Posh Food

What am I doing in Knightsbridge in a suit on one of the hottest saturdays of the year?
I'm one of the lucky few with a reservation for Thomas Kellers new pop up The French Laundry at Harrods.
I meet up with a friend and we make our way through the busy store and eventually through the designer childrens department which in itself is pretty mind boggling.
Once weve got there we see the main entrance and a little faugh garden with a champagne bar, we indulge ourselves with a glass and people watch while we wait for the remaining two guests.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v159/clever_pun/Restaurants/TheFrenchLaundry.jpg

When they arrive we are shown through to our table, the restaurant is inclosed by ruched white curtains, while nice enough not exactly the recreation of the original I'd been led to believe.
We all have a glass of champagne to start to allow us to peruse the menu and the daunting winelist. The winelist is nothing short of viciously expensive with wines reaching £40,000 that's not a typo, I feel this is more harrods than Chef Kellers doing.

Now onto the food, first up some amouse bouche
Atlantic Salmon Coronet in a seseme tuile and truffle this came with a little shoue pastry parcel filled with a warm greyure(I think) cheese.
It was like a salmon tartare shaped like an ice cream and with a cream cheese further down the tuile.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v159/clever_pun/Restaurants/FLSalmonCoronet.jpg

We were then presented with another plate of little delights.
First up a dehydrated tomato on some of the most expensive olive oil on the planet(they went into quite a lot of detail about it) it was like a gel rather than an oil and the tomatos flavour was really strong.
Second was a deep fried prawn(maybe) on some ranch dressing
Thirdly "Tea and biscuits" which comprised of shortbread a terrine of foie gras and topped with a beramont jelly. Topped with a red berry with a silver wrap. Yum
Last and certainly not least a BLT slow cooked pork, a pesto style sauce made from rocket and truffle in some deep fried bread. Very rich with only really slight truffly hints.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v159/clever_pun/Restaurants/FLamosebouche.jpg

Now we started the menu proper
"Oysters and Pearls" A signature dish with a Sabayon of pearl tapioca with oyster pearls and white sturgeon caviar, served with a mother of pearl spoon. Delicous incredibly buttery and rich, the caviar was subtle and complimented rather than overpower.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v159/clever_pun/Restaurants/FLOystersandPearls.jpg

"Salad of Hawaiian Hearts of Peach Palm" No picture of this one I'm afraid as I'd forgot and tucked into it before I realised. It looked a bit like the pickle and bonemarrow noma dish. It had dtaes, coconut, french laundry garden carrots (serious air miles), red radish and some candided Pili nuts. Very fresh, light and refreshing.

"Chowder" Sturgeon, on razor clams, sweetcorn, celeriac and applewood smoked sturgeon "Bacon". As a side there was some dehydrated sweetcorn. I'd never had sturgeon before a really meaty fish and the sauce was sublime. Amazing dish.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v159/clever_pun/Restaurants/FLChower.jpg

"Beets and Leeks" Sweet butter poached maine lobster, heirloom beets, leek "Mousseline" La ratte potato and red beet essense. The potato was baked and then dried and sliced incredibly thinly (its the crisp on top) the lobster was flown over live with someone looking after them..fancy flying and damn tasty they were too.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v159/clever_pun/Restaurants/FLBeetsandLeeks.jpg

"Poularde en Brioche" Moulard Duck foie gras au tourchon Warm sauternes gelee, tokyo turnips, green apples and a perigord truffle coulis
It was served like this
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v159/clever_pun/Restaurants/FLPouladeenBrioche.jpg
Then they brough over sausage shaped item that they explained was frozen foie gras which they grated over the top!! Amazing stuff
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v159/clever_pun/Restaurants/FLPoulardewtgratedfoiegras.jpg

"Calotte de Boeuf"Langue de Beoufe a little side of braised brisket, black trumpet mushrooms some musquee de provence pumpkin, fennel bulb and a delicious sauce bordelaise. The beef was so tender, wagyuesc and the sauce got thouroghly mopped up with bread.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v159/clever_pun/Restaurants/FLCalottedeboeuf.jpg

"Monte Cristo Sandwich" pleasant ridge reserve cheese, iberico ham, garden figs and maple syrup. The sandwich itself and all the parts, very clever, very tasty.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v159/clever_pun/Restaurants/FLMonteCristoSandwich.jpg

"Huckleberry Sorbet" two little huckleberry muffins with verbena. The verbena foam tasted like it should have been red if that makes sense.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v159/clever_pun/Restaurants/FLHuckleberrySorbet.jpg

"S'mores" Caramel delice, peanut buttter pave, tahition Vanilla marshmallow smear. Graham cracker and popcorn sherbet. Unbelievably rich and a total sugar fest of lovely

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v159/clever_pun/Restaurants/FLSMores.jpg

Finally we were delivered a spaceship looking plate
This was described as a night at the movies
from right to left
Cola jelly, potato chips, chocloate mint(there was a specific US name for this which escapes me), rootbeer float and choclate raisin sweet(again the name escapes me.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v159/clever_pun/Restaurants/FLMignardises.jpg

As we were to leave we were given a goodie bag which contained an angel cake with a little jar of rasberry marmelade. I had some yesterday and it's incredibly light and has a topping not unlike merangue. Great stuff.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v159/clever_pun/Restaurants/FLCake.jpg

The food was stunning, the place was a little stuffy but it was crazy hot outside. I suspect the overall experience would be enhanced by the actual restaurant and winelist and wine flight. I want to go and try it.