London: Kitchen Table @ Bubbledogs

Pig

Cod

Chicken

Crispy chicken skin, rosemary mascarpone, bacon jam

Scallop

Crab

Sea Trout

Artichoke

Beef

Duck

Duck

Vacherin

Mango

Blood Orange

Caramel

Chocolate

Kitchen Table is a 19-seat restaurant hidden in the back of Bubbledogs, a bar that serves gourmet hot dogs and champagne. The kitchen counter format resembles Brooklyn Fare in New York minus the aggressive attitude. I didn't have a problem reserving seats as I planned my food itinerary a few months in advance. There are two seatings per night and the menu is written on a chalkboard with a single noun that best represents the main ingredient of the dish. While food allergies are accommodated, this is not a place for individuals who are "picky eaters" or lack worldly palates.

I think it's refreshing to see chefs prepare dishes and explain it while serving it to its guests. Too many times I've experienced the "angry chef" which makes these interactions awkward. Chef James Knappett and sommelier Sandia Chang are a husband-and-wife team who created the Kitchen Table with a comfortable feel while being reasonable priced. Surprisingly, Sandia and Hubs are both Cal Poly Pomona alumnus. Go Broncos!

Overall, I thought the dining experience was pleasant. I liked the fact that Chef Knappett does his best not to make the same dish twice. He also mentioned that he doesn't always know how the dish will come out until it's served. It's gutsy but if you're that good, it doesn't matter. With one Michelin star on his belt, it's upward bounds from here. I hope a cookbook is in the works because I seriously need that recipe for the mango dessert.

Kitchen Table
70 Charlotte Street
London, W1T 4QG, UK
+44 20 7637 7770
http://www.kitchentablelondon.co.uk

London: Burger & Lobster

Lobster roll, salad and fries

BL Iced Tea

Earl grey tea, watermelon, lemon

Lobsters and burgers...who wouldn't like this combo. The best lobster roll I've had was from a food truck in LA. Lobster rolls are not easy to find in Southern California. Nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoyed the rolls here.

Burger & Lobster
Fifth Floor Harvey Nichols
Knightsbridge, London, SW1X 7RJ
http://www.burgerandlobster.com

Travel Log: London, UK

 

I took my first trip to London when I was 15 years old. I spent 3 weeks out of my summer and it was the best family vacation. I'm not sure why it took me 20 years to come back. The one thing I noticed that was different from before was the smog. There's less of it. As the food scene has started to evolve, I can see myself coming back again.

London: L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon

Bread basket

L’Amuse Bouche

Royale of foie gras, aged port reduction, parmesan foam 

Le King Crabe

King crab, avocado in a heart of romaine seasoned with coral-virgin olive oil

La Lotte

Pan seared monkfish, leek, ginger and saffron foam

Potato Puree

Mash potatoes, butter, heavy cream

L'Exotique

Passion fruit cream, caramelised banana compote and passionata sorbet 

Le Menthe

Chocolate cake, light cream and fresh mint sorbet  

I'm trying my best to visit every country that has a Joel Robuchon restaurant.The London location has three restaurants within the same building. I noticed the decor has a similar feel to the L'Atelier in Roppongi, Tokyo (e.g. red apples). As with every L'Atelier, you can't go wrong with any dish. The execution is the same but the menu selections differ per location.

L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon
13-15 West Street, London WC2H 9NE, UK
+44 20 7010 8600
http://www.joelrobuchon.co.uk

London: Dinner by Heston Blumenthal

Meat Fruit (c.1500)

Mandarin, chicken liver & foie gras parfait, grilled bread

Buttered Crab Loaf (c.1710)

Crab, cucumber, pickled lemon, golden trout roe & stone crab

Roast Halibut (c,1830)

Admirals sauce, shrimps, leaf chicory, brown butter & capers

Hereford Ribeye (c.1830)

Mushroom ketchup & tripe cooked chips

Tipsy Cake (c.1810)

Spit roast pineapple

Espresso

Fifth Best Restaurant in the World (2014)

It is often thought that the heavy use of spices during the middle ages was a way to disguise the taste of rotten meat but, in fact, the exotics spices introduced to Britain over time by the Romans, Venetian merchants and knights returning from the crusades were far too expensive to be wasted on meat that wasn't fresh; instead, spices were added to show how rich, refined and extravagant you were.

In 2014, I celebrated my 35th birthday at Dinner by Heston Blumenthal. The above anecdote was written underneath the menu clasp. According to the restaurant's website, Chef Heston Blumenthal wanted a menu that was inspired by historic British gastronomy. I thought the anecdote was fitting as I paid $175 for a spice rack from Dean & Deluca. I'm so fancy...you already know

Anyways, it was nice change to order from a traditional menu. I knew our time in London and Paris would be filled with tastings galore. But I can't deny the reason I was here was for the Meat Fruit. It was glorious. Foie gras lovers rejoice.

Do I need to say more? This post was inspired by someone I recently met from Toronto. Dear friend, don't burn the foie gras.

Dinner by Heston Blumenthal
Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park
66 Knightsbridge, London, UK SW1X 7LA
+44 207 201 3833
http://www.dinnerbyheston.com