Advent present 4 - Fat Duck food

Today my virtual present to you is the tasting menu at the Fat Duck restaurant run by Heston Blumenthal. Before you read on click on the link above, choose the site and choose 'menu' then 'tasting menu.'

Now you have seen the price you will understand why I have never actually been to this place. Indeed until I heard the chef being interviewed on Michael Parkinson's Sunday Supplement on BBC radio 2 last week( you can listen to the interview on playback here until the next programme starts on Sunday at 11am) I had dismissed what I had heard of his food as pretentious tosh.

However, you will see that your fish course is to be 'Sound of the Sea'. This is a glass platter with sand trapped between the sheets. Ontop a sand like base is made with tapioca, edible seaweed is added and frothed oyster replecates sea froth. The seafood you eat is served on top with a conch shell on the side. In the conch shell (and this is where I started to laugh) is an Ipod nano. You put the earphones on and get the sound of the sea while you eat.

Oh, Ho-Kay! But - bear with me. This stems from research they did as to how your taste and perception of a dish is affected by the sounds you hear when you eat it Suddenly I got it and now I want to go because really its just design and embellishment with food. Ok I accept there are moral issus with some pepole for using food as play ( and about the fois gras on the menu so skip that course if you like) but I do think it would enhance or quilt design processes to experience his art at a group meal, no?! I mean - what music do you think people should be listening to while they look at your latst quilt?