Overview
Restaurant Views: 2,963
Awards
- Eatinerary's
-
Eatinerary's Locals Short List
Chef
Mikael Jonsson
Cuisine
Contemporary French
Foodle Reviews
R.I.P. Hedone and some of the best cooking in London. You will be sorely missed by a lot of people. Mikael Jonsson cooked the best meal I have eaten in London. At least we still get to eat his bread š @hedonebakery @hedonelondon .
.
Michelin Guide - āļø
OAD list - 33rd European 2019
W50Best- .
#achefabroad #itravelforfood #foodie #foodies #foodporn #foodpic #foodpics #finedining #michelindining... More
R.I.P. Hedone and some of the best cooking in London. You will be sorely missed by a lot of people. Mikael Jonsson cooked the best meal I have eaten in London. At least we still get to eat his bread š @hedonebakery @hedonelondon .
.
Michelin Guide - āļø
OAD list - 33rd European 2019
W50Best- .
#achefabroad #itravelforfood #foodie #foodies #foodporn #foodpic #foodpics #finedining #michelindining #eats #instafoodie #michelinstar #oad #worlds50bestrestaurants #worlds50best #eater #iphonexsmax #michelinguide #foodlepro #influencer #influencers #eaterlondon #londonfoodies #londoneater #hedone #mikaeljƶnsson #londoneats Less
Authorās note: Hedone announced it closed permanently as of 1 June 19.
Hedone has changed its menu format over the years since my last visit in 2014 and therefore a third visit now was well merited. This was a lunch meal trying the only set menu on offer, which for this service, was a āblindā 7-course tasting menu at Ā£105 pp. All in, the bill came to Ā£187 per person including a young, but decent bottle of 2017 Chardonnay: Duresses, Douhairet-Porcheret. The food remains at a very... More
Authorās note: Hedone announced it closed permanently as of 1 June 19.
Hedone has changed its menu format over the years since my last visit in 2014 and therefore a third visit now was well merited. This was a lunch meal trying the only set menu on offer, which for this service, was a āblindā 7-course tasting menu at Ā£105 pp. All in, the bill came to Ā£187 per person including a young, but decent bottle of 2017 Chardonnay: Duresses, Douhairet-Porcheret. The food remains at a very strong 1 Michelin starred standard but I couldnāt help but notice that the restaurant/team felt and looked a little tired and weary as an overall atmosphere. Click the button below for a full rundown of this meal.
Hedone has gone through some fragile times internally in the last two years so I gather, with its future direction uncertain. That said, it was good to get back and see what the menu was looking like in 2019. The meal started with a foie gras parfait canapĆ© with delicate red pepper coating and fino sherry gel on the top which was of a superb standard of parfait, the lightest of crisp coatings and the tart of the gel working beautifully together. Next up was the amuse bouche of savoury custard made with shiro dashi (a soup base made from bonito / kombu dashi and white soy sauce), with a pea puree and with fresh green peas. This really was first class ā the dashi custard perfectly warm and smooth, complimenting the flavour of the pea puree well and with the superb peas bursting in the mouth with their freshness and providing a great texture as well.
Hand dived scallops from the Isle of Man came in a broth made from coconut and lemongrass with herb oil and courgette pieces for crunch. The scallops themselves were perfectly cooked and were of excellent quality, but the overall flavour of the broth was a little bland and not one of the best courses. White asparagus came next with Romaine lettuce purĆ©e, hollandaise foam with smoked paprika powder. As much as I was really looking forward to this, it didnāt provide the punch the table was hoping for. White asparagus has to be peeled like a potato as the outside skin is extremely course and gets its colour from being grown in the dark, having being denied the opportunity to photosynthesize, hence its colour and the flavour of these white asparagus was delicate but the overall texture not hugely enjoyable (overall flabby with all components).
A slice of the fillet of sea bass was next which was a delightful piece of cooking. The quality of this fish was superb (so succulent and packed with flavour) with a beautifully crispy skin. Seabass has a notoriously short cooking window to be perfect, so this was very well cooked and the base sauce using taggiasca olives (named after the village of its origin in NW Italy near the border with France and famed for being smaller, with low acidity, greater sweetness and never bitter) was a perfect accompaniment. A simple and great dish.
Lamb from central France was the main and only meat dish and was served with fennel salad, an artichoke slice and raisins. The lamb itself was cooked as well as it could have been but I was immediately reminded of far superior lamb at other 1 Michelin starred and Michelin recommended restaurants (Ynyshir Restaurant, Sosban at The Old Butchers and Kutir to name a few). However, the raisins mixed with harissa (a North African chilli paste made with peppers) was an absolute masterstroke and the dish was considerably boosted and almost saved with this addition ā a winning level of tang and moisture assisting the naughty levels of lamb fat on the dish, supported and balanced by the crunch and moist fennel salad.
The pre-dessert was French meringue with strawberries and cream. French style meringue is often softer on the outside than Swiss meringue (and so I, personally, find it more enjoyable as a result). The strawberry espuma was as light and sweet as could be hoped for and overall the dish was a melt in the mouth and a wonderfully light palate wash. The only negative here is that a couple of the strawberries on my plate had old skin in parts and is a notch down from what is expected at this level. The main dessert itself was a coffee mousse in a chocolate glaze on a yuzu biscuit with a white miso ice cream. The chocolate and mousse were very well done, however, I felt the savoury notes might have actually been better in a pre-dessert as a cross over, opposed to the finishing touch. An ok end to the meal.
A word on the service and overall experience (which, as a refresh has nothing to do with my overall grade). Iām fairly sure that a great deal of the time diners cannot fully keep up with waiting staff explanations of what dishes are, but donāt wish to risk delay or cause a scene by asking again and again as waiting staff are busy. Iām equally sure that this usually results in about 60-70% of the description being understood on average (and sometimes 0%) which is politely followed by a retreating smile and nod. I mention this as the delivery on this occasion was machine-gun fast in thick accents and it was obvious that the staff, in general, wanted to get away from the table as quickly as possible with any questions to clarify what was said, seeming to be a nuisance. Now, I can (sort of) understand this if a restaurant is extremely busy, but the restaurant was only half full, if that, with a ratio of one waiting staff to approx. two tables, so there was plenty of time to deal with a few more seconds to be fully understood.
I think it was the fourth course where the waiting staff finally knew that I wasnāt going to shy away from asking about details that were incomprehensible (especially as I need to ask for the purpose of these reviews). And to their credit, they did finally make an effort to slow down explanations, but I suspect only as a result of polite persistence (I would also bet green money that this was reluctant and not the norm). Whinge over, but it does add to the overall experience which, as a restaurant visit, was not up there with the greats.
As we dined, we saw the executive chef at the bar on his headphones through the afternoon to periodically monitor the kitchen ā nothing wrong with this of course, but it added to what I sensed, which was a slightly joyless atmosphere among the team as a whole. The image of the brilliant Mikael Jonsson at the bar, combined with the functional service gave this impression. I have complete respect for the Executive Chefās knowledge, philosophy of cooking and design of the dishes, but the restaurant did feel a little gloomy and borderline dour on occasion.
However, the cooking was excellent, with moments that would not be out of place at 2 Michelin starred level, but overall, it sat appropriately in the 1 star family and is definitely in the strongest quadrant. Maybe, I have just been unlucky on my visits here and not caught it at its absolute primeā¦
https://major-foodie.com/hedone/
https://instagram.com/richardbagnold Less
It has been too long!
The most ingredient driven restaurant in London (and maybe in Europe) served another stunning meal. From the scallops, which were still alive when served and then only gently cooked in the broth, to the sweetbread, which had the perfect texture and flavour, everything was perfect.
But all of this was topped by an unbelievable Foie Grass. I have never had such a wonderful piece before, perfect taste and texture. Absolutely next level.
Dinner at Hedone. This is my third visit and I am still enjoying the food and experience but the meal tonight was good but did not blow me away. However, that is not necessarily what I am now looking from this restaurant. Itās becoming more like a local eatery to me now rather than a destination āblow your mindā restaurant. The service is intensely personal (if Mikael likes you) with the chef remembering the dishes he cooked for you last week or even (as in my case) 5 months ago, and ensuring... More
Dinner at Hedone. This is my third visit and I am still enjoying the food and experience but the meal tonight was good but did not blow me away. However, that is not necessarily what I am now looking from this restaurant. Itās becoming more like a local eatery to me now rather than a destination āblow your mindā restaurant. The service is intensely personal (if Mikael likes you) with the chef remembering the dishes he cooked for you last week or even (as in my case) 5 months ago, and ensuring that no dishes are repeated. No mean feat when he has regular diners here that eat once a week. On my second visit, he remembered me I think because we had chatted about the industry and discovered that we have some mutual friends, and so he made me go through my iPhone to hunt down the pictures I took of my first meal (including the wine) so as to ensure he could offer new dishes and wines. His wine knowledge is immense and I find myself praying that as he introduces, pours and describes each wine in great depth, he wonāt ask me any wine questions as I am certain I would make a fool of myself. Both the restaurant and the chef Mikael Jonsson are very divisive and discussed a lot. In my opinion this can only be a good thing. He has a very direct and honest personality which I know some people find hard. He is not afraid to tell you what he thinks and if he thinks you are talking nonsense about his food then he will have no time for you at all. But, on the other hand, if he sees you as someone who is coming back because you enjoy and appreciate good food and wine, and a restaurant that can provide that, then you have struck gold. It can get expensive, this meal was the āCarte Blancheā menu at Ā£135 and a prestige wine tasting at Ā£195, but ended up being close to Ā£500 with add ons (truffle dishes and a cheese plate instead of composed cheese course).
This did irk me slightly, as I think the very idea of a carte blanche menu is that the chef should be unleashing all the bells and whistles rather than saying that actually you are only getting the bells and that the whistles are an extra seventy quid. The truffles I guess I can accept that, but there should certainly be a choice of being able to have the cheese plate included in the price if you would prefer that to the composed plate.
It is fairly hard to spend Ā£500 in any London restaurant including the 3*s unless you decide to push it on the wine. So to spend that amount at a 1* out in Chiswick might seem crazy to some. However, the way I look at it is that next time I go back I can have the 7 courses with the regular pairing and escape for half that, but I donāt know a lot (if any) restaurants at this level or any level really that will treat me so well on a regular basis. So that is why I will go back again and again.
Itās still my #1 recommendation in London. But.....not for everyone. Less
Back for more from the Master. His scallops are just to die for.
Recommended in London
-
- Engawa
- 2 Ham Yard, Soho, London W1D 7DT, UK
-
1 Meal
-
- BAO Fitzrovia
- 31 Windmill St, Fitzrovia, London W1T 2JN, UK
-
1 Meal
-
- Patty & Bun
- 55 Goodge St, Fitzrovia, London W1T 1TQ, UK
-
OAD 114
-
1 Meal
-
- MĆ£os
- 41 Redchurch Steet, London E2 7DJ, UK
-
12 Meals
-
- The Ledbury
- 127 Ledbury Rd, London W11 2AQ, UK
-
oOAD 35EC #33LL #1234RR #87
-
10 Meals
Address
301-303 Chiswick High Rd, Chiswick, London W4 4HH, UK
Hours
Phone
+44 20 8747 0377
Website
http://www.hedonerestaurant.com/