Enough said.
Well, not exactly. To my friend’s joy, I forgot my cell phone AND my camera, so I could not embarrass him with taking photos at the table. So, my only mementos are the wine bottle and the receipt that I will eventually frame.
Dining at Gordon Ramsay requires ordering from a set menu tiered by different prices and dishes. And it’s quite extensive. We ordered from the A La Carte menu, in which I ordered the Ravioli of lobster, langoustine and salmon poached in a light bisque with a lemongrass and chervil veloute (starter); Loin of wild Highland venison with truffle braised celery, roasted Williams pear and smoked pork belly (main); Assiette de l’Aubergine (dessert). Whew, that’s a long list for three dishes. And for wine, we had the Chateau Bauduc, Ramsay’s exclusive wine for his restaurants.
The menu didn’t list the smaller appetizers that came continuously throughout our meal, which was a pleasant surprise. My favorite was the Scotch Quail Egg, a quail egg battered with truffle shavings. There was also a selection of canapes and tasty rosemary bread.
To be quite honest, I was not that impressed with the food. Yes, let me emphasize that everything else in the restaurant was perfect - environment, service, and even the people, but the food was slightly disappointing for a twelve-years-in-a-row-three-Michelin-star restaurant. My friend ordered foie gras in his main course, and it was noticeably bland; I could barely taste the fresh taste in my lobster ravioli, their signature starter; and the venison didn’t pair too well with the salty pork belly in my main… but the celery on the side was good, should I give points for that?
Although I can’t say I enjoyed the starters or the mains quite much, I can give Ramsay a round of applause for the desserts. The Assiette de l’Aubergine was a tasting menu of all the desserts on the menu, in individual portions. And it consisted of the following (ones in bold were the highlights):
- Mango and passion fruit yogurt
- Chocolate truffles
- Caramelised tarte Tatin of apples with vanilla ice cream
- Marinated pineapple ravioli with mango and kiwi
- Banoffee pie souffle (banana and salted caramel crumble)
- Bitter chocolate cylinder with coffee granite and ginger mousse
- Creme Brulee with prune puree
- White chocolate strawberry ice cream truffle with dry ice
- Turkish delight
- Gingerbread cupcake with frosting
I truly truly truly wish I had my camera because each dessert was extremely photogenic - dessert really made my night. But as much as I loved dessert and the service, in consideration of the whole meal and the exorbitant price tag, I cannot say that I have fallen in love with the restaurant. I hold many fond memories of this dining experience (i.e. Clark scaring our waiter away by telling him that we thought he looked like Prince Harry), its creative menu, and ingredient usage, but I have had better food elsewhere without spending £401 for three people. If you are a foodie, Gordon Ramsay is a restaurant that you must dine in, and then you can judge for yourself if it’s worth returning to.