The train ride from Paddington station to Maidenhead took all of two seconds. I admit a certain sense of excitment on my part that may have played an important role in what I am about to write, throwing objectivism almost entirely out the door. Back in Chicago I was burned out and now I am exploring to refill and see new things. I had just visited some friends in Copenhagen that I had met a couple months ago while I was staging at Restaurant Arzak in San Sebastian. Arzak closes for two weeks before beginning the summer session, so this was my chance to experience more. The executive chef at The Paul in Copenhagen, Paul Cunningham, spoke highly of the things they are doing at The Fat Duck. He, himself, had just received his first Michelin star. So, his excitement was contagious. I thought that this would be a great finale before I made my way back to the kitchen in Spain. The room. The front doors advertising Heston Blumenthal's ability to serve alcoholic beverages on the premises opens directly into the dining room. I was greeted and seated, table for one. On the table is a questionnaire inviting the guests to participate in the creative process. The questionnaire explains how one of his signature dishes, Sardine Ice Cream on Toast, was conceived. It was a memory from his youth. I am just a poor stage, I explain to the sommelier, but I am getting the tasting menu and would like some non-budget breaking wines to accompany, so if you would choose for me, I would much appreciate it. We started with a glass of Jaquesson Cuvee 728, sparkly. I eat a little differently. The first think I pay attention to is the atmosphere, how it makes me feel. If I walk out of place feeling like I had just experience something good, then I am happy. I will look over my notes and try to remember what stood out that contributed to this feeling of gratification. I do not try and pick apart technique, flavor combinations, or intention. That only happens when I feel like I had been duped. Stand outs: 1. First "course": Liquid Nitrogen Tea, Lime and Vodka Chiffon. It is a novelty. An infusion of tea, lime and vodka is mixed with egg whites and put into a chiffon canister (refillable whip cream container). At the table, the waiter explains that the Liquid Nitrogen in the bucket, here, rests at minus crazy below zero. He proceeds to pump an egg-sized amount onto a spoon and drops the chiffon into the liquid nitrogen. He turns the chiffon as it begins to freeze. The intense cold acts so quickly, "cooking" the chiffon. A crust forms. I am instructed to place the entire frozen chiffon in my mouth and go at it. I know that there is no real danger. The Liquid nitrogen instantly transfers into gas as its temperature rises leaving no risk of consumption. The chiffon itself would not freeze to the sensitive membranes of my mouth, recalling the dreaded triple dog dare in "A Christmas Story." But I am afraid as I jam the smokingly cold item into my mouth. It has a freezer burned ice cream feel. Then, I think about a piece of styrofoam and a marshmellow having a child. The crust breaks releasing the liquid leaving a creamy lime taste that is cleaned up by the vodka. Great novelty item, I think. 2. Second "course": Orange and Beet Root Jelly. It's jello. One is orange and one is red. I taste the orange. It completely lacks acid, sweetness or any markings of an orange. Don't even try it, I think. The red one is the orange, blood orange to be exact. The Orange one is Golden Beet. It is not meant to be sarcastic, the waiter explains. But, I get it...I feel that I truely understand. The Chef is playing...not with his guest's, but with their assumptions. Walking into this place, I had loads of assumptions. He thinks he is an artist. He is just trying to promote a novelty that has no real backbone. He is trying too hard to be original. But now, I understand. The chef is serious about what he is doing, so serious that he can play around a little. I am delighted. Thank you, Mr. Blumenthal for being passionate about your work, but still have the ability to not take yourself so seriously. Think about the hype: food science, space food, Michelin stars...Think about the pressures to deliver. And he delivers jello. This sets the tone for me, I am a bit odd I admit, but I enjoy this and am looking forward to the next "courses." 3. Fourth "course": Pommery Grain Mustard Sorbet in Red Cabbage Gazpacho. excellent dish. The gazpacho is cool and is garnished with micro-brunoise of cucumbers. The Mustard Sorbet is what it advertises and melts slowly into the Gazpacho. The combination is exactly that, they melt together. The waiter explains that Red Cabbage naturally contains a large amount of mustard oils, hence the mustard sorbet. Logical. I certainly wouldn't have thought about it. Sometimes I wonder why it is called, "common sense," when it is not so common. 4. Eighth "course": Licorice poached Salmon. I hate licorice. The flavor of it makes me gag. Maybe I am naive, but I decide to trust the chef's instincts and eat it anyway. The godawful licorice jel encases the perfectly poached salmon. On the plate are two lines of Vanilla Mayonnaise, more Licorice liquid drops, individual cells of Grapefruit (I, being a so-called cook, think about the poor sap who had to peal a grapefruit, remove the membrane around one of its supremes and proceed to pick it apart, individual cell by cell--that would be my job, most likely...) and whole Coridander Seeds. The waiter shaves some fresh licorice onto the plate. Great, I think. This is not an opinion changing experience. I still cannot stand licorice, but the combinations made it tolerable. The fatty sweet vanilla mayonnaise brought out the natural sweetness of the salmon, while muting the godforsaken licorice flavor. The whole Coriander was my favorite part, which added depth and earthiness to the licorice (still don't like licorice, I was just impressed with how the whole Coridander intensified the sensations, making my experience that much more painful). The Grapefruit, for me, was a coloring agent and less of a taste objective having the same color as the bright pink Salmon, but it did pop some freshness into my mouth. Thanks. I'm going to wrap it up now, since I am sitting in an Internet Cafe that is just about to close. I'm not that well prepared I admit. I should have written the whole thing out on my computer at home and just copied it onto the posting site. But, I like to fly with my memory. It seems more real that way. All in all, an amazing experience and highly recommended. The service was outstanding, as well as the wines that matched my dinner, as well as the bill. So outstanding, in fact, I will not return, unless you are paying, of course. Even if I could afford it, I wouldn't be able to afford it. If you get my meaning.
