Hedone

For J's birthday we enjoyed a fancy meal at Hedone restaurant.  Hedone was recently ranked amongst the top 100 restaurants of the world and to our enjoyment, is located on the High Street in our town.  The outside of the restaurant is very unassuming and I had walked by dozens of time without every noticing it.  We were a few minutes early so the wait staff was still setting up when we walked in.  Chef Jonsson, the head chef, was actually the first person to welcome us into the restaurant.  

The chefs work in an open kitchen and since we were the first to arrive we were offered a prime spot at the counter overlooking the operation.  We passed this time but may opt for it next time.  I still had a nice view of the kitchen from my seat though.  One of the many things we appreciated about this restaurant was that the head chef was actually there - plating food, overseeing the meals, speaking with the staff and every so often even the diners.  With the chef being there it feels much more authentic versus the bevy of 'celebrity chef' restaurants where the meal prep has been delegated to others.  That's Chef Jonsson over J's shoulder.

We chose the tasting menu so that we could get a nice sampling of dishes.  The meal started with oysters on the half shell topped with shallots, granny smith apples and edible flowers.  The oysters themselves were cooked in a way that made them resemble a mousse and the shells were sitting on a bed of rock salt.  We were instructed to pick up the oyster shells and down the oysters in one bite.  I'm not usually a fan of oysters but these were pretty tasty.

The meat course was squab, claws on.  When we ordered we were told that the the chef prepares the meat rare.  Luckily we opted for medium but I still found it a little hard to eat.  The squab was accompanied by beet root prepared five ways, including a sauce with some foie gras.

There was a palate cleansing dish of rhubarb sorbet with frozen lemon meringue pellets and then a cheese course.  The dessert course was a hot chocolate pudding covered by a wafer sprayed with raspberry powder and topped with a scoop of ice cream.  Once again we had eating instructions - spoon through all layers to enjoy the mixture of flavors and the hot/cold sensation. 

Our favorite dish of the night was liquid parmesan ravioli.  The three raviolis arrived in a broth and once again we had instructions, this time to eat the ravioli whole.  When we bit into the ravioli it burst into our mouth with hot liquid and a strong parmesan taste. It was a complete surprise and shock to the system, but a welcome one.  Talk about a flavor explosion!

J had been under the weather all day, but he certainly perked up as the meal progressed.  Every dish was interesting both in flavor and preparation.  The restaurant was very welcoming and had a casual upscale feel.  It actually felt more like a nothern california restaurant than a british one.  We started comparing it to our meal at Manresa in Los Gatos.  But we agreed, Hedone was a bit better. The restaurant was more intimate, the dishes more interesting.  When we were paying we started chatting with the host.  It turns out the chef at Manresa and the chef at Hedone are actually best friends.  Small world.

While it was a pricey outing (although still a ways off from our bill at The French Laundry), it was an enjoyable one and we definitely hope to make a return visit.  We were told that the menu changes constantly depending on the best produce and ingredients the chef can lay his hands on so we're bound to have a different but equally enjoyable meal the next time around.

Happy Birthday, J!