The Corinthia hotel London – Tous les sens – tasting menu review

By Toby Rose
The setting was the perfect synergy for a Taste of London sensory tour of the flowerbed in the splendid chefs kitchen of the newly transformed Corinthia Hotel.

Situated off Trafalgar Square, almost on the banks of the Thames and cheek by jowl with Charing Cross Station, this is plum central London.

A private dining room, with an open plan kitchen, next to the seat of government – Whitehall. But the seat of power for our evening was not political it was a powerful fusion of cuisine and flora, with one extra very special sparking ingredient, Laurent Perrier champagne.

Image credit – @NZM, Corinthia Hotel London
The sensory menu of delights was accompanied by three fragrant and flavoursome flutes of Laurent Perrier. Not just this, there were also fragrances of flowers petals and herbs adorning the centre of the table. As we were repeatedly reminded, the colourful pansies and other flora were all for our consumption … But this was after they had piqued our taste buds with their scent. The menu was entitled the Tous les sens – tasting menu.

These specially selected offerings were chosen to accompany a meal of finest cuisine from the menu of Massimo. This fine cuisine was prepared on the stoves of the private room by a team of four led by Massimo resplendent in chef’s whites.

Introducing the champagne vintages, which were to accompany our fine fare, was flamboyant florist Ercole Moroni – he told us that his Christian name translates as Hercules in English. And he put a Herculean effort into his descriptions of the dishes, the flowers strewn along out table and, of course, the delightful drinks served.

Image credit – @NZM, Corinthia Hotel London
Often the marriage of quality offerings is forced. But in the case of the wonderful flutes of Laurent Perrier vintages from years past, finest food freshly prepared and the smell and sight of a centrepiece of flora this was very much a sensory match made in heaven.

And to top off the experience was a sensory guided tour from a chef and a florist whose warmth and charm was only matched by their knowledge.

Tickets for the Laurent-Perrier Tous Les Sens Masterclass at Taste of London 2012 are priced at £80 (£90 on the door) and can be booked at tastefestivals.com/london.