How much.. does £2.50 mean to you? One lunch sandwich? One and a half Big Issue? Nearly two third of a single Tube journey? But, for one night only at The French Launderette Supper Club @ The Chancery Restaurant, £2.50 set a whole universe of new socio-economic equations..
£2.50 = one ludicrously good 6 course meal = £3025 donation = many hungry mouths to be helped and fed via Action Against Hunger UK
And, all this wouldn’t have happened, if it weren’t for one fabulously cheeky British-Persian-food-blogger-and-event-organiser Sabrina Ghayour (@SabrinaGhayour) and her ad hoc team, including Simon Fernandez (@ferdiesfoodlab) from Ferdie’s Food Lab!!
The French Launderette Supper Club was, admittedly, a food spoof for the not-as-privileged. The inspiration came, of course, from world-renown chef Thomas Keller’s pop-up at Harrods that costs £250 per head. Here at FLSC diners were charged only 1% of the original TK price tag, a £2.50.
The food?
Sabrina’s menu briefly paid homage to Thomas Keller, her food idol, and departed for something comfortingly delicious. Fine produce. Competent cooking. Smart FOH. Crystal glasses. Yes.. that sort of things.
A French Laundry signature remake of Salmon Tartar Cornet, Sweet Onion & Creme Fraiche must have garnered Thomas Keller more followers. Chopped salmon swam down pleasantly in a velvety stream of creme fraiche. Delicate sweetness from red onion made it so unique. Then came a little cup of thick truffle-infused cauliflower soup and Rolled Loin of Gloucestershire Old Spot Pork. The loin was so tender I felt it was gently massaging my tongue, while the pancetta wrapping and the mushroom stuffing injected robustness. Good acidity from tomato and tarragon vierge.
The platter of Mackerel Carpaccio with Dill Oil and Beetroot Sorbet to share was a little more inventive. Most delicate and freshest mackerel slices were minimally dressed with horseradish, which proved an exuberant contrast to the chilled sweetness of beetroot. Not long after, a spectacle of Hogget Cutlets, Cavolo Nero & Black Garlic landed in front of me. This gigantic piece of teenage sheep was seared and roasted for an endearing pinkness. The black garlic jus and poached onion puree provided a complex taste of balsamic-like fermentation vis-a-vis unctuous sweetness. The only criticism was that my galette was too crispy.
I moved onto this delicious dessert of Fig Tart and Pistachio and Almond Frangipane, served with thyme-infused Creme Anglaise. Perfectly crusty base and a wonderfully nutty layer. I couldn’t help craving for one more piece!
And.. the cheese and chutney. Waistline expansion. Full stop.
The evening concluded with a very joyful prize draw. My fellow diners Su-Lin and Wen won some goodies.
I didn’t!
BBBBRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!
To sum up this meal, I felt buffed, stuffed and very happy. Sabrina is a feeder. Her food brings not only delight but also heavy comfort. Though this French Launderette Supper Club @ The Chancery was a one-off, I hope London foodies will get to see and taste more of this feisty lady whose gastronomic expertise does not just end here.
To keep yourselves updated, follow Sabrina Ghayour on Twitter @SabrinaGhayour and via her blog Sabrina’s Passions. And when the next reservation line is opened, you must grab your phone and act VERY fast!!!!
XXX
You must have up very late or up early to write this up so quickly. Well done! That was a fun night and loads of money was raised for charity.
Nice pics as well. Hope mine look nearly as good in that light.
Looks incredible. Well done to everyone involved!
The meal sounds stunning. Only wish i could have been there- but at least the Peter’s Yard crispbreads made it through to the cheese course!
Lovely review of a meal which raised so much for a great cause.
Great writeup and my gosh, the discipline it must have taken to write this up so quickly!
Looking forward to eating with you again soon!
Wen
Lovely photos! Specially the second one ; ) was buzzing from the minute I arrived until we finished service, privileged to be a part of a fantastic event!
..On hearing the news that The French Laundry is holding a pop-up in Harrods at 250 a head Sabrina Ghayour decided to launch a French Laundrette supper club for one night at 1 of the cost… The idea is that I will charge diners 1 percent of the cost of Thomas Kellers pop-up and deliver a carefully created four course menu with a very humble price tag of just 2.50 per person allowing anyone and everyone to be a part of the evening. Suddenly paired with our team of willing kitchen and front of house volunteers from Twitter the French Launderette Supper Club is ready to go.The menu will draw inspiration in parts from some of Kellers most famous signature dishes.
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