hedone: hedonism for the mouth

Hedone.

One of the highlights of my last trip to London with Mr. Sazy Rock was a meal at Hedone. Our expectations were very high. Yet, Hedone still met them.

Let me explain. My brother in law dines at Hedone. A lot. As in he-dines-there-so-much-he-has-a-chair-with-a-plaque-with-his-name-on-it "a lot." He's been dining there since it opened and we think he's dined there over 200 times. When Mr. SR lived in London, he and my brother in law ate out a lot and talked about it. The bottom line is: we trust his palate.

So, on our recent trip, my brother in law treated us to a meal at his favorite restaurant. We went for lunch because we knew it was going to be a long lunch. As the restaurant's name suggests, we were in for a pleasurable meal, and we wanted it to last a very long time.

Hedone.

The restaurant is in Chiswick (pronounced Chis-ick), a London suburb near Heathrow Airport. My brother in law told me that if the weather is glorious, he usually walks from East London all the way to Chiswick, which is about a two to three hour walk. It's how he can afford to be hedonistic, I suppose, and not weigh a lot. When we went, we walked part of the way (to somewhat counter the effects of a very long lunch) and took the tube (their subway) the rest of the way. I must admit that Mr. SR and I were not quite in fighting form as my brother in law.

Mr. SR and his brother goes in to Hedone.

When we arrived at Hedone, we received a very warm welcome. After all, we were guests of a guy who has a chair with his name on it. (He was the first person to receive such a distinction. When we visited, another person has since received a similar distinction.) We were all seated at the bar. By the way, the best seats in the house are at the bar because those at the bar get to watch a relatively quiet kitchen prepare all the tasty dishes.

My Brother-in-law's Special Chair at Hedone.

The chef/owner is apparently a former attorney who cooks very well and has an intense obsession with ingredients - whether the quality or the provenance or both. The results of his intense obsession showed when the dishes started to arrive.

The Food

- Meringue Meyer Lemon with Foie Gras and Mushrooms - This was our first taste as my brother in law introduced us to the Chef and his partner/manager. It was sa nice first taste. The mushrooms were served raw and so fresh.

Meringue Meyer Lemon with Foie Gras and Mushrooms.

- Pea Cornet with Tuna Nicoise - This was our second taste, also served while we were chatting with the Chef (and I forgot to take a picture). Again, the ingredients were fresh and the dish itself was tasty.

- Inverted Sushi with Red Mullet and Sushi Rice Foam and Nori and Shiso - once seated, the Chef served us this beautiful dish.

Inverted Sushi.

- Fish and Chips with Potato Crisp and Monkfish and White Vinegar and Mushy Peas - The fish was enclosed in a light, thin and crisp potato. Again, it tasted fresh and clean.

Fish & Chips.

- Flan with Yuzu and Chia Seeds - This dish was very special. It was rich but light at the same time, with the sweet acidity of the yuzu.

Flan with Chia Seeds.

- Bao with Chestnut Flower and Ceps (mushrooms) inside.

Bao.

Inside the Bao.

- Peach Sorbet with Cherry Tomatoes and Chardonnay Vinegar - a perfect palate cleanser but I cannot emphasize enough how fresh the ingredients were.

Peach sorbet.

- Bread (using natural yeast) with Butter Loire l'antartique (doesn't fill you up) - Quite possibly the most addictive bread with its crunchy crust. They actually make their own bread and sell it at local stores. We did take a whole bread home but I'm bummed we forgot to take it back to the US with us.

Bread.

- Crab with Hazelnut Mayo and Crab Soup

Crab.

- Scallops - very meaty.

Scallops.

- Cuttlefish (meaty) with amontillado foam with Borlotti beans and broth with celery and peppers (sweet but had slight acidity that did not overpower) and sherry vinegar in the end.

Cuttlefish.

- Sea Bass with Rock Shrimp - The Chef was unhappy about this dish's saltiness and told off sous quietly. This was the only dish that had a flaw.

Sea Bass.

- Lobster from Devon.

Lobster.

 - Suckling Pig from French Basque - very rich and meaty (only dish that was cooked via sous vide for 24 hours at 62 degrees, then pan fried for crunch) and tarragon cuts into richness.

Suckling Pig.

- Mt. Saint Michel Lamb - perfectly cooked and not gamey.

Lamb.

 - Strawberry

Strawberry.

- Mille feuille - this dessert was so light and delicate.

Mille Feuille.

- Petit Fours

Petit Fours.

At some point, all our dishes had some kind of acidity. The chef told us that he used about 60-80 vinegars. The joy about his use of acidity was that it did not overpower the dish (as I've found in a lot of other restaurants).

After our meal, which lasted about four to five hours, we definitely had to be rolled off the place. We caught an Uber back because we could not possibly walk with such full bellies. But, we definitely had a pleasurable time and our palates were absolutely in awe.

The Price

I can't tell you the price because my brother in law was kind enough to treat us. But, whatever it was, it was well worth it.

The Verdict

Was the meal perfect? There were some flaws that appeared tiny in the general scheme of things so it seems silly now to even bring them up. But it would be fair to sum up the meal as almost perfect.

If you're in London and looking for a special meal, check out Hedone. And, if you see my brother in law's chair, try and see if it's him. If so, please tell him we said hi.