Very cool how you get to go through the kitchen - and I agree with you about it being like dinner theater!
I think I would have been initially a little disappointed to learn that Chef Scott was not in - I am sure it was still amazing and all but I would want to meet The Man!
We are very fortunate enough to have met Chef Scott a few times before, on the previous trip he was even gracious enough to let us peer into the kitchen so we would know where we were going to be when we came back. I was definitely hoping he would be there again, but Chef Aimee is so wonderful too, she is so friendly and talented, it is still a fantastic experience. I can see though, how if it would be a potential let down when you think you are going to see Chef Scott, and he isn't there.
Interesting that you say you are glad this wasn't what you did for your first time there as we just had our first time there and it was for our anniversary and we thought about doing Chef's table but I was thinking the main dining room would be more romantic and more about "just us" enjoying the experience. Plus, doing Chef's Table in the future is another reason to go back!
Yes, to that logic!! Being in the kitchen on your first experience there would be way too overwhelming. Being in the main dining or QVR is much more romantic and you really get to focus on the atmosphere of the restaurant. If you go straight back in the kitchen, you miss so much of what makes Victoria & Albert's such an amazing restaurant. I really feel like had I gone in the Chef's Table first, we may not have gone back. Now, I even feel like being back there, once was enough. I missed being out on the other side.
Did you have any input prior as to what the menu would be? From research sounds like you can kinda customize the menu based on your likes/dislikes? Just curious about that process as since my wife doesn't eat Beef or Pork we would need to have some customizing done.
It is pretty much the same as the other two rooms, they call ahead and ask if there are any allergies or dislikes, etc. Jeremy and I don't have any allergies, and as far as dislikes, I can't imagine eating anything in there that I wouldn't like...LOL We always tell them to give us whatever the chef wants to make us. I always think of that movie Last Holiday...and think of that chef when he says "No Substitutions" That is how we go in there. But they definitely will not make Beef or Pork if she doesn't eat it! So no worries there at all!
Wow, that is quite the amuse bouche! and such a fancy spoon too!
Salt sample platter is very cool ... did they offer suggestions as to which would pair best with each dish?
The poussin looks really good - and I like that they do some molecular gastronomy there but you feel like it adds to the dish and isn't being done just because they can and it is cool
Yeah, that Amuse Bouche is definitely one thing I look forward too, they do the same one in the Queen Victoria Room, and it goes back and forth between being Lobster and Crab. I was contemplating trying to make it at home since it is so simple, but then I would have to buy the caviar...that would break my future trip budget for sure...LOL
We only used the salts and peppers with our bread courses, I didn't want to to tamper with the chefs preparations, we were shown the salts at the beginning of the dinner and our menu was different than the presented menu, so I am not sure they knew which ones would go well anyway, they didn't even know what dishes were being given to us. Beth & Mike were just as surprised as we were most of the night...haha
One of the dishes in the next portion had a Corn Foam on it, and I am totally going to be making that at home, I even ordered some Soy Lecithin powder for Molecule-R to try my hand at making it! Seriously want to make some of that Olive Oil Powder too, I have this really cool book from the restaurant Alinea in Chicago, the ingredients for the dishes are so hard to come by, but I finally found a good source, I am excited to finally try some of them out!
Very cool that you got to try something they are considering adding to the menu. That sounds like a really good mid-meal dish as with the lemon it probably helped refresh your palette a bit. Looks very good .... virtual thumps up from me as well
Yay!
It would be so cool if in the future we get to go and it was on the menu. My birthday dinner is going to be our last time there this year.
I am wondering if the menu will have changed any from the last time we were in the Main Dining room. I guess I will keep my fingers crossed. Hopefully I will have time to get the last part posted before we leave tomorrow morning. We were so busy this weekend with getting everything washed and ready to go!