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Some background information: I'm presently living in Tokyo, and plan to do so in the near future. My GF is visiting me for Christmas, and since we both like to think that we are foodies, we planned this vacation primarily around food. Photo credits go to my lovely GF.
We are in the process of creating a blog, but I'll make sure to always post a TL version here. The contents should be largely similar, but the TL version will be more of a draft.
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Even though neither of us are Christians, we both feel that Christmas is something special, and we decided that a Christmas lunch is in order. Having never dined at a Gordon Ramsay restaurant, and being a big fan of "Hell's Kitchen", the "Gordon Ramsay’s Perfect Christmas Lunch" was just too convenient to pass up. The restaurant is located atop of the Conrad hotel in Shiodome (near Ginza), and has been awarded one star.
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Moving onto the dishes!
Canapé -- [A canapé is a small hors d’oeuvre, similar to amuse-bouche, but bread-based and eaten with fingers.]
![[image loading]](http://dl.dropbox.com/u/20968/photos/2011.12.23.gordon.ramsay/GR_DSC04085 (Small).jpg)
The canapé served was a creamy dip made with cod roes. The mousse was slightly watery in consistency, but had a nice hint of lemon citrus and sweetness. However, I felt, overall, for the very first “course” for lunch, it was too heavy, and I would have preferred a much more citrus and refreshing taste.
Amuse-bouche -- [Amuse is an hors d’oeuvre that’s much closer to an appetizer; it’s meant to showcase the chef’s cooking style and acts as an introduction to the meal to come.]
![[image loading]](http://dl.dropbox.com/u/20968/photos/2011.12.23.gordon.ramsay/GR_DSC04088 (Small).jpg)
The amuse had a very elegant presentation, and I was very impressed. Similar to the canapé, I felt that amuse was extremely heavy and lacking citrus. There was no ‘kick’ in the flavours to jolt-start my so-called “perfect Christmas lunch”. At this point, I had a distinct feeling that the entire meal was going to be incredibly heavy.
Spiced parsnip soup [- with ballotine of confit chicken leg, bacon and pine nut crumbs]
![[image loading]](http://dl.dropbox.com/u/20968/photos/2011.12.23.gordon.ramsay/GR_DSC04090 (Small).jpg)
The soup was extremely delicious, and possibly the best dish of all dishes. The soup had a nice note of sweetness, and extremely smooth and consistent texture. The chicken confit was sandwiched between something that was possibly chestnut on the bottom, and bacon and pine nut crumbs, which offered contrast in texture and a nice aroma.
Overall, the soup was still slightly too creamy for me, but I felt that was more of an aftereffect of the heavy canapé and amuse. This was definitely one of the best soups I had tasted.
Beetroot marinated salmon gravadlax [-- with goat’s cheese mousse and black and purple mustard]
![[image loading]](http://dl.dropbox.com/u/20968/photos/2011.12.23.gordon.ramsay/GR_DSC04092 (Small).jpg)
This was by far my least favourite dish of the meal. First off, the smoked salmon had a slimy and chewy texture, and was served at a temperature that was much too warm for my liking (something close to body temperature I would guess). The dill on top was too subtle and added almost nothing in terms of taste as it was completely overpowered by the smoky flavours of the salmon. The mustard sauce was very elegant looking, but similar to the dill, it added no dimensions in terms of taste. I was desperately looking for the tanginess in the sauce that wasn’t there. The entire dish felt extremely flat, nothing other than the warm salmon came through. The beet and the goat cheese were actually a very nice pairing, but again, I was disappointedly left looking for something zesty and refreshing. I felt this dish was the epitome of a heavy dish that offered absolutely no breaks on the plate, for an appetizer no less.
Traditional roast turkey and chestnut stuffing [-- with chipolata wrapped in bacon, all the festive trimmings, cranberry sauce and roast gravy]
![[image loading]](http://dl.dropbox.com/u/20968/photos/2011.12.23.gordon.ramsay/GR_DSC04096 (Small).jpg)
This main was honestly nothing too special. The white meat was a little dry, and the gravy was a little watery, but overall, a decent cut of white meat. The sausage was herby, and the bacon was crispy. The vegetables were extremely buttery, but nicely cooked. The cranberry sauce went very well with the dark meats and trimmings. This was overall a very solid turkey main, but nothing too special.
Traditional roast beef rib-eye [-- with Yorkshire pudding, all the festive trimmings, horseradish cream and roast gravy]
![[image loading]](http://dl.dropbox.com/u/20968/photos/2011.12.23.gordon.ramsay/GR_DSC04097 (Small).jpg)
A few of the pieces were definitely too rare for my liking, but most of them were medium-rare to medium, which were perfect. Everything on the plate was delicious and exactly what I expected when I think of “roast beef”. One minor gripe I had with this dish was my Yorkshire pudding came out looking deformed, but it tasted great.
Similar to the turkey dish, it was a very solid entrée, but nothing too special.
Christmas spiced apple tart [-- with cinnamon ice cream]
![[image loading]](http://dl.dropbox.com/u/20968/photos/2011.12.23.gordon.ramsay/GR_DSC04102 (Small).jpg)
I’m not a dessert person, so I’ll be brief. The apple tart was very crispy, not too sweet, and overall very well-balanced.
Christmas pudding [-- with brandy custard and rum and raisin ice cream]
![[image loading]](http://dl.dropbox.com/u/20968/photos/2011.12.23.gordon.ramsay/GR_DSC04099 (Small).jpg)
This cake had a very complex flavours: a hint of burnt brandy bitterness followed by a refreshing
fruity and nutty taste.
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Overall, to be honest, I wasn't overly impressed with the entire meal, I just felt everything was extremely heavy and lacked necessary breaks. However, having said that, the mains were definitely very solid; everything you'd expect from a good restaurant. And the soup and the desserts were outstanding. I'm sure Gordon would vehemently disagree and call me a "fucking donkey" or something of those effects. Hey, what the hell, what do I know?
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Hope you enjoyed, more coming shortly!
