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Published: June 29th 2018
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Michelin Star Count: Today 1; Trip 12!
So first thing this morning we hopped on the tube and popped on over to Westminster Abbey, a centuries old Abbey in the heart of London, directly across from parliament. Passed by Big Ben on the way but he must be terribly under the weather! Covered pretty much everywhere but the clock face for restoration. A quick breakfast in the cafe at the abbey (nothing to write home about but on the property) and then around to get in line to get into the Abbey (NB. Buy tickets in advance from the Abbey website, will save you an hour easily). As soon as I walked through the door, headed to counter number 2 in order to sign up for a tour from a Verger. Well worth the 5 pounds per person. A 90 minute tour around the facility including a couple spots you can only see on the tour. Got to see the throne where the queen was crowned, stood in the hall where many a royal wedding has taken place and saw Stephen Hawkings tomb (the abbey pays homage to many different classes of people - writers, musicians, scientists and
a few weeks back, Stephen Hawking took his place next to Newton.
After the tour we headed to Hedone, a resto we looked at when we first started planning but wrote off because it is a bit of a subway ride to get there but when the Mandarin hotel caught fire a few weeks back, Dinner by Heston closed and we lost our reservation and had to come up with an alternate. Hedone it was. We were unbelievably lucky to get a reservation. What you are about to read could only be referred to as food porn (but hey...you are just reading for the articles right!). The menu at Hedone has 3 options which I will describe as peckish, a little hungry or feed me man. You have a choice of a 4 course, 7 course or 10 course menu. We opted for the 10 course Carte Blanche and you should too (but plan 4 hours to eat). Hedone will serve you whatever they find at the market that day. And it may not be what they served yesterday and may not even be what they serve the table next to you. If they only have enough
for you, the other guy does not get any. With no menu to follow along with, I tried to capture everything they told me but I know I missed some finer details but suffice to say, the list below is a pretty close representation! This was by far the best meal of the trip and probably the best meal since Gastrologique in Stockholm a few years back. Pics of course are below. But here was lunch:
• Tuna tartare
• Fois gras parfait with black garlic in a beet wrapper
• Scottish scallops in a Japanese glaze with micro shiso leaves
• Dorset Oyster in an apple jelly with wasabi and lime
• Sea plankton royale with smoked eel and caviar
• House sourdough
• Warm mixed seasonal salad with hollandaise
• Lobster tail with coconut foam and cauliflower purée
• John Dory with an olive veloute
• Veal sweetbread with pea purée and black trumpet mushrooms
• BBQ duck foie gras with secret recipe sauce and cherries
• Roasted squab pigeons with pistachio purée and heart and kidney gravy
• White chocolate mousse with lemon cream on a coconut disk
• Caramel and apple
• Cinnamon
raspberry chocolate and strawberry jelly
Yep! That was a 4 hour lunch. BLEW MY MIND. Why this guy only has one Michelin star I do not understand...
After lunch we hauled ourselves back to Piccadilly to do a little shopping before Harry Potter part 2. Simply an excellent play. Not going to post any content (too easy to spoil) but if you are in London (or NYC), pop in. 5 1/2 hours over two parts but well worth it.
Tomorrow we hop a taxi to the airport first thing and are back on Canadian soil in time for dinner. Been a whirlwind Trip and thanks for reading!
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