This post is pretty much going to be dedicated to documenting my lunch at Gordon Ramsay. (It's the first restaurant the chef opened, and also has 3 Michelin stars!!) Also burned a hole in my wallet... T___T (The set lunch was 55 pounds, plus service) But it was worth it!
Had a reservation at noon (did you know they take down your cc info and then charge you 100 pounds if you cancel within 2 days of your reservation?!) and were one of the first tables there. It's a cozy little dining room, and the restaurant itself is located on a pretty quiet street.
First off, there are SO many wait staff! They literally have someone topping off your glasses with water whenever you drink some. And when you get up to use the bathroom, someone comes to fold your napkin for you! We opted for the cheapest option, which was the set Lunch Menu. (And our meal still cost $90+ including service) Although it was only 3 courses on paper, they also brought out a small surprise before the first course, and an extra dessert at the end! So it was like having a 5-course meal! And all of it was SO beautiful and SO good! Still gushing about it. (Also, excuse the poor quality photos. Was trying to be discrete about it haha)
First off, before any food was served, we got to pick 2 pieces of bread from a bread basket. We both tried the pretzel knot and onion/bacon brioche. And omg it was the best tasting bread I've ever had at a restaurant! Even better than Red Lobster's cheddar bay biscuits! And the waiter noticed I finished my bread, and asked me if I wanted more haha. And I shamelessly chose another pretzel knot!
Next, they surprised us with a small dish of baby vegetables in a tangy sauce/broth. It was so vibrant and fresh! For the first course, I got lobster tortellini and Steph got a confit salmon tartlet. Once again, poured a yummy broth over the tortellini (that seems to be a theme here). Main course was a miso glazed cod for me, and a rabbit loin wrapped in ham for Steph. This time the broth was made with a Chinese tea! (Forget the name...) For dessert, I chose roasted pineapple with coconut sorbet, and Stephanie a banana dessert of some sort with peanut butter mousse. And after they cleared our dishes we thought we were done, but lo and behold, they bring out a small tray of bite-sized desserts, along with a smoking pot! The pot actually contained dry ice (thus the "smoke"), which was refrigerating white chocolate covered strawberry bon bons! All the amazing photos are below! (Snuck photos with my cell phone, but too embarrassed to pull out my dslr....)
And as we were leaving to go, surprise! The maître d' asks us if we want to see the kitchen! (He was SO nice and attentive throughout the whole lunch service!) Um, YES! He leads us in, and we see all these young chefs (it's surprising how young they all are!) busy at their designated stations, preparing food for the dining room. Just like Hell's Kitchen, but with more staff and a much cleaner kitchen! haha
After lunch, we slowly walked to Buckingham Palace, and snapped a couple of pictures there. (Lighting wasn't in our favor though) And then walked to Hyde Park Corner and took the subway back to Stephanie's aunt's house because we had dinner plans already. Together, we rode the bus to Somerset House, where they had an exhibition and talk about ElBulli and Food Design! The exhibit was really neat, and talked about molecular gastronomy and all sorts of innovative things they were creating at El Bulli. The talk was less impressive, but still interesting! Overall it was a really neat experience, and Somerset House is just an awesome exhibition hall. And for dinner, we ate at Tom's Kitchen on the premises, and I got to eat some traditional British food: Fish Pie! (A healthier take on Shepard's Pie)
Overall a relaxing and very indulgent first day in London! ^__^
Had a reservation at noon (did you know they take down your cc info and then charge you 100 pounds if you cancel within 2 days of your reservation?!) and were one of the first tables there. It's a cozy little dining room, and the restaurant itself is located on a pretty quiet street.
First off, there are SO many wait staff! They literally have someone topping off your glasses with water whenever you drink some. And when you get up to use the bathroom, someone comes to fold your napkin for you! We opted for the cheapest option, which was the set Lunch Menu. (And our meal still cost $90+ including service) Although it was only 3 courses on paper, they also brought out a small surprise before the first course, and an extra dessert at the end! So it was like having a 5-course meal! And all of it was SO beautiful and SO good! Still gushing about it. (Also, excuse the poor quality photos. Was trying to be discrete about it haha)
First page of the menu!
Cute table settings!
First off, before any food was served, we got to pick 2 pieces of bread from a bread basket. We both tried the pretzel knot and onion/bacon brioche. And omg it was the best tasting bread I've ever had at a restaurant! Even better than Red Lobster's cheddar bay biscuits! And the waiter noticed I finished my bread, and asked me if I wanted more haha. And I shamelessly chose another pretzel knot!
AMAZING pre-meal bread!
Fresh baby vegetable medley
Lobster&Asparagus tortellini
Miso glazed cod
Stephanie's rabbit loin with ham
Roasted pineapple, coconut sorbet, and coriander financiers
Stephanie's banana parfait with pb mousse
An after meal surprise: strawberry bonbons, and a platter of fudge and turkish delights (or so Steph thought they said)
And as we were leaving to go, surprise! The maître d' asks us if we want to see the kitchen! (He was SO nice and attentive throughout the whole lunch service!) Um, YES! He leads us in, and we see all these young chefs (it's surprising how young they all are!) busy at their designated stations, preparing food for the dining room. Just like Hell's Kitchen, but with more staff and a much cleaner kitchen! haha
After lunch, we slowly walked to Buckingham Palace, and snapped a couple of pictures there. (Lighting wasn't in our favor though) And then walked to Hyde Park Corner and took the subway back to Stephanie's aunt's house because we had dinner plans already. Together, we rode the bus to Somerset House, where they had an exhibition and talk about ElBulli and Food Design! The exhibit was really neat, and talked about molecular gastronomy and all sorts of innovative things they were creating at El Bulli. The talk was less impressive, but still interesting! Overall it was a really neat experience, and Somerset House is just an awesome exhibition hall. And for dinner, we ate at Tom's Kitchen on the premises, and I got to eat some traditional British food: Fish Pie! (A healthier take on Shepard's Pie)
Pamphlet from the event!
Overall a relaxing and very indulgent first day in London! ^__^
No comments:
Post a Comment