MAZE

I wasn’t able to get us a reservation at Gordon Ramsey’s Maze restaurant on Grosvenor Park until 10:30pm on Saturday night. I’m so glad we committed to a late-night feast—it was quite possibly the culinary highlight of the trip, if not the summer. I knew I would get to spend quality time with my mom on this trip but this experience, both the flavor adventure and the enlightening conversation, made it truly special. You know how when you’re having a really good time you suddenly take stock of the moment and make a mental note that you’re really happy? This was one of those nights.

The Maze menu is a complex labyrinth of small plates, though not tapas as I originally thought but mini-flavor adventures ranging from simple-sounding common fare described to blow your mind to combinations of tastes you’d never expect. I made 4 selections to constitute my amazing tasting-menu-type dinner. Upon discovering wine flights and not knowing which to choose, our sommelier suggested individually prepared flights based on each of our courses. Who could ask for anything more?

Course number 1: Chilled English Pea Veloute with Pea and Lobster Salad and a Parmesan Parfait paired with “Vignes Blanches” 2007 Henri Bourgeois Sancerre

This neon green souplike concoction arrived with pea shoots, teensy lobster chunks, and what I can only describe as beef jello in the bottom of a small bowl. The pea veloute was then poured into the bowl on top of the salad to add theater and flair. I wished I had a smaller spoon to savor it longer. The cool, grassy pea soup was so fresh it was like spring blossoming in my mouth. Icy lobster added just the right texture to complement the creamy soup. In between the salty beef gelatin that melted when it touched my tongue, the refreshing veloute, crisp pea shoots and the unique muscle-like quality lobster that combined into the soup, I was alternating bites of a crispy and sweet cracker sandwich toted as the pafait. It tasted like carmelized sugar crisps with iced butter in between and turned out to be paper-thin polenta with parmesan ice cream. Huh. The sweet Loire Valley Sancerre took on the flavor of summer peaches when paired with the pea veloute.

Course number 2: Pressed Foie Gras with Smoked Eel paired with a Clos Dady 2006 Sauternes

This was the course my mom and I doubled up on, we couldn’t resist fois gras! We’re pretty sure there were columns of bacon fat appearing, on the sliced pate on our plates like 3 buttons stacked on top of each other. As if the smooth texture of fois gras wasn’t decadent and buttery enough, the bacon-flavored—let’s call them buttons, that’s easier to keep typing than, well, fat—added an unheard of level of indulgence. The pate also had what felt and tasted like a salty shell around it. Next to the foie gras were slices of either plums or apples so thin you could see right through them and topped with a bite of smoked eel. Freshwater Unagi, BBQed atop sushi rice has a tender, meaty weight. This eel was the consistency of coarse jelly. Flavored with just a hint of fruit and smoke, I was intrigued by this feat of food engineering. How did the eel stay in one piece on the plums but disintegrate like sorbet in my mouth? The Sauternes cut the saltiness of the foie gras quite nicely though it’s rare for me to drink 2 glasses of sweet wines back to back. I was ready for something dry.

Course number 3: Slow-cooked Cod with Baked Clam and Smoked Prawn Butter paired with a 2007 J N Gagnard Chassagne-Montrachet Masques

This tasting dish kicked off with some theatrics while one server placed a bowl with sparkling white fish, prawn pieces and copious tarragon stalks in front of me as the other poured a frothy brown sauce over the dish. The cod was more firm than raw white fish but not nearly as rigid as fully cooked. The result was extra tender, flakey layers. The whole dish was extremely salty, which merited no single complaint from me, but I was inspired by the idea of a sauce made from shrimp reduction. I sensed the fish had been slow-cooked in salt water and the shrimp bites were equally saltaliscious. The clam shell filled and baked with brad crumbs and herbs reminded me of my godparent’s perfected annual New Year’s Eve dish. I resisted from licking the filling out and opted for a fork. The dry Chardonnay was just crisp enough to cut through all of the salty, complementary flavors.

Course number 4: Cornish Lamb and Tongue and Salt Marsh Mutton Shepherd’s Pie paired with a 2004 Massolino Piedmont Barolo

If this wasn’t the most beautifully plated dish, it was the most tasty. A nearly-rare lamb chop was precariously balanced on sweet cabbage and thin tongue then doused in wine gravy, peppercorns, capers and parmesan-herb crisps. I really think the best way to enjoy lamb is in very small portions like this. It’s so rich and flavorful, to be forced to savor each bite is best. On the side was a tiny ramekin of Shepherd’s Pie with ground lamb and creamy potatoes. It was confusing to me since it was kind of like getting two dishes and I hated to give one the spotlight when they were so equally delicious! My Barolo was just rich enough to balance the lamb dishes. My notes for this course were practically non-existent—I blame the initial French 75 followed by 3 glasses of wine and the fact that we were almost the last diners in the restaurant by this time—close to midnight!

Course number 5: Madagascan Vanilla Rice Pudding with Raspberry and Lemon-Thyme Jam and Clotted Cream Ice Cream

‘Nuff said.