After a decade of French dining, courtesy of Raymond Blanc, first class Eurostar Passengers from November 4 onwards will enjoy on-board food from the British chef. jeremy chan and a former “world’s best pastry chef” as part of an all-new menu.
Eurostar promises a ‘journey through flavours’.
Jeremy’s restaurant, ikoyion London’s Strand, has two Michelin stars and is ranked the 42nd best restaurant in the world. Spices feature heavily, and guests pay £350 for a tasting menu experience that includes dishes such as mussel custard with saffron and caviar, and hibiscus and fermented Scotch bonnet.
Jeremy’s high-speed train dishes (he’s responsible for the new appetizer and main dishes) won’t be as sophisticated, but passengers can be sure to savor meals created by the master chef himself.
Jeremy told MailOnline Travel at the new menu launch event at St Pancras International: ‘I’ve written down every single recipe. I didn’t send an “inspiration package” and get the team to do it. Every dish is 1,000 percent mine. It’s not a “Jeremy’s menu inspired” menu. All the flavor combinations, it’s all up to me.’
After a decade of French dining courtesy of Raymond Blanc, first-class Eurostar passengers from November 4 will enjoy food from British chef Jeremy Chan on board (above)
And what flavors can guests expect?
As with Jeremy’s Ikoyi creations, lots of spices.
MailOnline tried one of the appetizers – ‘kohirabi spread with pine nut milk’ – and thought it was magnificent. Spicy, crunchy, full of flavor and extremely sweet.
Other menu items, developed by the chefs during collaborative workshops and multiple tasting sessions, could include an appetizer of curried cauliflower mousseline and main courses of baked salmon served with coconut rice and spicy potatoes, and miso-roasted pumpkin with honey and cashews. . The meal, Eurostar says, could be complemented by a “rich” Colston Bassett Stilton, combined with burnt honey and apple, or Montgomery cheddar cheese with quince chutney.
Jeremy told MailOnline Travel at the new menu launch event in St Pancras: ‘I’ve written down every single recipe. All the flavor combinations, it’s all up to me.’ Above, from the new menu: citrus-glazed duck, pumpkin, candied walnuts, treviso salad; Colston Bassett Stilton with Burnt Honey; Crushed rutabaga, appetizer with pine nut milk; citrus delight, green cardamom dessert
Jeremy said: ‘When I travel abroad I miss the comfort food of Britain. So on the menu there are nods to that, to that feeling of comfort.’
It could also include a braised lamb shoulder which Jeremy says “looks like a school dinner” but is much more “interesting” than it sounds.
He said: ‘It has a garlic/anchovy/harissa marinade and is served with pearl barley and carrots. It literally looks like a school dinner. Lamb. Carrots. Barley. But how do we make it interesting? The barley is cooked in a very intense mushroom broth, roasted mushrooms are added and the carrots are glazed with honey.’
We asked Jeremy if, when designing the menu, he had in mind to primarily please the British or the French.
He said: ‘I don’t think about pleasing anyone. With the recipes, I thought, “How can I make it as universally delicious as possible without thinking of anyone specific?” Some of the recipes are comfort food that I would like to eat in winter. When I travel abroad, I miss the comfort food of Britain. So on the menu there are nods to that, to that feeling of comfort.
‘For the French side… I love French cuisine. I love Dijon mustard. I love tarragon. So I made a sausage recipe with Dijon mustard and tarragon, and it’s on the breakfast menu. That’s how I thought about the British and the French.
The desserts have been created by Jessica Préalpato, a French pastry chef who “favors natural flavors such as ancient grains, unrefined sugars and plants.” Named the World’s Best Pastry Chef in the World’s 50 Best ranking in 2019 and the first woman to be named Pastry Chef of the Year by Gault et Millau, her dessert offering could include citrus delights with green cardamom and honey and financial hemp.
The new wines and champagne have been selected by the British sommelier and co-owner of a London restaurant sun – Honey Spencer.
The new wines and champagnes have been selected by British sommelier and co-owner of London restaurant Sune: Honey Spencer (above)
MailOnline tested the new Fleury Extra Brut champagne, made from Pinot Noir grapes. He was delicious, crazy and confident.
The wines include a red Domaine de la Dourbie Oscar from the Languedoc region of France, which sells for around £14.50 a bottle, and a Moulin de Gassac Terra Blanc white from Languedoc, which sells for around £13 .50 a bottle.
Commenting on the wine list, Colin Thorne, wine buyer at Vagabond Wines said: ‘The list puts well-made natural wines within reach of all passengers.
‘Producers are firmly committed to growing vines with the utmost care and responsibility for their land. Sustainable and organic methods require a lot of diligence on the part of the producer, so all of them should be worth a glass or two during a Eurostar journey.’
honey spencer said: “Each wine is unique and offers insight into France’s most progressive estates, each with its own story to tell and flavors to reveal.”
From left to right: Head Pastry Chef Jessica Préalpato, Head Chef Jeremy Chan and Head Sommelier Honey Spencer walking alongside a Eurostar train at the Gare du Nord in Paris.
The dishes were developed by the chefs during collaborative workshops and multiple tasting sessions.
Gwendoline Cazenave, CEO of Eurostar, said: “By reinventing the onboard dining experience, making it more innovative, daring and environmentally friendly, Eurostar presents itself as a destination in its own right. Eurostar is more than just a train: it is a promise of new discoveries and unique moments. Our new chefs make this vision a reality and we are delighted to work with them on this journey.”
Matthieu Quyollet, Director of Development and New Customer Experience, said: “We have come up with a bold and modern concept, with, for the first time, a team of three talents, three chefs who have joined forces to create a perfectly harmonized restaurant menu, all of which can be served at a speed of 300 km/h. With their experience we have designed a “journey through flavors”, a unique culinary experience on board.’
Standard Premier menus remain the same.
New travel classes will also launch on November 4. Eurostar Standard, Eurostar Plus and Eurostar Premier will replace the current classes (Standard, Standard Premier and Business Premier) across the Eurostar network.
For more visit www.eurostar.com/uk-en. Full review of the new menu to come…