If you are a foodie those words say everything.
I was lucky enough to visit the Fat Duck in Melbourne while it is on its 6 month stint. While the price tag left many of the non initiated questioning my sanity I can say, now that I have been that the experience was worth it.
Itās true what they say. Itās not a meal, itās an experience.
It all starts with a walk down a dark corridor, a tiny door and then, youāre in.
The interior, I must admit, was a lot less quirky, and a lot more 5 star dining than I imagined. Spacious comfortable booths were spread throughout the floor. The hints of Heston are the giant pocket watch counting down the time until the Fat Duck returns to England, a giant puzzle the length of the back wall, yet to be competed and weird and wacky items in bell jars on the window sill. But all that is, of course, secondary to the food.
We start with a tiny ball, on a giant plate; an on going theme.
Aerated Beetroot with a horseradish cream. Like a savoury malteser it was an explosion of flavour and literally made my mouth salivate.
Next, a Nitro Poached Aperitif. I opted for a Tequila and Grapefruit merengue, cooked in liquid nitrogen. It was light and tangy and a great palate cleanser.
The Red Cabbage Gazpacho with Pommery Grain Mustard Ice cream was a highlight. The flavours were simple but intense and the texture of the soup and ice cream worked well.
Then came the kind of dish everyone expects when one says Heston; Savoury Lollies (or icy poles in this instance). First was a Waldorf Rocket, one of my least favourite dishes of the day. The sweetness of the apple layer reminded me too much of an icy pole and it overtook the celery and walnut. In addition one of my tablemates made the very valid point that a Waldorf, more than anything stands out because of its textures, the crunch in particular, and this was lost in the rocket. The Salmon Twister on the other hand was delectable. Fresh salmon surrounded by avocado and mayonnaise; the best sushi possible. But the standout was the Feast, known as the Golden Gaytime in Australia. Ā This delightful treat was made of duck liver parfait coated in a fig jelly. Decedent and delicious, if these were available in servos I would go broke buying them.
The dish that followed was pure theatricality. A section of moss in the middle of table with boxes of Fat Duck film; the uber Listerine strips. What could possible happen next? Well, first the rest of the dish was delivered, a Jelly of Quail, Marron Cream and a caviar sorbet with a side of truffle toast. First the woody Listerine strip, then some magic liquid that makes the ground underneath the moss cover the table in fog and then a delightfully descendent meal. Caviar and Truffle! OMG.
Next came a dish truly dear to my heart and something I think is a key indicator by which to judge the quality of any restaurant. The BREAD! The wheat is toasted and the loaf is finished off in a wood oven so it has a rich and smoky flavour. Smothered in butter with Murray River salt I could have eaten the whole loaf. In fact, this was one of the most difficult moments of my life. Eat more of this delectable bread or save room for the next 10 courses? I stopped at 2 thick slices but I wasnāt entirely happy about it.
Snail Porridge is a signature dish and while very tasty, with extremely tender snails, compared to the flavours and whimsy of other dishes, for me it lacked a little of each.
The Roast Marron with Shiitake, Confit Kombu and Sea Lettuce was a dish created specifically for the Australian Fat Duck. The Marron was perfectly cooked and was a delicious balance of salty and creamy Asian flavours.
I did appreciate the nod to local seafood and was delighted to learn that prior to opening the chefs came on a recon mission to find the best locally sourced produce for all the dishes. We found out that all ingredients, other than the snails were sourced in Australia.
Next, we received our exclusive invitation to the Mad Hatterās Tea Party. A gold fob watch was presented in a teapot. It slowly dissolved to be come a delicious broth, ready to be poured over our Mock Turtle Soup in a cup. The elements were all so tiny and picture perfect it was almost a shame to disturb the teacup art but I was glad I did because the soup was delicious and the Toast Sandwiches were a great treat. I tried to steal the feather in the mad hat however I was only allowed 5 minutes before I had to give it back.
Another iconic dish was the Sound Of The Sea. Each guest is given a shell with earphones through which you listen to waves crashing on the shoreline while you enjoy one of the most visually intricate and memorable dishes of the day. Like a shoreline itself there was sand, seaweed, fish and sea foam. While all the flavours were not my favourite the overall sensory experience was magical.
A dish that I could have done without was the Salmon Poached In A Liquorice Gel served with endive, vanilla mayonnaise and golden trout roe. This was largely because it was extremely rich and so late in the procession of courses. The salmon was cooked perfectly and the vanilla mayonnaise was delicious. Perhaps just better saved for a time when I was not already rather full.
Thankfully the next dish was a little lighter. Lamb With Cucumber, Green Pepper and Caraway served with a mint jelly pallet cleanser. The most refined version of a classic I have ever eaten. Not usually a fan of mint jelly, this one was a lot more subtle and quite pleasurable
Hot & Iced Tea is exactly as it sounds ā it is hot and cold at the same time. Does leave you feeling a little lopsided.
Botrytis Cinerea sounds like a disease and it is a bacteria that dries out grapes and makes delicious sticky wine. A stand out dish in my opinion. It looked stunning; a bunch of colourful grapes on a plate, each with a different taste and texture and each sphere was bursting with flavour. Why this dish was so memorable to me was that it was visually appealing and had a sense of fun but most importantly it really celebrated the Boytritis wines. Sometimes something shouldnāt tastes like anything else but rather taste like the best version of itself and I think in this dish (like the bread, mmm bread) Heston has achieved this.
And of course after dessert comes breakfast in the land of the Fat Duck. And so we settled in for The Not-So-Full English Breakfast. First was a box of cereal, with a surprise inside. Ā A puzzle piece to add to the image slowly forming. Each guests received one piece right up to the final sitting when the image is complete. The vegetable crisp cereal was complimented by a tiny bottle of parsnip milk, giving the sweetness usually found in the last spoon or fruit loops. Then came the bacon and eggs ice cream, served on a brioche French toast bun, frozen in liquid nitrogen right in front of us. The ice cream was delicious, it was just a shame I couldnāt get a whole tub.
The Whisky Wine Gums were just such fun. Pealing off little jelly bottles of a photo frame showing the origin of the whiskey was a joy and for the first time I could actually enjoy the flavours of whiskey without ethanol burning off my taste buds.
āLike a Kid in a Sweet Shopā was a fantastic way to end the meal. Ā A pink and white striped candy bag filled with delectable treats. I gave the mandarin chocolate a miss, citrus is not my thing but I dug straight into the Oxchoc, a mars bar with a hint of beef stock. Then came the apple caramel toffee with edible wrapper, chewy, gooey and yummy! Ā Finally a white chocolate Queen of Hearts, with strawberry filing. The detail of the artwork was beautiful and almost too good to eat. Almost.
5 hours flew by in 17 courses. It was an experience of a lifetime and one I could never forget.
