Festive Lunch Hour at Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester

This afternoon, just before my weekend in Copenhagen, I returned to Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester to try out their newly-launched Festive Lunch Hour for the Christmas season. It was my first visit since late last year and I was attracted by some rather rich and appealing items on the menu as compared to their usually lighter set lunches. Admittedly it is slightly more expensive than the normal set lunch, but still a very good deal at £65 for 3 courses and an amuse-bouche using pretty luxurious ingredients, accompanied by two glasses of red/white wine, the usual array of mignardises and choice of tea/coffee after the meal.

My usual seat

Emmental cheese goujons to start, dusted with black
pepper and bell pepper powders. Light and fluffy in
texture yet rich in taste, with just the right amount of
spiciness to stimulate the tastebuds. Very addictive too!

Selection of breads served warm - I chose
bacon and black olive, both excellent, as
was the velvety and creamy salted butter.

Amuse-bouche: Scottish salmon coated with sauce verte (a blend of coriander, parsley and spinach), served with caviar on a bed of potato lightly dressed with olive oil and chives.

This was a delightful way to begin the meal - luxurious yet light and wholesome. The salmon was only lightly poached so that its insides were still pretty raw but incredibly fresh and moist, and its characteristically rich flavour was well matched by a thick and aromatic coating of herb sauce. By contrast, the other part of this morsel, a potato salad of sorts, felt surprisingly clean and non-starchy in texture, and its delicate flavour was appropriately complemented by the light olive oil dressing and the refreshing salty juiciness of the caviar. The ingredients of this dish were generally basic, but their composition was both elegant and effective.

Starter: warm goose and foie gras pithivier (puff pastry parcel) with a sauce of white port and cognac, served with a side salad of cos lettuce and baby Swiss chard.

Wine pairing: 2011 Josmeyer Pinot Blanc 'mise du printemps', Alsace.

How complex can a pie be, you ask, and does it deserve a place in a gastronomical establishment? As it turned out, this was probably the most well-made, indulgent and tasty example that I've tried so far. What really struck me weren't the lavish fillings of diced goose breast and foie gras, but the sheer refinement and meticulousness in execution (as you see from the cross-section), and the variety of textures within a seemingly humble slice of pie. A feather-light, multi-layered and flaky puff pastry crust contained a thick wall of pâté en croûte made of extremely delicate and airy chicken mousse. This layer of mousse further encased some truly opulent and robust stuffings by contrast - the goose breast was moist and succulent with a rich gamey flavour, the foie gras was smooth and silky with a pleasant musky taste, and bits of leek and lardo di colonnata scattered throughout the filling enhanced the already intense flavours and aromas of this gourmet pie. The drizzling of a full-bodied and slightly sweet port and cognac sauce was but the icing on this proverbial masterpiece of a cake. A crunchy side salad of lettuce and Swiss chard provided a welcome balance as well as further texture.

Tasting notes for the wine: fruity, dry and full-bodied, with a good acidity and hints of oak, toast and biscuits. An excellent complement for savoury pastries, meats and pâtés as found in this starter.

Main course: roasted brill, baby squid, shellfish marinière (first photo: only shellfish sauce, second photo: additional sauce of parsley, shallots and baby spinach), celeriac.

Wine pairing: 2010 Chataigneraie-Laborier Pouilly-Fuisse sur la Roche, Maconnais (Burgundy).

Light and healthy, this was a pleasant contrast to the preceding starter. Fillets of tender and moist fish with a subtle flavour were aptly paired with bits of shellfish and squid. The latter were fresh and firm, but thankfully not too chewy as they are prone to be if overcooked. Slices of artfully-shaped celeriac made for very pretty plating and also complemented the delicate sweetness of fresh seafood, while the shellfish sauce imparted a greater depth of flavour. The green sauce that was then poured into the dish was not only equally tasty but also extremely aromatic due to the use of herbs and shallots, and only increased the dish's overall appeal.

Tasting notes for the wine: made only from Chardonnay grapes, this was very mineral, crisp and aromatic, with a lemony nose, and a long finish. Simple but appropriate and effective for delicate fish and seafood dishes.

Dessert: 'Christmas bauble' - manjari chocolate sphere and biscuit, enclosing rich fillings of coffee mousse, manjari cream and chopped caramelised hazelnuts. A hot juice blend of passion fruit and lemon was then poured over the sphere to reveal its contents.

This must have been worth 1000 calories - so unashamedly rich and decadent, just as desserts should be! In terms of taste this was pretty straightforward - you can't really go wrong with a combination of chocolate, coffee and hazelnuts - but the experience was elevated by the delightfully theatrical presentation; watching the contents unfold as the outer chocolate shell melted under the heat of the juice was quite a lot of fun indeed. It was a huge ball filled to the brim, and (though I wasn't really complaining) it might have been too heavy for a small eater; fortunately the rather acidic juice provided a most welcome balancing touch for the sheer sinfulness of this dessert.

Meanwhile, the customary array of mignardises had been placed on my table, and looking at my dessert I knew there was no way I could eat any of these in the same sitting, so I asked for a takeaway of these delicious morsels:

New macaron flavours: tonka & passion fruit, mint, coconut & raspberry. I was glad I waited till I got home to fully savour this absolutely stellar combination of flavours - probably the best I've got out of my three visits here so far. The coconut & raspberry macaron was unforgettable, with lovely bits of dessicated coconut within the delicate macaron shell (you can see the bumps as compared to the other shells with smooth surfaces).

I should mention now that there was a very pleasant lady next to me this afternoon, also dining alone. We chatted a little and she revealed that she was a lawyer from Israel, here on a conference, and she decided to do one special meal on her last (and only free) day in London. What a positive experience this must have been! She asked if she could visit the kitchen after the meal, and I decided to tag along too as I had not yet been behind the scenes. I managed to catch head chef Jocelyn Herland just coming out of a meeting, gave him my compliments on the food and asked for a photograph; he came across as a gracious and amiable person.

Very bright, spacious and well-organised main kitchen.

Pastry kitchen

Spotted these in one corner of the kitchen: precious Périgord black truffles in season, wrapped individually in cloth to preserve their aroma. These 'black diamonds' from France are supposedly comparable in aroma to the exalted Italian Alba white truffles, and should not be confused with their poorer cousins from other parts of Europe.

With head chef Jocelyn Herland

It was a very pleasant afternoon on the whole, with good food, unexpected company, and generally attentive and knowledgeable service. A bald male server who used to work at Guy Savoy in Paris stood out in particular for his friendliness, and while chatting correctly guessed my blogging hobby from the pictures I was taking and detailed questions I had on the food. Unfortunately, he left for a break (I think) around the time of dessert and I never got to ask for his name - but there will be a next time, I'm sure!

Impressive gingerbread model of The
Dorchester placed within its lobby.

This was my third and possibly my best visit to this restaurant so far. Having done both the set lunch and tasting menu my general impression is that regardless of the price tag, it is still much better value for its set lunch. The tasting menu I tried last year had some hits and misses, while the two lunches I've had have not failed to deliver on both quality and taste even at a considerably lower price. Perhaps I will try the hugely expensive seasonal menu one day when I can comfortably afford it, and that might send me straight to cloud nine - but for now I will stick to the basics.

Lunch at The Square

Back to my regular haunt The Square for a quick weekday lunch today. The menu looked very appealing to me, and I thought I'd just give it a go as I will be at home on the other side of the world and unable to visit over the Christmas holiday. And my, it was a suprisingly full lunch service even at 2 pm! It was nice to see Cesar the manager around, though understandably he didn't have much time to chat as he was very busy looking after things. Still, a satisfying and tasty lunch as usual!

Amuse bouche: fresh beetroot with balsamic vinegar mousse and jellied balls, diced red onions, olive oil, bresaola and herbs (chives, radicchio).

This was a most effective stimulant for the tastebuds and set me up for the rest of the meal very well. The perfect balance of sweetness and acidity was achieved between the juicy chunks of beetroot and the rather interesting balsamic vinegar derivatives. A touch of luxury was contributed by the paper-thin slice of bresaola (Italian air-dried salt beef) that was extremely lean, with a velvety texture and a rich flavour with no excessive saltiness, similar to the best ham varieties. The scattering of chives and red onions imparted incredible aromas, while generous lashings of an excellent fruity olive oil around this appetiser provided further lightness and refreshment.

Starter: velouté of smoked mackerel and eel with mussels, oysters, cockles, clams and celery, served with a cornetto of mackerel and eel tartare.

This starter was indescribably tasty - the freshness of the lightly-poached shellfish, enhanced by the smooth creamy texture and robust smoky flavour of the soup, made for an irresistible and comforting dish, especially in this chilly weather. Soft and juicy strips of poached celery provided a touch of refreshment and cleanliness amidst this indulgence. The cornetto was no less excellent; its finely-chopped raw contents were fresh and well-seasoned, with a firm and succulent bite.

Main course: fillet of Cornish cod with a Poilâne crust, turnip tops, Poole prawns and swede (both diced and mashed), parsley garnish.

I have written in previous reviews that this kitchen really knows what to do with fish, and this stellar dish was again definitely the right choice. The cod fillet was perfectly cooked - silky, succulent and melt-in-the-mouth. Its delicate flavour was well complemented by fresh and sweet prawns with a good firm texture, and a very tasty surrounding pool of sauce made of fish stock. The swede accompaniments and turnip greens gave the dish a most satisfying and wholesome touch. Finally, the Poilâne crust was probably the most interesting component of this dish - presumably mimicking a layer of crispy fish skin, this paper-thin slice of the famous French sourdough bread possessed a remarkable depth of flavour (further enhanced by toasting) and lightness in texture. On the whole, this was an extremely solid and enjoyable dish.

Dessert: roast apples with caramel chocolate mousse, Bailey's parfait with a sesame and spiced (cinnamon) crumble, sweetened prunes and prune coulis, applesauce and crab apple jelly.

This was an unashamedly decadent ending to the meal with the most hearty flavours and textures featured on the same plate. Soft, juicy and caramelised chunks of apples were paired with an extremely thick and velvety caramel chocolate mousse, and a rich Bailey's parfait with a crunchy and deliciously spiced coating. The prune and other apple accompaniments provided further sweetness and also made for very pretty plating. I just couldn't wait to sink my teeth into this picture of unadulterated pleasure, never mind that it must have been 500 calories!

As always this was another superb meal here - I look forward to returning next year!

Weekend lunch at The Square (Tasting menu)

This afternoon, I returned to one of my favourite restaurants The Square for a leisurely lunch. Noticing significant changes in the tasting menu since my first visit at the end of last year, I decided to give it another go instead of ordering from the daily set lunch menu (which, as you would have seen from previous reviews, is extremely good value for money - but I wanted to spoil myself a little today!).

First course: autumn minestrone with a slow-cooked quail egg, Montgomery (Cheddar) stock, tarte fine of savoury onions and ceps.

N.B. The Montgomerys in south Somerset, a 70-year old family business currently in its third generation, are the most famous producer of unpasteurised farmhouse Cheddar in the UK.

This was a very pleasant start to the meal. A light and mildly sweet minestrone containing mixed diced vegetables (including swede, celeriac and Brussel sprouts as far as I could tell) was given a surprisingly luxurious edge and savoury depth with the addition of an intense Cheddar-based stock and cheddar shavings. The runny and velvety egg yolk contributed a further richness in overall texture and mouthfeel to the soup. A sprinkling of toasted sourdough breadcrumbs offered a nice crunch, which went very well with the firm and juicy bite of the diced vegetables. This warm and tasty soup was perfectly paired with an extremely aromatic mini confection consisting of thin layers of shaved cep, cep purée and onion chutney on a puff pastry base. A picture of truly understated sumptuousness, perfect for this chilly weather.

Second course: rillette of smoked Cornish mackerel with a vinaigrette of langoustine claws, oysters, sea water jellies, cucumber and caviar. Garnished with ice plant (a refreshing herb with extremely crunchy and succulent leaves) and served with toasted sourdough on the side.

In a small bowl bursting with flavours of the sea, every component was delightfully fresh and clean-tasting (the most important prerequisite for any fish or seafood product), and the combination of sweet (langoustine and cucumber), sour (vinaigrette) and savoury (the rest, but especially the smoked mackerel) flavours was precise and effective. The crisp and juicy bite of the jelly, cucumber, caviar and ice plant accompaniments was the perfect textural complement to the moist and succulent chunks of seafood. On the whole, this refreshing cold dish felt almost like a palate cleanser between the richer warm courses that surrounded it. A welcome relief indeed, considering the length of this pretty substantial tasting menu!

Third course: roasted Isle of Orkney scallop with new season's ceps and white onion fondue.

This dish was simple, well-executed and irresistibly tasty. Lightly seasoned with sea salt and cooked just right, the scallop had a nice firm bite whilst retaining all of its naturally sweet juices, and the roasting gave it a subtly charred edge in flavour that was simply delightful. Coupled with savoury roasting juices and a fragrant cep purée glazing, this was really a morsel from heaven. The white onion accompaniments (in a puréed form with cream and milk, as well as sautéed with bits of shredded cep) were very aromatic but thankfully without a sharp sulphuric pungence that would overpower the main focus, and their flavour was surprisingly sweet and delicate. A really intense yet well-balanced dish.

Fourth course: foie gras ballotine with a topping of Granny Smith apples, served with crab apple glaze and a spiced chutney of plum, raisin and apple. (Not pictured: a side of toasted hazelnut, raisin and fig bread.)

Crab apple: a special variety of small apples with an extremely sour taste if eaten raw. Most apt for use in sweetened preparations such as jams, purées and chutneys due to their high pectin content and intense flavour.

A surprisingly restrained foie gras dish, presumably intended to give the stomach another break and to set it up for the two main courses ahead. No doubt the foie gras itself was lavish - a dense and rather generous portion, with a smooth and creamy mouthfeel due to the retention of vein and fat structures - but the unusually fruity composition of the dish kept it feeling very light on the palate. The rich, musky and slightly bitter foie gras was very well contrasted by its sweet-and-sour fruit accompaniments. The mildly spicy chutney was especially effective in stimulating the palate and enhancing overall flavours, while the fresh apple strips were particularly refreshing with their crunchy and juicy texture. On the other hand, the side of toasted bread, with its deep nutty flavour, was a totally apt complement to the taste of the foie gras.

Fifth course: roasted fillet of turbot with autumn truffle & walnut pesto and a smoked celeriac & bay milk purée, served on a bed of Savoy cabbage and grilled smoked potato slices.

This was, without any doubt, my favourite course of the tasting menu. I have mentioned in previous reviews this restaurant's knack for handling fish, and this course certainly didn't disappoint. This very thick chunk remained firm but moist, with its delicate roasting juices given an nice savoury depth by the addition of fish stock (so my server told me when I commented on how tasty this dish had been). The equally chunky pesto, with its crunchy coarseness and intense nutty taste, enhanced both the succulent texture of the flesh and its naturally light flavour. The smooth and creamy purée, with its sweet and smoky flavour, added a further touch of luxury to an already luscious portion of premium fish. One minor snag though: although I could see bits of truffle shavings within the pesto, I couldn't taste or smell them at all, perhaps overwhelmed in their tiny amount by the surrounding nutty and savoury flavours. Admittedly this is being very picky; the dish had been thoroughly enjoyable even without truffles in the picture.

Sixth course: breast of grouse with pearl barley, strips of pancetta (cured pork belly) and a pancetta roasting jus, on a bed of swede & turnip mashes and Muscat grapes. Served with a croustillant of the leg topped by bacon foam, and celeriac purée on the side.

This was the most substantial course in today's lunch. The breast meat was roasted to a customary medium rare with moist pancetta strips in order to preserve its firm and succulent texture. Needless to say, the pancetta and its roasting juices also contributed an incredible savoury depth to the dish. The breast meat lay on two mounds of mashed swede and turnip, and a scattering of muscat grapes. The turnip mash was particularly memorable; I hadn't quite expected it to be so heavily seasoned, and the resulting taste and texture were exactly like a salted turnip condiment (chye poh) used in breakfast and egg dishes back home in Singapore! The muscat grapes used must have been unripe ones, as they were extremely tiny and astringent; they did serve their purpose though of cutting through the overall intensity of this dish. Similarly, the swede, pearl barley and celeriac purée (now plain, not smoked as in the previous fish course) accompaniments provided a mildly sweet and wholesome balance to this extravagant dish. In the foreground, a crispy croustillant pastry shell contained seasoned minced leg meat that was tender, juicy and just as scrumptious as the main focus - no doubt helped by its rich bacon foam topping. I can totally understand it if some people find this course too heavy and salty, but it suited my personal taste just fine and I enjoyed every bite!

Seventh course: a tasting of Beaufort (on hazelnut, fig and raisin bread) and Stinking Bishop (foam and bavarois, on a bed of pear jelly and diced quince).

Beaufort: a raw cow's milk cheese produced in the French Alps, with a firm and creamy texture and a mildly pungent aroma. It is commonly used to make cheese fondue because it melts easily.

Stinking Bishop: a soft and creamy washed-rind cheese from Gloucestershire. Its distinctive odour is the result of the process of immersion every 4 weeks in perry (a kind of pear cider) made from the local Stinking Bishop pear, while it matures. Amusingly, it was first brought to international attention by the cartoon Wallace & Gromit in 2005, in which it was used to revive Wallace (the human character) from the dead (and why am I not surprised!).

Relaxing slightly after the main courses, this small cheese taster was offered prior to another two rich desserts. Cheese usually comes at a supplement in fine restaurants such as this, so to have it included in the tasting menu at no extra cost is pretty good value, to say the least. I must admit that I'm no cheese connoisseur, and certain aspects of this dish were not to my liking - an acquired taste perhaps? I did find the Stinking Bishop (quite literally) too pungent and strong-flavoured (thankfully balanced by the astringent jelly-and-fruit base). The milder Beaufort cheese on toast was more suited to my palate, and its deep flavour was well matched by the sweet and nutty bread.

Eighth course: milk chocolate bar with salted peanuts, praline and banana ice-cream.

I had requested a substitute for the first dessert of cheesecake, which I had tried when I first did a tasting menu here (see my review from Dec 2011), and this alternative (from the à la carte menu) was arranged for me by the manager on duty. This was pure comfort food - you can't go wrong with a chocolate-and-banana combination. In fact, the chocolate part of this dessert seemed to be an elevated take on Snickers, with layers of sticky praline and crushed salted peanuts within the biscuit base, topped generously by a very rich and velvety milk chocolate ganache. Taken together with the light and smooth banana ice-cream, the result was a truly heavenly (read: sinful!) combination of flavours and textures. Edible pure gold flakes and a sprinkling of sea salt on the chocolate slab imparted a further touch of luxury to this already indulgent dessert.

Ninth course: rice pudding and prune soufflé with Black Velvet ice-cream and a chocolate macaron.

Black Velvet: a beer cocktail made from champagne and Guinness. Created in 1861 by the bartender of the Brooks' Club in London, as a symbol of mourning for the untimely death of Prince Albert.

Putting aside the funereal history of Black Velvet for the moment, I must say that the ice-cream worked really well actually. At the time of dining, this flavour combination was certainly not one that I had expected, but the crispness of champagne and the full-bodied bitterness of stout produced an ice-cream that was both deep in flavour and light in mouthfeel. This, combined with a fruity soufflé with juicy bits of prune and a strong hint of spices (e.g. nutmeg) in the rice pudding mixture, produced a dessert that was very rich in taste yet never quite as overwhelming on the palate and stomach as it all looked/sounded. The accompanying macaron had a nice combination of textures, from the crisp and airy shells to the thick and smooth cream layer, though I found its taste somewhat underwhelming (strangely closer to cocoa butter than cocoa, despite its looks) compared to that of the soufflé. To be sure, it wasn't in the least offensive but I didn't miss it either.

Four more pieces of soft chewy nougat to finish as petit fours, and I was done. I was definitely full, but thankfully not as stuffed as I remember I had been after I did the tasting menu here for the first time. Service was stellar as usual, particularly from the duty manager and a very smiley English server called Andrew (a recent addition to the restaurant staff). I look forward to returning soon!