Yesterday's Lunch

A view of the open concept kitchen from our table

Lunch at the Chefs’ House went well; the new venue is a mix of exposed brick walls, trendy light fixtures, floor to ceiling windows, open concept kitchen and comfortable seating arrangements. As soon as you walk in, you’re greeted by students from the School of Hospitality and Culinary Arts who show you to your seat and go about the usual business of pandering to the client’s needs by offering water, bringing the menu, etc. The purpose of this restaurant is to train students in the hospitality and culinary fields, so it’s a perfect way of getting them used to a real life, client-focused environment.

At certain strategic points along the walls, you’ll find large flat screen LCD monitors that display real time footage from the kitchen. The cameras point directly at the stove tops, so you have a bird’s eye view of your food as it’s being cooked. It’s an interesting concept and the Chefs’ House has taken it one step further by placing two of the screens against the windows looking out onto the street, so that passers-by can also stop and take peek at what’s cooking.

The menu consisted of a fairly large selection of salads and chowders for starters, along with chicken, bass, lamb, steak and gnocchi as the main dishes. Normally, I try to eat only vegetarian food, but every now and then I’ll make an exception, especially if I’m dining out, so on this occasion I decided to try the bass, which was cooked to perfection and was served on a bed of creamed potatoes and seasonal vegetables along with a very tasty pumpkin-style sauce. There were three desserts offered and I went with what was referred to as a ‘students ice cream’ sandwiched between two crispy waffles; the ice cream was actually more like a very thick clotted cream and was absolutely delicious!

I would definitely recommend going to the new restaurant not only for the amazing food, but also to have that experience of dining in a teaching environment where the students line up at counters and are taught how to act, how to serve wine and how to clear tables. It’s a great way to spend a lunch or dinner, actually feeling like your part of the hospitality training process. Most of the serving staff are young students who have chosen to embark on a career in the service industry, so it’s interesting to see these new waiters, chefs, and maybe even future sommeliers in action.

It’s a lot more expensive than going to a local diner for lunch, but the ambiance and attention you get is well worth it, I think.

I took a few pictures while I was there, but on my phone, so the quality isn’t that good.

Related posts:

1. Lunch at The Chefs' House