it gained a Michelin star within a year, and in April 2014 was listed fifth on
The World's 50 Best Restaurants in Restaurant magazine. It received a second Michelin
Star in the 2014 Guide. The restaurant is headed by former Fat Duck head chef Ashley
Palmer-Watts. Menu options are based on historical British dishes, which were
researched by food historians and through the British Library. The restaurant's opening
drew interest within the industry, and reviews have been positive. Particular dishes have
received praise, including the meat fruit, a chicken liver mousse created to look like a
mandarin orange.*


There are indeed many Michelin stared restaurants in the world, but Dinner's unique (point of view (POV) is the re-imagination of dishes, inspired by old dishes form the past and serving them with the use of modern day techniques.
ABBATipTry to make reservations.
 - Reservations were made over phone the night before with a requirement to leave your credit number.
Just a reflection of how popular they are,
any cancellation from the night before, to lunch at noon, would incur a £50 penalty per missing pax and a confirmation call was made to myself at 1030am in the morning to ensure attendance. Place was packed midway through our 2/1/2hr dining experience.
Immaculate, picturesque, a historical journey, in a fine dining restaurant, located in the befitting, grand Mandarin Oriental Hotel. Staff at Dinner are extremely accommodating and in my books, have set a new bench mark of what top notch service ought to be.
Staff on hand could describe every single dish, both passionately and in pristine detail.Not only that, but staff, when asked, were also able to share on the inspiration behind dishes, as well as explain the complexities on the food preparation. Talking to wait staffjust brings a new level of understanding and respect for the delicate preparation put intodishes served before you at Dinner. They also add their own humor and provide a relaxed, and welcoming dining experience at Dinner.
 
A view of Hyde Park from the large restaurant windows.
Ordered on: 
 03Nov2014
Complimentary serving of bread and a pre-order of suggested wines.
Lunch Set£38
Set lunch menus swap out their dishes and move with the seasons, offering quality over
quantity and featuring the best produce for the season.

Appetizers
Lemon Salad
Smoked Artichoke, goats curd and pickled lemon.

 *The smoked artichoke was incredibly light and paired well against the gentle flavored, fresh goats cured, which well splendidly with their amazingly pickled lemon. Who would have thought that the perfectly pickled lemon could be enjoyed, rhine and all without being overly sour. It pairs absolutely divinely with the goats curd* 
Salt Cod 
(Dressed Cod's head, onion, parsley and love broth.)

*The refreshing, fresh green broth, definitely draws inspiration from Indian cuisine. A lentil/cardamom flavor, gently nestles the succulent cheeks of the cods dish, atop a pillow of light fluffy puree. The pickled onion provides that sweet acidity and plays off the the earthly, yet subtle flavors, of the seemingly Indian inspired broth.* 

The Cod won 3 votes to 1.
Mains

 
Roast Cured Salmon(Smoked beetroot purée, pickled candy beetroot, parsley & sea vegetables
)

*The fish is first cured in spices, before being suveet for about 40mins. After which, it is placed, skin-side down to cook ever so slightly, with it's skin, later removed to present before you this perfectly prepared salmon. The beetroot has a subtle sweet flavor with flavor profiles similar to katamala olives. The sea vegetables were used aptly to tie together the sea worthiness of this dish.*
Slow Cooked Pork Belly
Peas Pudding, bacon and mint oil.

 
*We are no strangers to slow cooked fatty pork, and these were no exception. Melt in your mouth pork with a very subtle touch of mint oil. Their pea pudding topped with pea shoot greens was phenomenal! Creamy and mixed in with bacon.*
Slow Cooked Pork Belly won 3 Vote to 1.
Dessert


Millionair Tart

Prune and Tamarind Tart

 An incredibly smooth curd. Familiar flavors from the orient and Penang with the use of Tamarind and a shaving of nutmeg over the top.
Very subtle flavors and dimensions to this dish.
 

Crystallised chocolate and vanilla ice cream

A rich chocolate ganache with top quality vanila ice cream.
It was equal footing between the two desserts.
additional order of Tipsy Cake £14.00(Their signature dish which takes 40mins to
prepare and needs to be ordered early)

Their signature dish, as indicated by the hung pineapple prior entry to the restaurant. 

*A lightly liquored, of what I would equate to bread and butter pudding. The powdered bread itself was soft, sweet and delicate which seem very familiar both in texture and taste to local sugar butter buns. A trick that I may employ for my own rendition of this signature dish. Their pineapples are roasted for 4hours, constantly based in sugar to deliver a perfect cut of roasted pineapple which is incredibly similar to roasted Pineapples often served in Churrascarias*

A complimentary serve of a 
pallet cleanser to end of the meal on a sweet note.

 
A rich chocolate like moose which I believe is infused with a little orange cointreau liquor. The biscotti served along side has cumin seed and has flavor profiles very similar to Murukku, but a sweetened variety. A definite sweet end to the meal.
x2 bottled water £8 total and x3 glasses of wine at £10.50, £7.50, £14.50
Total £233.31 fed 4.


A really memorable and extremely value for money dining experience at a two Michelin star restaurant. Not to mention, also ranked 5 in the world as of April2014. Service Immaculate, knowledge unchallenged and the experience forever cherished. Staff were public relations to the max, making every customer feel special and not leaving anyone out with their own injection of wit and humor. 

Case in point, a friendly debate over the existence over gelatine in the smoked beet root puree was answered by the wait staff, that both were right and somewhat wrong. Staff, neither taking sides and enlightening both parties. Staff answering difficult question and injecting their own wit, any of whom could have a second career in PR management.

A definite return to location to bring a loved one or for another experience with a change of menu. You feel like the changed man, like Ego from the movie Ratatouille. Surprise me with something new! A must visit!

Restauraunt also allowed us a tour of the working kitchen after our meal and shared the Chef's Table dining option for a table of 6 for a 9 course meal at  £150 for lunch and  £200 for dinner for one to try newly thought up dishes. 
Click here for ABBA Details about Dinner.
Click here for ABBA location of Dinner By Heston Blumenthal, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, 66 Knightsbridge, London SW1X 7LA, United Kingdom

The Perfectionist's Cafe
b
y Heston Blumenthal
Reviewed on 21stJan2016
located at Terminal 2 of London Heathrow Airport
A recommended stop prior your departure by staff at Dinner (reviewed above). Heston Blumenthal has opened a The Perfectionist's Cafe in terminal 2 at London Heathrow International airport serving up his gastronomic creations and known for their nitrogen ice-cream creations.  
(Reviewed 21stJan2016)
Finally I had the opportunity to try Fish and Chips by Michelin Stared Chef, Heston
Blumenthal.
Ordered On:
21Jan2016
Perfectionist Fish and Chip - £16.59
Special Beer batter is aerated through a siphon to create the lightest, crunchiest texture possible, and for that real smell of the 'chippie' it is served with an atomizer of malt vinegar, pickled onion juice and chardone. Day-boat Cornish fish, chips, mushy green peas with a hint of mint and tartar sauce.
 *The lengthy description pretty much covers it all. The fish was not at all greasy and did have an incredible crisp to it. A technique which maybe similar to that often seen with tempura batter. The atomizer did bring a dimension to the dish but not something mind-blowingly remarkable in my books. Nice addition but not wow! Vinegar goes well with
the fried wedges as did the fresh tartar. The mint was a nice refreshing dimension.

A very strong showing for typical British Fish and Chips and probably up there for others
to beats. It's like comparing Chicken Rice in Singapore. To reallydistinguish the best it is a real fine line. This place has definitely hit top marks for a strong showing for Classic Fish
and Chips and is a great last minute meal prior departure at London Heathrow Airport.
I came to find out of this place from Heston's 2 Michelin-stared restaurant "Dinner" reviewed above. Ranked world number 5 restaurant "Dinner", serves up British food that come from the yee-old day, re-thought and cooked in modern terms. A three course meal at £38. A
Phenomenal experience and must try!*

No comments:

Post a Comment