Dinner by Heston London
It was last year that I had my first "dining date" with <a href="http://cumbriafoodie.wordpress.com" target="blank"><u><b><color="blue">Alan the Cumbria Foodie</color></b></u></a> at his usual Sunday lunch spot, <a href="http://www.finediningexplorer.com/london/theritz.php" target="blank"><u><b><color="blue">The Ritz</color></b></u></a>. Being an opportunistic diner like myself, I wanted something different this time and lucky enough, I managed to secure a last minute Sunday cancellation at what would usually be a 3-month booking!
Dinner by Heston London
We were the first to arrive and just like our previous meeting, we both had no breakfast! The restaurant was located on the first floor of the Mandarin Oriental hotel. Although they have a huge main dining area…
Dinner by Heston London
… and many small tables along the windows overlooking Hyde Park, the whole restaurant was completely filled up shortly after.
Dinner by Heston London
Through the floor-to-ceiling glass looking into the kitchen, I already spotted the roasting pineapples which would be served as part of the Tipsy Cake, one of their signature desserts.
Dinner by Heston London
This was my fourth visit here and every time they have a few new dishes on their menu. Unlike Heston's cutting-edge cuisine at Fat Duck, each dish here was based on a historical recipe with a reference to the originated year and even historical facts on the back on the menu. Some creations were inspired by dishes that go all the way back to the 14th century!
Dinner by Heston London
Even before we touched the warm bread, we immediately ordered a few Dinner's classics and a few new creations just to get a feel of their latest menu. Like what Alan said in his <a href="http://cumbriafoodie.wordpress.com/2014/04/14/sunday-dinner-by-heston-blumenthal/" target="blank"><u><b><color="blue">review</color></b></u></a>, there has been enough written about this Heston's first restaurant outside Bray, so I will keep my writing brief and let my photos do the talking.
Dinner by Heston London
<br/><b>Meat Fruit (c.1500)</b>
Dinner by Heston London
<br/><i>Mandarin, chicken liver parfait & grilled bread</i>
Dinner by Heston London
<br/><b>Earl Grey Tea cured Salmon (c.1730)</b><br/><i>Lemon salad, gentleman`s relish, wood Sorrel, smoked roe</i>
Dinner by Heston London
<br/><b>Buttered Crab Loaf (c.1710)</b><br/><i>Crab, cucumber, pickled lemon, golden trout roe, stone crop</i>
Dinner by Heston London
<br/><b>Frumenty (c.1390)</b><br/><i>Grilled octopus, smoked sea broth, pickled dulse, lovage</i>
Dinner by Heston London
<br/><b>Chicken cooked with lettuces (c.1670)</b><br/><i>Spiced celeriac sauce & oyster leaves</i>
Dinner by Heston London
<br/><b>Roast Iberico Pork chop (c.1820)</b><br/><i>Spelt, ham hock, sauce Robert</i>
Dinner by Heston London
<br/><b>Hereford Ribeye (c.1830)</b><br/><i>Mushroom ketchup & fries</i>
Dinner by Heston London
<br/><b>Poached Rhubarb (c.1590)</b><br/><i>Rosehip jam, yoghurt cream, rhubarb sorbet</i>
Dinner by Heston London
<br/><b>Tipsy Cake (c.1810)</b>
Dinner by Heston London
<br/><i>Spit roast pineapple</i>
Dinner by Heston London
<br/><b>Brown Bread Ice Cream (c.1830)</b><br/><i>Salted butter caramel, pear & malted yeast syrup</i>
Dinner by Heston London
<br/><b>Chocolate Bar (c.1700)</b><br/><i>Passion fruit jam, ginger ice cream</i>
Dinner by Heston London
<br/><b>Caramelised Apple Tart (c.1730)</b><br/><i>Eggs in verjus, curd, Tahitian vanilla ice cream</i>
Dinner by Heston London
To meet the expectation of diners in a Heston restaurant, a theatrical performance was unavoidable, but in fact, it was consistent with the historical theme. If you have been to The Fat Duck and read the little booklet that came along with the "Nitro-Scramble Egg", you should know this ideal method of making ice cream was invented by Agnes B. Marshall in 1901.
Dinner by Heston London
So, liquid nitrogen was poured while churning which immediately froze the mixture and hence minimizing ice crystals. Here, vanilla ice cream was served in a cone which filled with a bit of Campari poached rhubarb.
Dinner by Heston London
There were four toppings to pick from: Chocolate hazelnut, popping candy, freeze dried raspberries, or candy coated spice seeds.
Dinner by Heston London
And finally, to go with our tea, a small stylish glass of Manjari ganache infused with Earl Grey.
Dinner by Heston London
A quick visit to the kitchen area on our way out. Chef Ashley was very busy at the pass since the dining room was still completely full.
Dinner by Heston London
The service was as smooth as it could be which was what I expected in any Mandarin Oriental hotels. After visiting here a few times and trying all their classic dishes at least once, no doubt I would consider it as a very decent hotel dining but it would be way too far a stretch for me to consider this as one of the World's best restaurants!
