UK trip, Dec 2008 - The Fat Duck, Bray (Part 1)

(SPOILER ALERT: this is a "photo documentary" of the tasting menu at Fat Duck. If you still want to keep the elements of surprise, then please skip the next 3 posts!)

Fat Duck has been on my list for a number of years. The restaurant is one of the few UK restaurants that has been awarded three Michelin stars. It also stands out in its own right, as it does not serve a cuisine that is affiliated with a particular cooking style, the Head chef Heston Blumenthal is known for his following of molecular gastronomy philosophy and his weird, yet original creations.

The restaurant is extremely popular. SP wanted to make a booking for a Tuesday evening. He was very good and called up the restaurant exactly three months before the date (they only take bookings up to 3 months in advance) but he was too late. He didn't call early enough. So, the next day, SP called as soon as it opened and was able to secure a precious slot for our anniversary dinner.

The signage for the restaurant is very discreet (and poor!) and we almost missed the restaurant. Nevertheless, we arrived quite early so we were one of the first customers for the night. It seems that they have memorised all the bookings. As as soon as you walk in, they already know who you are. It is kinda creepy.

The restaurant has a very casual feel to it. In comparison to other three Michelin starred restaurants, the setting and decor is very low-key. The main room has quite small. It has around 15 tables. The room has a low-beamed ceiling, but it is quite comfortable. Ms SL told me that the kitchen is very small, and we spoke to the waiter about it. Apparently, across from High Street, where the restaurant is located, there is a little path that leads to a building housing the restaurant's prep area, where the bulk of work is done. The lab is located in the upstairs area and it is where Heston spends most of his time.

After we have sat down and got comfortable, the sommelier wheeled his apéritif trolley across the room and asked if we’d like a drink. Why not? Even though we have already had a drink before we arrive, it is going to be a long dinner and we certainly had time to wait until the alcohol wears off! So SP ordered his Ricard and I had my champagne.

We were quickly served with a little ramekin of picholine olives

The table decoration is simple and clean.

Everything is embossed with The Fat Duck and Heston's name

We picked the tasting menu with matching wine, because it is supposed to be lots of fun.

The waiter then gave each of us a copy of the menu and the wine list. The menu is printed some a special type of paper which is velvety on one side. I couldn't resist touching it! hahaha. I really like the fact that they give you a copy of the menu to keep. There is a lot of items in the tasting menu and this really saves me from writing down all the names of the dishes.


Nitro-poached green tea and lime mousse (2001)

Not long after we have made our menu and wine choice, the waiter wheeled over a cart with our first course.

He squirted some foam from an aerosol onto a spoon and then poached the little puff in nitrogen. It is all very showy.

Once it is ready, the puff is then fished out from the container and dusted with maccha green tea powder before serving. He explained that we need to eat it immediately and in one bite. Otherwise, it will fall apart.

The puff was very light. I expected it to be sweet but it wasn't too sweet at all. While we are eating, someone also sprayed some lime essence over our heads. The lime was a nice palate cleanser.

Orange and Beetroot jelly
As soon as we were done, the waiter served us the orange and beetroot jelly. He politely asked us to eat the orange one first.

I have never read in detail any reviews on the Fat Duck so this has come as a surprise to me. As I took a bite of the orange-coloured jelly, I realise that it is actually beetroot-flavoured. Then I realise that Heston was playing with my mind!

The orange jelly is actually made with golden beetroot and the red jelly is made with blood oranges

Oyster, Passion Fruit Jelly, Lavender

The acidity of the passion fruit complements the oyster very well. The lavender scent was very very subtle and I wouldn't have detected it if I didn't have the menu. Overall, I really enjoyed this oyster.

Pommery Grain Mustard Ice Cream, Red Cabbage Gazpacho

SP doesn't like mustard, but he thought the dish was nice. The ice cream is slightly hot. It is not overly sweet. There are tiny mustard seeds that gives the dish some really nice texture. The cabbage gazpacho is mellow and brings really nice colours to the dish

Oak Moss and Truffle Toast

Next a small tray of oak moss appeared. On top of the oak moss, there were two small plastic case. In it is what looks like breath strips. They are actually oak moss strips. Oak moss may not sound delicious, but according to Heston, it shares several key flavour compounds with black truffles. So in theory, this should make it complimentary to truffles. We were asked to put the oak moss strip onto our tongue. Then, the waiter poured some liquid onto the bed of oak moss and the air become infused with an oaky scent.

We then shoved the truffle toast into our mouth. The texture and flavour are nice, but I think they were a little stingy on the truffles flake!

Jelly of Quail, Langoustine Cream, Parfait of Foie Gras

This dish arrived in a tilted cup/ bowl. It contains the jelly of quail consommé, layered with pea/ basil puree in the middle, and langoustine cream on top. We were supposed to scoop out the jelly by cutting through all three layers. As the spoon dived into the jelly, the server poured some liquid into the bed of oak moss again and it released the smell and feel of the forest. The jelly is very rich and the flavour is intense. I have really enjoyed this dish but I certainly can't have more than one portion of it at one go :-P

This is the end of the appetiser part of the tasting menu. In the next posts, I will talk more about the more"substantial" food.