In the Kitchen: Marcus Wareing @ The Berkeley

June 26, 2010

In the Kitchen: Marcus Wareing @ The Berkeley

For most of us foodies, our passion doesn't stop at eating brilliant food, but also our interest in the process of bringing brilliant food from produce to plate.

Chef's tables are a novel way of getting into the kitchens of some of the most famous chef's immersing yourself in the kitchen, watching all the 10/15-odd Chefs de Partie bringing together magic on a plate and having it served straight up to you. Not many restaurants open themselves up to the public, and those that do tend to be fully booked. So in getting a booking for Marcus Wareing at the Berkeley on a Friday night (of all nights), well, that was in itself an amazing achievement!

One thing that you notice as you walk into the kitchen is how quiet it is. There's no whirring of an exhaust fan, no consistent clanging of pots and pans, no loud angry barking orders from the Chef. It was for most of the time we were there in utter silence and genuinely serene with every so often the silence being broken by the Chef as he read out the upcoming orders. In fact at most times in the night we felt our table was sometimes making too much of a racket!

Having such prime seats to such an entertaining theatrical production is definitely well worthwhile if nothing else just to feel the sense of the process from produce to plate, but also in having the chefs responsible for bringing together your plate describe the work involved in bringing the dish together. Sheer brilliance!

Chef's Table Menu - July 2010

Canapes:
Wafers with Creme Fraiche, Olives, Truffles (what first hits you is the smell, beautiful)
Pork and Sage Croquettes (it was like it was injected with some sage liquid in the middle)
Mushroom Tartlets