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Fay Maschler's rating
The French Laundry at Harrods
By
Fay Maschler
3 Oct 2011
Approached through children's designer clothes on the fourth floor, The French Laundry pop-up occupies a corner of Harrods's Georgian Restaurant.
From Yountville California, The French Laundry is the creation of chef Thomas Keller and has twice been named best restaurant in the world.
Ruched white net curtains close off the 70-seater dining area. It seems a far cry from a rustic two-storey stone building in Napa Valley.
The nine-course printed menu is enlarged with unheralded canapés such as the Atlantic salmon cornet in a sesame seed tuile and truffle and "tea and biscuits" featuring terrine of foie gras and bergamot shortbread.
No ingredient is repeated within the lengthy parade of tastes. Some are sublime, such as the Salad of Hawaiian Hearts of Peach Palm, which includes imported radishes surely showing the biggest carbon footprint for an eentsy vegetable ever recorded. The Chowder made with Sacramento sturgeon, razor clams, sweet corn and celeriac is sublime. "Chef Keller likes to eat salt and sweet when he goes to the movies", is the explanation for the caramel, peanut butter, Tahitian vanilla marshmallow and graham cracker content of the "S'mores", followed, of course, by mignardises and an angel cake to take home.
Runs until Monday October 10.
Details are correct at the time of publication - please check with venue before booking.
Reader views (1)
One word: fantastic.
The Wolf & Badger team were fortunate enough to host a press-lunch here on the 6th and it blew us away.
Well done team Keller.
- George Graham - Wolf & Badger, London, UK, 07/10/2011 13:43
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