Three Michelin Star-awarded Heston Blumenthal and his restaurant, The Fat Duck, have been at the forefront of modern culinary arts for their unique developments in food pairing, multi-sensory tasting experiences, and flavour encapsulation for nearly three decades. With a new menu, Topsy-Turvy at The Fat Duck was inspired by Heston’s curiosity for creating and experimenting with the unordinary: reversing the way we think and eat.
The Topsy-Turvy Concept: Pure Imagination
The specific concept behind Topsy-Turvy is inspired by Heston’s curiosity about everything. Inevitability, he contemplated eating the Fat Duck menu in reverse, as a way of shaking up perceptions and preconceived notions. Their main philosophy being, who knows what you could discover?
This one-of-a-kind restaurant, The Fat Duck, has been inspired by the likes of Alice in Wonderland and Willy Wonka, boasting the most surprising, inventive, theatrical, and luxurious creations on a plate. Chef Blumenthal’s mission, through this concept, is to inspire and delight through an all-encompassing sensory journey. The chefs at The Fat Duck have mastered the art of bringing about memories and emotions through their cooking.
Heston Blumenthal
Heston Blumenthal received an OBE for services to British Gastronomy in 2006 and in 2013, he was granted a coat of arms resembling his contributions to culinary arts. For over 25 years, Heston and his team have been questioning everything in the culinary world, taking inspiration from science, film, history, top-notch ingredients, and more…harnessing their inner creativity, much like Willy Wonka: “You should never, never doubt something that no one is sure of.” Heston changed the face of the British culinary scene single-handedly and is the inspiration and role model for so many people in hospitality.
The Science and Reality of ‘Topsy Turvy’
Now, we are all left guessing, how could starting with dessert be justified? Well, Heston says the ‘Topsy Turvy’ menu is astoundingly gut-friendly and gastronomic. The science behind reverse eating actually triggers tastebuds at their most receptive, and nourishes the imagination. He reveals that our normal eating habits are actually anything but normal; forks weren’t used in England until the 1600s, sweet dishes weren’t featured until the 18th century, and so on. The most testifiable fact being that everyone loves a good bowl of cereal before bed…
Heston created a multi-sensory world in his establishment; where they use sound, smell, and taste to play with perception and enhance the dining experience from changing the lighting at every table throughout the experience to a multi-sensory seafood dish that uses audio to alter perception. But this isn’t the first time Heston has challenged norms in the kitchen; his most famous pioneering dishes include the famous Egg & Bacon Ice Cream, Snail Porridge, and White Chocolate & Caviar.
The reality? It worked. Starting with dessert (and dessert wine) was unusual. It felt wrong but after the next course (the main course of Hereford Beef), I did feel quite full as that was what my brain was telling me. Main course = full and it’s nearly the end. BUT when the next course arrived, I felt stimulated, hungry and excited. The ultimate test was in the hours that passed by after the 12-course lunch. Usually, a nap is required and the declaration of never eating again but I was ready in the evening for some snacks and my mum even suggested a curry!
Image: Luxuriate Life Magazine.
The Topsy Turvy Menu: What We Had
The much-anticipated menu in reverse is a thrilling ride of flavours and sensations: starting with Like a Kid in a Sweet Shop where two soft lemon pie caramels were placed in our hands complete with edible wrappers appearing from a replica model of The Fat Duck with really intricate detailing. The bill was presented with tokens (that looked edible but were not!) that are inserted into the sweet shop.
Following this performance, the Black Forest Gateau. The bottom layer begins with an almond base, kirsch ganache, and aerated chocolate, which creates an ever so light, airy, and a bit nutty cocoa base. It is surrounded by a flocage, which literally texturises the surface by applying an outer coat of very fine particles. The final decadent layers are composed of a chocolate sponge, griottine cherry, white and dark chocolate mousse, and more amarena cherries. The luxurious pairing of chocolate cake with juicy cherries and a velvety ganache kick started the meal and really opened our appetites.
Breakfast made an appearance over two courses starting with a really fun parsnip cereal with parsnip milk. Miniature cereal boxes reminiscent of everyone’s childhood contained a small package of dehydrated parsnip-infused cereal that was crunchy and sweet. The next course of pain perdu was a real tribute to everything The Fat Duck stands for – fun, creativity and flavour. We enjoyed this course in the kitchen where Abbi Thornton was orchestrating the intricacies of this world-famous kitchen. The pain perdu had a crunchy caramel coating, topped with a caramelised bacon rasher and of course, the iconic bacon and egg ice cream. The ice cream has its origins in Heston questioning the rule that you don’t heat an ice cream base above 85°C. Out of curiosity, he did, and got an ice cream with bursts of eggy flavour that reminded him of cutting into a boiled or fried egg. Bacon & egg ice cream was hatched.
As well as intermediate courses, canapés and snacks, the main course began with the Beef Royale, a very delicate cut of Hereford beef accentuated by a mushroom ketchup and tastefully smoked anchovies. This came alongside the most delicious veal sweetbread mash.
Sound of the Sea. This crustaceous platter offers not only the finest tuna, halibut, and octopus, but an imaginative experience through oceanic sounds. The dish presents an array of fresh seafood, topped with ice lettuce, samphire, sea jelly bean, and oyster leaf. On the side, it is garnished with kombu-shiitake foam as well as miso-tapioca starch-panko breadcrumb “sand.” A seashore soundtrack is played through the headphones, amplifying the salinity of the dish. Perhaps, Topsy-Turvy is known for just this: the stimulation of the mind alongside the physical senses.
To cleanse the palate, the next course consists of herby delights, Jerusalem artichoke ice cream, and smoked cumin royale. Some call this light and refreshing dish the gin and tonic in food form: Tonic of Botanicals! The dish is rather light and airy, with earthy and savoury tones. Heston was one of the first chefs to elevate savoury ice creams and these are now the norm, a testament to the approach of The Fat Duck.
The Aerated Beetroot dish really captured our attention. A horseradish-infused macaroon looks great and ignites the taste buds. The earthy flavours and bold red colour percolate the senses and stimulate appetite. The sweetness of a beet meets the delicate natural heat of horseradish.
LIKE A KID IN A SWEET SHOP
BLACK FOREST GATEAU
BEEF ROYALE
Mushroom ketchup, smoked anchovies, veal sweetbread
SOUND OF THE SEA
Halibut, yellowfin tuna, octopus, seaweed and greens
TONIC OF BOTANICALS
Green herbs, Jerusalem artichoke ice cream, smoked cumin royale
AERATED BEETROOT
Beetroot, horseradish
NITROAPERITIF
A choice of: Gin & Tonic, Campari & Soda or Vodka Lime Sour
Where it all begins or ends?
Their final showcase on the menu, the Nitro Apéritif, emulates a unique mixology experience with a liquid nitrogen-enhanced apéritif. A creamy mousse of your choice; Vodka Sour, Paloma, or French Martini, is poured into a liquid nitrogen-lined bucket. The mixture is dropped into the -196°C liquid nitrogen and poached until solidified. At this moment, one should watch the magic happen and let their imagination flow. The frozen puff is to be sprinkled with a garnish and enjoyed straight away, feeling the sensation slowly disappear and flood their taste buds, all at once. The experience is astoundingly bright, unique, and refreshing, awakening the palate and senses.
What about the drinks?
There are a range of menus and drinks experiences to go with the menus. The liquid experience here is inventive and goes way beyond wine. The Sommeliers have created a wide range of pairings to match the menus. Drink pairings are organised by feelings and for this menu, the drinks pairings was all about exploring the brilliant flavour range and diversity of sake (from the foremost Japanese producers, produced and aged by traditional techniques), along with exciting world wines. The topsy-turvy menu was paired with some brilliant drinks including a Junmai Ginjo Nama Genshu with Sounds of the Sea and a yuzu dessert sake Ume no Yado. The meal was finished with a TFD non-alcoholic martini infused with lemon.
One-of-a-Kind
Three Michelin Star restaurant, The Fat Duck, has pioneered modern French culinary arts for nearly three decades, and Topsy Turvy concept embodies everything that is great about culinary arts. Inspired by Heston’s motivation for experimentation, the experience shakes up perceptions. It not only sparks questions about the way we view gastronomy but the order in which we enjoy food. At Topsy-Turvy, the adventure of sweet delights that leads to savoury will have your imagination and appetite brimming and wanting more. The astounding cuisine and experiential elements are truly one of a kind, and after all, who knows what you could discover?
For more information, visit thefatduck.co.uk/topsy-turvy
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All imagery courtesy of The Fat Duck.