Until recently, Heston Blumenthal was best known for the molecular gastronomy (but don't call it that) at the award-winning Fat Duck in Bray, Berkshire, in Britain. But with the opening of Dinner by Heston at the Mandarin Oriental in London's Hyde Park, his cooking has taken a historic turn.
The brasserie has wowed diners with historical British dishes such as Meat Fruit, a chicken liver parfait that's served in a perfectly formed mandarin, and Savoury Porridge - cod cheeks, pickled beetroot, garlic and parsley, a dish that sounds a bit like congee but was actually taken from The Whole Body of Cookery, a British recipe book published in 1661.
With Dinner in the capable hands of the man frequently referred to as Blumenthal's protege, Ashley Palmer-Watts, Blumenthal confirms plans to roll out the resoundingly popular concept in different locations.
'Basically, we've created a model, a brasserie based on historical British cooking, so the whole idea is that it can be replicated,' he says.
'There are no immediate plans to open one just yet, but right from the beginning, we planned it so it could be rolled out in the future.'
Where would he like to open his next restaurant? 'I don't know. I'd love to do something in New York, but it would probably be Asia,' Blumenthal says. 'Hong Kong, Singapore and India all appeal, as they all have British connections and display Brit influence. I think something like Dinner could work really well in Hong Kong, and I'd certainly consider it. But the point of this concept is to take inspiration from whichever location we would be in, so we'd need to adapt the menu accordingly.'
