Beijing Boyce

Have you heard this one? An Irish chef, a Canadian blogger, and a Chinese waitress are in the kitchen. The chef gives the blogger a plastic bag of chocolate mousse, the waitress says, “put it in your mouth and pop it,” and the blogger says…

Hey, wait a minute. That actually isn’t a joke – it’s part of a night spent with chef Brian McKenna of the Shangri-la Hotel’s Blu Lobster restaurant. Acquaintances have (mostly) love it and (sometimes) hate it reactions to McKenna’s cuisine, while my sole experience came under trying circumstances – he catered the Robert Parker dinner on the Great Wall. So, after meeting him in person at an event about six weeks ago and later getting an invite to sit at the ‘chef’s table‘, I took him up on the offer.

Here’s the lowdown on a night that included a test tube, a toothbrush, and a Gin Tonic. (Note: All photos are from my crappy phone camera, although I lost my shots of the first half-dozen or so dishes.)

6:53 Despite the rain and traffic, I arrive at Blu Lobster seven minutes early, grab a cozy chair out front, and wait for The Long Walk to the kitchen.

7:02 The chef’s table is squeezed into a corner near the door, with a wall full of spice jars on one side, a vista of cooking stations on the other, and a mini chandelier above. Assistant sommelier Alex pours Duval-Leroy Champagne. Nice way to start!

7:08 The palate cleanser is a “gin tonic“: a crispy slice of lemon topped with a cube of tonic water jelly and lemon sorbet. McKenna sprays on Hendrick’s Gin from what looks like a cologne bottle. (It’s the perfect scent for a night at Q Bar.) The GT is creative and refreshing.

7:13 Next up: “soup” served in a test tube and made of pureed lettuce and coconut foam (reminds me of split pea); a chunk of foie gras on caramelized rice (interesting contrast, but means an overly sticky caramel candy effect); and an oyster with lime and star anise (this one tingles with a “pop rocks” candy effect – imagine miniature fireworks in your mouth).

7:18 I had expected cooks to utter profanities, flames to leap from a dozen burners, and an entire staff blinded by sweat to race against time. But the kitchen is cool, clean, and quiet. Where’s my Kitchen Confidential experience!? Actually, McKenna loses his temper at one point. I’ll intersperse four McKenna Meltdowns in this write-up – see if you can guess which is real.

7:19 McKenna Meltdown I: A waiter rushes in and gasps that a group of 20 people have arrived unannounced. McKenna runs his fingers through his hair and gives a controlled scream. This elicits no response from the staff. With a maniacal laugh, he says “seat them in the bathroom” and crashes through the swinging kitchen doors.

Note: Because this post is so long, I have given it a special page. Find out about further McKenna meltdown scenarios, the toothbrush, and more by clicking here.