Gordon Ramsay at Royal Hospital Road
Filed under: Food in London
Gordon Ramsay is a chef that I have always respected and admired. I once ate at Aubergine and had an almost transcendental culinary experience - at the time I declared it to be the most exquisite food that had ever graced my lips. That was almost 10 years ago. The restaurant still exists, under different management, and represents an era when Ramsay was still relatively unknown to the masses and had yet to adopt the celebrity chef persona he has today. Nowadays it is impossible not to see his wrinkled yet ruggedly appealing face lending itself to yet another product, reality show or magazine article. Apart from being an exceptional chef some media hot-shot must have recognised the obvious entertainment value in producing documentary style programmes portraying this chef as a rude, obnoxious, git responsible for terrorising his kitchen staff and diners. Interestingly however, despite his obvious short comings, notably his explosive temper and obvious ego-centric quirks, his passion and love for food shone through and the public developed a particular fondness towards him. His new status also enabled him to build a restaurant empire on his lucrative name which has become synonymous with exacting and vigourous standards and has launched the careers of some of Britains most promising chefs.
Whilst I have had the good fortune to have eaten at a number of Ramsay establishments - Maze, The Connaught, Claridges and the Boxwood Cafe, it was the experience at his restaurant Gordon Ramsay on the Royal Hospital Road that I truly longed for. It is London’s sole 3 star Michelin and has received acclaim and honour from some of the most eminent critics and writers. It is the restaurant to which Ramsay has given his famed name and thus lures in gullible punters like myself with the inference that he is out back in the kitchen cooking your meal.
It’s reputation means that it is understandably a drag to get a reservation. Reserving a table requires the sort of timing reserved for a stand up comedian, entailing phoning on the dot of 9.00am and then being put on hold for half an hour in an attempt to secure a table in exactly one months time. After a few attempts my husband finally managed it, albeit at the rather unenviable slot of 6.30pm .
Despite the greetings from the convivial staff I could not fail to notice the complete lack of character afforded to the beige coloured, faux-opulent dining space. The only hint of design came from a spell-bindingly hideous glass screen which ran the length of the room and would have been more at home on a cross channel ferry. Admittedly Michelin starred restaurants are rarely bastions of style fit to grace the pages of Wallpaper, however they should at the least be vaguely pleasing to the eye. Lighting is particularly important as it can cast unflattering shadows, in this case it came from some badly positioned overhead spotlights which had the effect of making both my husband and the food look less than their best.
We chose the Menu Prestige comprising seven small courses we hoped would show off the kitchens much lauded and documented skills. To begin an assortment of amuse bouche’s were brought- the most notable a pumpkin Veloute which was delicious despite being searingly hot.
The first course, peking duck and foie gras terrine worked harmoniously together, the chinese five spices and sweetness of the duck cut through the buttery, velvety texture and richness of the liver. Ravioli of lobster whilst visually appealing failed to impress , the pasta dough was a little too doughy and lacked the requisite lightness. More successful was a perfectly cooked fillet of turbot atop an interesting citrus reduction.
A meat dish comprising beef fillet and beef cheek atop truffle mash was without doubt the winner of the evening. The fillet was amongst the most tender I have ever tasted, sublime, whilst the cheek was rich and unctuous.
A huge selection of excellent French cheeses from the Fromagerie were ceremoniously wheeled out before the dessert - a pannacotta of such richness and magnitude that neither of us could eat more than half of it.
Ramsay’s restaurant fulfils every requirement one would expect from a 3 star Michelin restaurant. The service is impeccable, the dishes (on the whole) perfectly executed and the wine list extensive and balanced. Yet my main critiscm would be that it ers too heavily on the side of caution. The food lacks any distinctive or original flair, it uses all the luxurious ingredients one has come to expect such as foie gras, truffles…. in a predominantly predicatable and uninspiring fashion. The meal at Aubergine lingers in my memory because it captured my imagination and introduced me to flavors, textures and combinations that I had never been exposed to.
Neverthless Ramsays contribution to the British culinary scene should never be underestimated. He was instrumental in an exciting culinary movement that emerged in the mid 90’s and which instilled a sense of pride into a public which had traditionally been uninspired to take an interest in food. Furthermore he altered the way in which British chefs were percieved amongst the snotty arbiters of taste in Europe. Now it can no longer be implied that the Brits don’t know how to cook the likes of Heston Blumenthal, Gordon Ramsay and a whole army of rising stars have put those ghosts to rest.
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I’ve had mixed feelings about Mr Ramsay’s restaurants. I had a beautiful meal at Claridges on my 30th birthday which was marred by a visit to casualty about an hour later (long story) and really enjoyed Maze, though I have a feeling Jason Atherton’s time at El Bulli has more to do with that that anything else.
Great looking blog BTW.
Comment by Monkey Gland 02.21.06 @ 6:34 pmMonkey - I’d completely agree re Maze, between that and Royal Hospital Road I’d choose Maze every time.
Comment by Damo 02.21.06 @ 7:02 pmWhat a fantastic, well-balanced and very well written review. I totally agree with you about the blandness of the room, the perfect service, and the very well-executed but unfortunately not cutting-edge cuisine.
I have to say that one of the highlights of my week is watching Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares TV show. It’s so amazing clear just how mich he loves good food when I watch it.
Comment by Chubby Hubby 02.23.06 @ 6:42 amMonkey Gland - Thanks for your contribution to the Ramsay debate, the jury’s still out as far as i’m concerned.
I’m very curious about your Claridges experience did you have food poisining? If so that’s awful. I always here about people falling ill after food prepared in so-called top quality restaurants. In the media recently it was suggested that Ramsays kitchen did not meet good hygeine standards.
I’m a big fan of your blog BTW it’s good to have a fellow london food blogger.
Chubby Hubby - Sounds like we have similar thoughts regarding the overall Ramsay experience. I must admit I probably won’t return yet it was still a worth while trip.
Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares is totally addictive. This week one of the chefs collapsed and had to be admitted to the emergency room after one of Ramsay’s notorious rants!
Comment by GastroChick 02.23.06 @ 2:01 pmI wonder if some of the lack of excitement is because of the strictures of being a Michelin 3*. Michelin expect chefs to do certain things, tick the right boxes and if GR was aiming to be the only 3* in London he has to meet those criteria.
Have you been to Petrus? Marcus Wareing is a fantastic chef and although I wasn’t overly impressed with the room, the food and service were fantastic. Not overly challenging, but we had an engaging meal that resulted in lots of oohs and ahhs and debate about techniques and the like.
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Sounds heavenly. I wish I was there.
Comment by Lauren McLaughlin 02.21.06 @ 3:17 pm