Dinner By Heston, Mandarin Oriental, London

After working out that a trip to The Fat Duck in Bray was not feasible for our one week stay in London, we decided that Heston Blumenthal’s other restaurant Dinner By Heston, would be a lot easier to get to. Thankfully we booked well in advance (February) and were able to get a reservation. Dinner By Heston is located in the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Knightsbridge.

On our visit to Dinner By Heston, the day was spectacular, sun shining, bright blue skies. Not what you expect for a British summer’s day. Our walk was very pleasant indeed.

The restaurant is located through the lobby toward the Hyde Park side of the hotel building. Large expanses of glass let in light and afford a great view of Hyde Park. 

Custom-made porcelain light fixtures modelled on antique jelly moulds are a quirky touch to the walls, vaulted ceilings enhance the height of the rooms and lots of large mirrors, wood, leather and ivory paint is used for walls and furnishings. Floor to ceiling glass separates the diners from the kitchen where the feature is the pulley system used to rotate the spit.

Dinner By Heston has dishes inspired from historic British gastronomy. Each dish has a year date indicating the period in time the original recipe was formulated.

I got a little confused and thought we had been given the dinner menu instead of the lunch menu, until Vikki reminded me that the restaurant was named Dinner. We decided on the 3 course set lunch menu with matching wines (all up £147 approxAUD$256). As there were two choices per course it was just a matter of deciding which of us wanted what more than the other.

 I love snails so I had to have the dressed snails(c.1884), parsley, beetroot, salty fingers and red wine sauce. This was matched with a  Schiopetto, 2010 Pinot Grigio from Collio in Italy.

Vikki is not in to snails( she thinks they should only be trodden on when found in the garden) so she chose the Salamagundy (c.1720), smoked tomato, celery, buckler sorrel and lovage. This was matched with Weingut Loimer, 2012 Gruner Veltliner ‘Lois’ from Kamptal in Austria. I was quite surprised when I tried a bit of the tasty heirloom tomatoes enhanced with a light touch of smoke.

For mains I ordered something I haven’t tried before, roasted ray wing & admirals sauce (c. 1826), sea aster, shallots, peas, brown butter and capers. This was matched with Ata Rangi, 2012 Sauvignon Blanc, Martinborough, New Zealand. Sea aster is a plant that grows along the coast line and has edible leaves.

 Vikki opted for roast quail (c.1590) with cabbage, onion and smoked chestnut. The quail was taken of the bone for plating and sat high on the mound of cabbage, onion and chestnut. This was matched with a Casale Dello Sparviero, 2009 Riserva Chianti Classico from Tuscany in Italy.

Desserts saw us have a little tiff over who got the Millionaire Tart (c. 1730), crystallised chocolate, with vanilla icecream (so smooth!!). This was served with Domaine de la Tour Vieille, NV Banyuls Reserve from Roussillon in France. The tart was a nice crumbly base with a rich chocolate topping with little ‘gold’ nuggets on top. Vikki won that one.

I had the Shrewsbury Gooseberry Tansy tart, gooseberry, rose and caraway. This was matched with La Spinetta, 2012 Moscato d’Asti Bricco Quaglia fro Piedmont in Italy. This tart was light and lovely. The crust from caramelisation was just right and the moscato was the perfect wine to go with such a light dessert.

A post dessert was also bought out. It usually comes with the coffee but Vikki and I seldom order coffee after a meal, so it came out any way. A little glass cup of dark chocolate ganache with a crisp wafer. Thank goodness we walked back to our hotel.

A great lunch to go with a great English summer day. Next time we might have to stay a bit longer in London so we can make the trip to Bray. 

London Paneristi Catchup

Our second night in London saw us meet some fellow Paneristi’s at a gallery opening for Patrick Morgan in Soho. A great exhibition of many varied works by the artist. The exhibition was held at The House of St. Barnabas Club, a not for profit club that has a charity wing providing hospitality employment opportunities for homeless people. Patrick Morgan is a well respected graphic artist, working primarily in illustration for advertising and magazine print editorials. Some illustration work has been used by companies such as Coca Cola, Dior, Chanel, Tom Ford and seen in magazines such as Stylist and DASH. This ehibition was for his latest collection of works.

After the exhibition our group went for a quick walk down Greek Street to The Union Club. The Union Club is a private members club located in a 270 year old Georgian townhouse.

The decor is rich and cosy, blending antique and modern with style and wit to create an effect that is both contemporary and bohemian. 

The dining room combines wood panelling, crystal chandeliers, open fireplaces and a superb eclectic art collection to create an ambience that is a nice change from most modern minimalist restaurants. The rich glossy red walls give an old world feel. 

The menu features organic and sustainably sourced products. There is a great range of old favourites and some modern combinations. Bread is baked daily in house and sometimes they need to do a second lot. Vikki and I shared an entree of seared scallops, peas and crispy prosciutto.

Vikki decided to have more peas, this time in the form of a pea and ricotta crespelline with girolles. Vikki loves to try mushrooms we have trouble getting in Australia.

I love a burger (seemed to be the most popular dish with the group). The Union burger came with homemade ketchup and rustic fries.

Desserts were tempting but we decided to pass and just have a coffee.

It was great to catch up with Gush, Phu, Chris, Andrew, Phil, Kung, Mia and Paul. We really enjoy the chance to see our fellow Paneristi's in the flesh whenever we can, especially when we can have a drink and a great meal with them.                                 

Centennial Vineyard and Restaurant, Bowral

Recently we took advantage of Vikki being home on a Sunday and a beautiful autumn day and went for a drive to the Southern Highlands. Destination: Centennial Vineyards, Bowral. While still still crisp the autumn foliage once we hit the Southern Highlands was a blaze of golds and reds.

Located just before the town of Bowral, Centennial Vineyards and Restaurant is positioned on top of a hill to take advantage of the views down over the vines and surrounding country side. A courtyard at the rear offers some protection from the elements and is furnished with an antique fountain and rustic tables and chairs.

Our first stop was the tasting room where we tried several of the sparkling and white wines. Some really great wines and one variety we had not tried before, Savagnin. I am not usually a Riesling drinker but was pleasantly surprised by the three that we did try.  Definitely on the list for future buying. We didn’t try the reds this time around which gives us an excuse to go back later in the year. 

From the exterior the buildings have a slight European appearance. The restaurant has a tower and an open floor plan dining area replete with a large open fireplace, perfect for a chilly day. As the weather was so fine we decided to dine on the enclosed verandah which was cosy as several heaters were in use. This provided some stunning views as we enjoyed our lunch.

Our lunch started with a complimentary amuse bouche of sweet potato soup.....

After choosing our beverage for lunch, a bottle of sparkling, rather than have two entrees we decided to share the Highland Platter, which is a signature tasting plate of seasonal and local products, comprising six individual components.....

I decided to have the locally bred, “TOVA Platinum” beef fillet. This was a Southern Highlands grass fed beef fillet with smoked potato puree, red onion compote, Worcestershire mushrooms, grilled bone marrow and Centennial Shiraz jus.....

Vikki went for something a little lighter, pork cooked two ways, corn puree, corn salsa, bacon crisp.....

Of course if you are having a steak you have to have some fries.....

Rather than have a dessert we opted for Cabot cloth bound cheddar, apple paste, persimmon and freshly baked breads....

This was a truly delicious long lunch. Unfortunately we had to say good bye to the Southern Highlands and head back to the city.

Should you ever find yourself on a sunny day looking for a driving destination with lunch thrown in, head to Bowral and try Centennial Vineyards and Restaurant, I highly recommend it. Perhaps stay the night and have a look around this great town and region.

A Datograph with a ‘World View’

After many years of lobbying, A. Lange & Sohne finally announced their Australian launch in February. This is another testament reflecting the increasing maturity of the Australian watch collecting landscape.

To mark the occasion a few select guests were invited to the official inauguration celebrations in April. This involved a tour of the new boutique within the Watches of Switzerland Melbourne store, followed by dinner at Vue de Monde.

Eric van der Griend of Watches of Switzerland with some opening remarks.

Our A. Lange & Sohne hosts are introduced which included, Joanna Lange (who is married to Benjamin the son of Walter Lange), Senior Training Consultant based in Hong Kong, Daniel Rogger, International Sales Director and Michelle Chen Regional Manager for ALS based at the Richemont Singapore Headquarters.

Situated on the 55^th floor of Melbourne’s iconic Rialto, Vue de Monde explores a unique dining concept moving beyond the standard Australian fine dining cliché.

A quick shot of the Lui Bar.

Some more pre dinner drinks.

A wonderful stage to what will be one best watch events I have had the privilege to attend.

Joanna talked about the rich history of the company including Adolph Lange’s diary, and how it was smuggled out of East Germany.

Some wonderful timepieces were presented.

My favourite the platinum Lange 31, we were intrigued to discover from Joanna that the Lange 31 is designed to stop at 32 days, but could run for several more days.

The Datograph’s were the talk of the night and I suspect that the Lange staff were quietly impressed by the number of owners in Australia. The old versus the slightly larger new version with the power reserve above 6 o’clock.

I was so entranced in the moment that I forgot to take more food pictures apart from the entre. All I can say that the three course menu was blissful and I loved the slow cooked (48hrs) beef check.

Since the re launch in 1990 A. Lange & Sohne’s astonishing journey continues to gather strength globally despite the fact that the German based manufacturer limits production to around 6000 pieces per year.

We all know that the marketing hype can only get you so far and that ultimately the human recognition of quality is universal transcending cultural and geographic barriers.

Rolex Deepsea Challenge – Down under

An immense excitement was sparked in me when my AD announced that the Deepsea Challenge exhibition was coming to their boutique earlier this year. So much so that I knew about the email message well before most the staff that are working there lol.

There is something that fascinates me more about Rolex diving watches than any other brand. In this I’m not alone and I suspect it comes down to the profound interplay of pleasing aesthetic, rich history and a continuous sense of adventure that Rolex fosters to this day.

Technology truly is a marvel when you can share in the experience of James Cameron (via NatGeo) descending 10,898 metres into the Mariana Trench on the 26^th of March 2012.

The Rolex Deepsea Special started it all in 23^rd January 1960 with bathyscaphe Trieste, crewed by Swiss oceanographer Jacques Piccard and U.S. Navy Lieutenant Don Walsh, as the Swiss-designed bathyscaphe descended to the then deepest-known point in the ocean.

The experimental watch was attached to the exterior of the Trieste when it touched the very bottom of the Mariana Trench on January 23, 1960, reaching a depth of 35,814 feet (10,916 meters).

It successfully withstood tremendous pressure that no submersible, let alone watch, had confronted before and that no human could ever survive. The dive marked the culmination of a long association with Jacques Piccard and his father, Auguste Piccard, the inventor of the bathyscaphe, as they stretched the boundaries of deep-sea exploration.

A cross sectional view, Deepsea Special.

This is a model of the Deepsea Challenger that took James Cameron on his underwater journey. The Deepsea Challenger was designed as a science platform with manipulator arm, remotely operated vehicle and two lander vehicles to collect samples for marine biology research.

The test tank for the Rolex Deepsea and Rolex Deepsea Challenge was developed with specialist engineers from COMEX (Compagnie Maritime d’Expertises), the world-renowned French company specializing in underwater engineering and hyperbaric technologies. Rolex has been collaborating with COMEX for decades and supplied Submariner and Sea-Dweller models to equip its elite divers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=S3_ycKwBDLI

The Deepsea Challenge was attached by manipulator arm and remained at the bottom for about 3 hours of a dive that was to last just over 6 hours. It returned in perfect working order and was running to chronometer specifications.

This is one Big Watch!

A cross sectional view Deepsea Challenge.

If Rolex decided to actually produce this watch for collectors I suspect that I would be mad enough to buy one!