Having arrived at Royal Hospital Road 68 - the Gordon Ramsay restaurant (http://www.gordonramsay.com/royalhospitalroad/) we were greeted and let into the dining room, which Gordon himself described as "the Chanel bag equivalent of a dining room", since its makeover a few years back.
The ambiance tones are between a beige and cappuccino colour with very elegant lines and added detail of space and luminosity from some vertical mirrored elements. All decor is in tone and adds to the luxurious but calming feel of the place. At first it does seem a bit small but it hence manages to stay intimate even when some of the polished decor could have made it more sterile. The tables are beautifully set with Riedl stemware and elegant modern china and cutlery.
We had a bit of a walk and a long day at work hence murdered a Gin Tonic and in face of the great chef's advertising, did not go for Gordon's gin but rather preferred a Tanquaray 10, which came mixed to perfection.
A bit of deliberation followed about which menu to go for and we decided to go for the tasting menu.
Now I have to start praising the head waiter, lovely French man, who for once did nothing to try to hide his accent, for the normal taster menu started with a cold Foie Gras. Now being an absolute fan of the cooked version of the delicacy and having spotted it on the 'A la carte' menu, I asked if I could have that one instead, which after checking with the kitchen was given the go ahead.
So the second difficult choice of the evening began: what lovely beverage from the impressive 2 inch thick wine list should accompany the exceptional food we were about to indulge on.
Based on the choice of the main course (lamb), with some help from the Somelier, we decided to go for:
- Glas of Sauterne for the starting Foie Gras (what else)
- Glas of Riesling for the 2 fish based courses
- Bottle of Cote Roti for the lamb and cheese (Côte Rôtie Patrick Jasmin - 2004)
But lets start with the meal:
As a little special treat we received a sort of mini ice cream cone (made out of crispy wrap) where the bottom was filled with avocado and the top with finely diced lobster. Very fresh and delicious. 8/10
A second surprise came in the form of a cold clear tomato soup with fresh spring vegetables and a marinated prawn. This was refreshing, mixing the crunchiness of the vegetable (a bean for example) with the flavour of the tomato and the intensity of the marinated prawn. I rarely enjoyed a cold soup more. 9/10
Then it got to the serious stuff.
"Sautéed foie gras with Cabernet Sauvignon vinegar and almond velouté", the foie was perfectly seared outside and melting inside, the almond foam complementing the taste perfectly. All beaut fully arranged on the plate with some potato bisque and mini carrots. Together with the chosen Sauterne. Pure sensory bliss. 10/10
"Ravioli of lobster, langoustine and salmon with tomato chutney, vinaigrette", this is a single giant ravioli on the centre of a plate on top of tomato chutney and surrounded by swirl of lobster sauce. The texture is firm, perfectly cooked or probably steamed. The inside is of great texture, not overcooked, bursting with langoustine flavour (some lime I believe and additional herbs), the tomato chutney complements and rounded off by the swirl of reduced lobster sauce. This is a dish to come back for and the one where the flavour still lingers in memory. The Riesling was a good choice but once could even have a fruitier wine with this. 10/10"Fillet of turbot with braised baby gem lettuce, leeks and cep sauce", now I have to say I am not 100% convinced of mixing fish with mushrooms and of the same opinion even after this dish. Must have had too many truffles and porcini in Italy but it just conjours up images of pasta, meat or on a bruschetta, but not fish. Don't get me wrong the sauce is amazing, the cep that actually finds himself lonely on the plate next to the turbot nothing less than sensational in flavour, but the poor turbot somehow gets drowned by the intensity of the sauce. The lettuce and leeks were wonderful though. Had serious trouble pacing the glas of Riesling to last and again not a great combination for the intensity of the dish. 6/10
At this stage the Somelier came to our dried throats rescue and filled the glasses with the long decanted Cote Roti. First tastes were wonderful, even if 2004, great depth of flavour, lovely rounded with a hint of pepper, could not wait for the meat.
"Cannon of Cornish lamb with confit shoulder, ratatouille and thyme jus", great dish, the meat was cooked pink (the waiter had asked how we wanted it cooked). Tender, full of flavour without overpowering with the strength of older or fatter lamb. Perfect companion for the Roti, or should that have been the other way around. Now the surprise of this dish was a little bell pepper stuffed with ratatouille (could discern at least courgettes). This thing was a taste explosion and all the vegetables were cooked to the right point, the pepper slightly firm and the mixed ratatouille soft but not overcooked and mashed up as so often is the case. 9/10
We could have gone for a pre-desert at this point, but since we had ordered a whole bottle of the lovely Roti and have had swift glance at the incredible cheese trolley decided to stick to savoury.
"Selection of cheese from the trolley", a great selection only probably surpassed by some I had in France. The cheese waiter, English this time around (yes at Gordon's you do have a specialist waiter for about everything) helped us and then proceeded with creating a little plate with cheese cuts in ascending intensity (clockwise). I would like to especially recommend Gordon for his choice of local cheese, some of the which can rival the best French cheese (but don;t tell the head waiter). All came with some lovely cheese biscuits and bread. 9/10
"Strawberry and Vanilla soup with champagne", this was a sort of smoothie that came in an interesting flute like glass, bottom was strawberry and the top a sort of champagne vanilla foam with some starburst powder (the stuff that prickles and pops on your tongue). Overall a good palate cleanser but not exceptional. 7/10
"Bitter chocolate and hazelnut cylinder with ginger mousse and blackcurrant granité", now this came as a surprise. Somehow I did not associate Gordon with sweetness somehow, maybe the amount of expletives that escape his mouth did not fire neuron associations with fine dessert. Well I was dead wrong. What appeared on our plates can only simple be described as a work of art. I apologize in advance for the picture quality (good old mobile) but here it is:
Not only did it look good but the taste was amazing, the ginger worked really well with the dark chocolate and the hazelnut at the bottom of the cylinder, all complemented by the sweet tanginess of the blackcurrant. 10/10
At this stage we were very happy indeed and to finish ordered a 1973 Armagnac and an espresso. The coffee was very good (and yo know I am critical with my espresso having lived in Italy for long). The Armagnac was silky smooth and being a special year for my friend and mine a fitting closing drink for the end of a remarkable culinary experience.
So why, do you ask, not an overall rating of 10/10. Well in pure constructive criticism I believe there are a few improvements that still can be done. First of all I think that there are slightly too many waiters in the room, I know we had the table in the centre and not to the side but still sometimes it felt a bit too busy. I also lament the absence of what is the lazy choice of an accompanying wine taster menu to the food taster menu. Although the Somelier can help with the wines by the glass, I have to say that the list of those is too short and pales compared to some of the special bottles you have on the wine tasting menues of other 3 Michelin star restaurants. And last but not least after departing with some serious amount of money there is no small memento to bring home, most other great places do either give you a copy of the menu you tasted or similar.
The whole experience is absolutely great and very well balanced. Whereas I would say that the Fat Duck is more special, eclectic and entertaining, it is better enjoyed with friends, as some of the encompassing dishes (like the sound of the sea, where you have to put an iPod in your ears) can distract from the conversation. At Gordon's the food is exceptionally there as an element that is part but not center stage of the overall experience. So if you need to propose go to Gordon's.
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