This past month my sister has been OBSESSED with watching Hell’s Kitchen on Netflix. I think she’s developed a serious crush on Gordon Ramsay and his swearing, blustering, slightly misogynistic demeanour (the kind that will probably not be tolerated in the current climate of #timesup and #metoo movements).
So because I am an incredibly generous sister, I decided to buy her a gift voucher for The Beef Wellington Experience at The Savoy; this package includes a three course meal – in which the main attraction is the beef welly of course – and a complimentary glass of rose wine.
Just a quick shout out to the people who contributed money for this voucher. I would not have been able to afford this for both Arlene and myself so thank you to our orthopaedic team and Arlene’s friends for your generosity!
Anyway, my sister and I were so excited for this experience. We pulled out all the stops, got dolled up and got ourselves outfits that cost pretty much the same as a meal at The Savoy but hey, that’s what extra shifts at work are for. Arlene looked all grown up in her pant suit look from Oasis whereas I stuck to my usual cropped top Taylor Swift circa 2015 inspired dress.
Its a good thing we live so close to The Savoy, which is located at the Strand near Charing Cross Station and Covent Garden, because those heels were NOT made for walking. Its a lovely old hotel that’s been around for decades and its got a really classy, elegant, old-world feel to it. Also, I always say that you can tell a lot about a place based on its toilet and the toilets at The Savoy are top-notch. Lol
Our restaurant voucher was to be redeemed at The Savoy Grill, which is a Gordon Ramsay restaurant. Obviously, the man himself wasn’t there but I’d like to think he still keeps one hand on the pie and ensures that the restaurant standards live up to his name.
I love love love the service. I found myself thinking that its nice to see how the other half lives every once in a while; its true what they say, money DOES grease the wheels and make everything easier. The servers seamlessly served us our aperitifs and starters while my sister and I tried not to feel too out of place.
For starters we had a glazed omelette Arnold Bennett, which is a really fancy name for something that consisted of fish and eggs. Nevertheless it was really really tasty.
I was really apprehensive about the Beef Wellington. It’s such a well-known dish and I’ve always wanted to try it, but I was worried this was going to be like the time I really wanted to try a cheese soufflé and ended up wasting 30 euros for what is basically egg and cheese.
I didn’t want the Beef Welly to be like an oversized sausage roll or worse. I’m also not used to eating my meat medium rare; for some reason I’ve always preferred it well-done but because medium rare was recommended I figured, what the hell?
My worries were completely unfounded because this was one of the most delicious dish I’ve ever had in my life. Served with mashed potateoes, kale and red wine jus, and with the beef perfectly cooked, it was worth every pound that I paid for it. Okay maybe the serving was a little small, but that’s probably a testament to how good it was: I wanted MORE.
After a palate cleanser of passion fruit sorbet, we were ready for the final course. For dessert, we had a table-side server to flambe crepe suzettes for us. This got me really excited, I felt like a kid watching a fireworks show, I don’t know why. I was grinning the whole time the server was doing this, he must have thought I had a few screws loose.
We though the night would end there, so imagine our surprise when the manager offered us a tour of the kitchen, a chance to meet the chefs and some petit fours to cap off the evening. I thought my sister was going to cry she was so happy. I think she was having visions of Hell’s Kitchen and was super excited to see the behind the scenes action; I’m happy to say its nothing like Hell’s Kitchen in terms of swearing and near-nervous breakdowns, but it was just as intense in there. Thank you chefs for the photo op!
Anyway, apart from the petit fours they also gave my sister a complimentary birthday tart with candles and everything. It was an absolutely incredible evening and it really made my sister so happy. It was a night she won’t soon forget and I’m banking on that because the 12th of August (MY birthday) is just around the corner and she’ll have to plan it. Lol
You can purchase the same experience and lots of other offers at The Savoy website by clicking here. Its quite pricey but its nice for special occasions or to purchase as a present when there’s lots of you pitching in.
Thank you to the staff at The Savoy Grill for a memorable evening.
Blabbaholics and Bookworms 