The Fat Duck restaurant, run by the renowned Heston Blumenthal, is one of the most prestigious restaurants in the world. With three Michelin stars and a legendary reputation within the culinary industry, it is a dream for food enthusiasts everywhere. Luckily, a fascinating YouTube video by Alexander Varga, co-owner of Michelin-starred ’42’ restaurant in Hungary, gives viewers a chance to experience the magic of The Fat Duck firsthand. As part of his ‘mission to find inspiration in gastronomy,’ Varga creates spellbinding videos of his experiences at other Michelin-starred restaurants, with his Fat Duck video receiving over 365,000 views.
Varga takes his teenage daughter on the culinary adventure, and the video starts with them having trouble locating the mysterious restaurant. The unmarked venue, located in the quaint village of Bray, Berkshire, is housed in a white building with a spatula in the shape of a duck’s foot hanging outside and a coat of arms adorning the wall reading ‘question everything.’ Inside, there are 42 seats, and the restaurant employs 42 kitchen staff, one for every guest.
The restaurant offers only one tasting menu priced at £395, but patrons can choose from five wine-pairing menus – ‘Playfulness [non-alcoholic], Curiosity, Exploration, Discovery, and Wonderment.’ Varga opts for the ‘top-of-the-line’ Wonderment pairing, which costs an eye-watering £990. The first dish, a ‘nitro-poached aperitif with Campari spritz,’ is described as ‘crisp on the outside and soft and refreshing on the inside.’ From there, the magic begins as the team rustles up courses like ‘Aerated Beetroot,’ ‘Red Cabbage Gazpacho with Pommery Mustard Ice Cream,’ ‘Oyster with Passionfruit Jelly and Lavender,’ a Waldorf salad that’s contrary to its appearance and a golden pocket watch that turns into soup when immersed in boiling water.
The most iconic course is the ‘Sound of the Sea’ seafood platter, enjoyed to the sound of crashing waves through a music player hidden in a shell and in-ear buds. Varga says the experience was ‘really magical and memorable’ for both him and his daughter.
While the cost of dining at The Fat Duck is extremely high, Varga believes the experience is worth every penny, with food, art, feelings, ideas, and theatre teaching, inspiring, and entertaining diners all at the same time. Calling Blumenthal’s open mind, out-of-the-box thinking, experimenting nature, bravery, strong character, and serious organizing ability the secret of his success, Varga places The Fat Duck in the ‘special category’ of the 40 three-Michelin star restaurants he has visited worldwide.
To watch more of Alexander Varga’s fascinating foodie videos, follow him on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok under the handle ‘Alexander The Guest,’ or follow his restaurant, ’42,’ on Instagram.
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