'Ono Kine Grindz: Molecular Gastronomy

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The Fat Duck - Bray, Berkshire, UK

When I first started planning my trip to London last December, I first thought of all the places that I wanted to visit. The list was short, for sure, but there were a few places listed there -- Borough Market, the British Museum, and London Bridge to name a few. But since my last trip to London was back in 1994, I was really looking forward to all of the interesting flavors to be found in London. Gastronomically diverse, London has much to offer any hungry traveler. And at the top of that list, for me, was The Fat Duck.

Securing a reservation proved much easier than I had thought -- maybe it was because I was trying to secure a reservation for lunch and during the middle of the week. On the first couple of tries, I had actually called too late. On the third try, exactly two months before I was going to be in London, I received an answer after the second ring. Reservation secured, I started counting down the days.

Located in the English county of Berkshire, Bray village is about 40 minutes outside of central London. Getting there while the London Underground was on strike proved no easy feat, but get there I did. An unmarked building on a small stretch of roadway, seemingly in the middle of nowhere, is where you will find The Fat Duck. The only clue about the location of the restaurant was the metal sign composed of kitchen utensils (one is a duck's webbed foot, another is a feather, while the third looks to be the duck's bill) hanging high above the ground.

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Stepping through the door, the low ceilings, white washed walls and dark wood beams and supports made the restaurant feel cozy. The soft spot lighting, the starched white tablecloths and the high-backed chairs, made the restaurant seem elegant, but not fussy.

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A few moments after being seated we were brought two thick leather bound menus (I wish I could have taken that as a souvenir!) and the wine trolley was wheeled over to the table. Since I was not going to partake in any alcohol, I asked for a bottle of still water to be brought to the table. Moments later, my order for the tasting menu was placed (₤115 + 12.5% service charge; about $263 per person for lunch not including beverages). Next came the bread (brown or white slices delivered to the table as you ate) and butter (unpasteurized -- salted or unsalted).

Shortly thereafter, a wooden sideboard was brought to the table and the fun began. Our waiter started by preparing the first amuse of the afternoon, the nitro-green tea and lime mousse. It begins when the server takes some liquid nitrogen and pours it into a metal bowl. Like something out of a sci-fi movie, the vapor starts to rise and condensation starts to form on the outside of the metallic bowl. A spoonful of lime mousse is dropped into the liquid nitrogen and stirred around until it emerges looking like a bite-sized cookie. It is placed delicately onto a small plate before being dusted with green tea powder.

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Preparing the first of many interesting flavors -- nitro-green tea and lime mousse.

Slightly crisp on the outside, it dissolved the moment it hit my tongue. How would I describe the flavor? Clean, bright and refreshing are a few words that come to mind. A palate cleanser, this first "bite" was the first of many little jolts of flavor to come.

After this surprise, I was ready for more. Next to arrive was a plate with two squares of jelly placed directly in the center. Eat the orange one first and then the red one, instructed the server. Scooping up the orange square in the spoon, I was ready for an explosion of juicy citrus flavor, like that of an orange. Instead, I was confronted with the earthy flavor of beetroot that sparkled with just the tiniest hint of nutty sweetness. After this first taste, I had no clue about what to expect from the second. Sliding the jelly onto my tongue, I was hit by the intense tangy-tartness of blood orange.

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Eat the orange one first and then the red one, instructed the server -- golden beet root (orange) and blood orange (red) jellies.

Following the two squares of jelly was the oyster with passion fruit jelly and lavender. The oyster was barely visible underneath all of that passion fruit jelly and for what it's worth, there really wasn't much to taste here either. The briny flavor of the oyster was completely overpowered by the tart flavor of the passion fruit and I did not detect any hint of lavender in this dish at all. And even though the presentation was gorgeous, this was one of the more lackluster dishes served to us that day.

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Oyster and passion fruit jelly, lavender

Shortly after the empty oyster shell was removed from the table, our server brought a huge, wide-rimmed bowl to the table. In the middle, was a tiny scoop of pommery grain mustard ice cream which was accompanied by a small mound of minced cucumber. A moment later the bowl was being filled with the red cabbage gazpacho.

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Pommery grain mustard ice cream, red cabbage gazpacho

The ice cream itself was excellent. The flavor was savory, yet very fresh and clean -- truly original. I would love to try making this myself at home sometime. The addition of the cucumber to enhance the flavor of the dish was negligible, but it was probably added more for textural contrast. The soup, on the other hand, was bitter and my dislike for this was probably amplified by the fact that I am not a fan of red cabbage to begin with.

After the bowl was taken away, our server started to "assemble" the next course of dishes -- a tiny oak infused "film" set upon a mound of moss piled high in a wooden box; quail jelly, cream of langoustine and parfait of foie gras in what could have been an ostrich egg; and finally, oak moss and truffle toast on a block of wood. Next, water from a tea pot was poured over the moss and the "fog" began to roll in.

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Place the film upon your tongue and savor the essence of oak.

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Quail jelly, cream of langoustine, parfait of foie gras

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Oak moss and truffle toast

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The complete presentation (Homage to Alain Chapel).

This was probably the one of the more playfully presented dishes of the day. As the "fog" started to drift across the table, I placed the thin, oak-infused film on my tongue and closed my eyes. The flavor of oak was subtle, but distinct and it set the mood for what lay ahead.

The scent of the moss along with the flavor of the film, which was dissolving on my tongue, made me feel as though I was in the woods somewhere. Taking a bite of the truffle toast, confirmed it. The crunchiness of the toast, combined deliciously with the earthy flavor of the truffle. One I was done with the toast, I got to work on the "composed" dish consisting of quail jelly, langoustine cream and parfait of foie gras. This final element was served cold and to tell you the truth, I think the subtle flavors of the langoustine cream and the foie gras parfait were obscured by the gamey flavor of the quail jelly. Not entirely successful, but it was OK -- I wouldn't be begging for more.

After the box of moss and the dishes were cleared, it was a few moments before the plate below arrived at the table.

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Snail porridge, Joselito ham, shaved fennel

This is probably one of the more "recognizable" dishes on the tasting menu and probably the one that I was looking forward to the most. Was it everything I thought it would be? Absolutely. The day-glo green porridge was smooth and creamy and the tiny shards of Joselito ham gave this dish just the right amount of salty flavor. The plump snails were perfectly cooked to a wonderful tenderness that contrasted well with the crunchy strips of shaved fennel. The play on textures and flavors easily made this one of my favorite dishes of the day. I wish I had more!

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Roast foie gras, almond fluid gel, cherry, chamomile