Having the chance to attend a Dine with Dos Hermanos dinner is an experience in itself. With more than 300 people on the waiting list, the quest for the golden ticket requires an efficient alarm-clock and a reliable Internet connection. Once past the ultimate test, Simon Majumdar will offer his guests an unforgettable evening, where the love for food and a keen interest for meeting new people come together to create a delightful atmosphere.
The prize of the coveted golden ticket is the right of entrance to a carefully prepared feast in some of the best restaurants in London which even Vatel would have loved to offer, each chef treating their guests to a celebrations of quality and freshness in the form of perfectly prepared food.
The evening usually starts with an endless selection of canapés followed by the best dishes made especially for the evening. As Simon makes the point to look after every detail, the wine is meticulously chosen to match the menu, creating the perfect pairing for each dish that you wouldn’t find on the traditional menu.
This time, our wonderful host organised a memorable evening at Bentley’s, an Oyster Bar & Grill with head chef Richard Corrigan. The pair worked on a wonderful menu that was going to blow away up from beginning to end. While socializing with the attendees, we were served Foie Gras canapés with Apple Chutney and Deep Fried Chilli Shrimp.
Once everybody had taken their seat, waiters arrived with the most beautiful and diverse fish plate, containing Sally Barnes Smoked Salmon, Smoked Tuna, Smoked Eel and Smoked Mackerel, all to be enjoyed with delicious Blinis, Soda Bread and Potted Shrimp. In the meantime, plates of Smoked Herring Roe on toast, coated with a Silky Bearnaise Sauce were passed along the tables.
After such a treat, it was now time for the main course: a very tasty Fish Pie with Haddock, Scallops, Salmon and Prawns, incredibly tender Beef Cheeks cooked down in oyster stout and one of the best Mashed Potatoes ever!
The main courses were served with a Nepenthe, Adelaide Hills Sauvignon Blanc 2008 and Nepenthe, Charleston Pinot Noir, 2007. According to Robert McIntosh – Wine Conversation, our wine specialist, the “Sauvignon Blanc worked very well with the strong flavours of the smoked fish and the smoky flavours of the fish pie. The body of the wine was enough to stand up to the big flavours and the fruit balanced nicely with the fish and smoke to taste very fresh.
“The Pinot Noir was a little fruity in combination with the VERY earthy cheeks, but it was a decent, very drinkable wine, especially for the price!” (£9.99 – Both wines are available in Majestic).
The rich Sticky Toffee Pudding, served with jars of Roddas Clotted Cream and a Thick Toffee Sauce was the perfect conclusion to this delightful meal.
The dessert was served with Skillogalee Liqueur Muscat offered by Wine Unearthed, a wine tasting and retailing business. The high acidity, in combination with the sweet liquid raisin and treacle flavours, complemented the Sticky Toffee Pudding very well.
The goodie bags were the final cherry on the cake of this amazing evening, lighting the final spark to this dream-evening come true. Given with kindness by efficient PR companies and their clients, they contain an impressive selection of food and beverage from all around the world.
Like children unwrapping gifts on Christmas eve, secretly praying that Santa Clause made their wish come true, everybody carried home a few kilos of extra pleasure, looking forward to tasting their new toys that included a View Card; Easy Tasty Magic range – Taste No. 5 ™ – Umami Paste; Fruity Date porridge; Nudo olive oils; avoucher for the Fire & Knives magazine; The Foodie Handbook; Candia milk bottle; Casillero Del Diablo wine; Lucozade Energy – Cherry; Marmite cereal bar; Bar of Divine Dark Chocolate with Raspberries; Jordans cereal bars; Burts Chips; Sweet Thing’s Cupcake; Billington’s unrefined sugar; Bigham’s delicacies; Bar of Paul A. Young Chocolate and Pulp Fruit pouches of blended fruits.
Hats off the Dos Hermanos team for offering us such an incredible culinary experience. It is always a delicious experience to attend your dinners. I’m now looking forward to the next time my alarm-clock will ring!
Bentley’s Oyster Bar & Grill
11-15 Swallow St
London, W1B
020 7734 4756
www.bentleys.org