#NYC #Foodie Experiences -#GordonRamsay at The London NYC #TheLondonLadies

This past week was a bit of a blur for me with all the pre-BlogHer craziness. However, there was an afternoon where the world finally slowed down a bit and allowed me to relax. Honored to be a part of the #TheLondonLadies event, I found myself in the city, stepping into The London NYC on a scorching summer's day. The moment I stepped in, I felt as if I had been whisked off to a different place, a bit like Dorothy when she was swept up from Kansas. Greeted by our wonderful hostess, we were brought into the restaurant where special cold cocktails were served. For those of you who don't know, The London NYC is home to two of Gordon Ramsay's restaurants although, they're kind of in the same area. In the inner room is Gordon Ramsay at the London, the Michelin 2 star restaurant. The outer area serves as Maze by Gordon Ramsay, a more informal dining area. Both of these and the hotel's room service are served by menus overseen by Gordon Ramsay, who was last at the restaurant a week prior to concoct the new menu.

We were lucky enough to be invited into the kitchen to meet the Executive Chef, Markus Glocker, who kindly explained to us the food that we would be tasting that day. Everything was just heavenly. We even had a couple vegetarians in the group and the kitchen was kind enough to prepare specialty dishes just for them. The rest of the London Ladies experienced the following menu:
Luncheon
-Avocado soup, trout roe, cilantro
-Sweet corn arancini, chorizo, chilli
-Gravadlax, Potato Rosti, Caviar
-Veal and Foie Gras mini Burger
-Tuna crostini, soy
-Raw Oysters with I believe, a light raspberry vinaigrette
Dessert
-Chocolate and Fruit tarts
-Vanilla, Strawberry, Ginger Parfait
-Salted Caramel TrufflesThe luncheon was amazing. Everything was like little fireworks of flavor in my mouth. The flavor was just right. It was my first time tasting avocado soup which was a mix of avocado, yogurt, and trout roe, topped with some cilantro. It was interesting but more so, it was an art form with the way it was put together. The Gravadlax, Potato Rosti, and Caviar was splendid, just thinking about it again makes my mouth water. This is a must try on the new menu. Shredded potato, mixed with rosemary and then prepped into these adorable little cubes, topped with smoked salmon and caviar. Honestly, I didn't even realize I was eating potato until they told me. Loved this dish! The mini burgers were absolutely adorable and delicious. The tuna crostini's were a simple dish but the flavors were just bursting. The tuna was lightly seared along the outside, which created a nice mix of texture and flavor. The oysters, my oh my...how I love raw oysters. ;) My friend from the NYC Talon tried her first raw oyster at this event and I'm so proud of her. It was just so refreshing, so light. The sauce complemented it nicely. Now, onto the desserts...The tarts were beautifully laid out on the Chef's Table. A quick aside, the Chef's Table will cost you $1700 for up to 8 people so that you can watch the chefs prepare your 9 course tasting menu and experience the drool-worthy menu first hand. Back to my desserts...How can a girl not feel pampered when she's served a gorgeous variety of delectable desserts? This included edible gold on the chocolate tarts. It was difficult to choose a favorite as I have a sweet tooth but the Vanilla, Strawberry, and Ginger Parfait was just so fluffy and soft that it made me melt. That piece of ginger candy that topped it complemented the dessert nicely. Then there was the salted caramel truffles, branded with Gordon Ramsay at the London. A burst of caramel explodes into your mouth and ends the meal with a pop! Kudos to Markus Glocker for such an amazing meal and being one of the most down-to-earth Executive Chefs I've ever met. He was kind enough to send me our tasting menu from the day and he even replies to tweets. You can connect with him on twitter with @MarkusGlocker.After the luncheon, we were taken on a tour of The London NYC, one of the few NYC hotels that offer complementary internet. We started off in the London Suite, the basic 500 square feet room that's bigger than most apartments in the city. I personally loved the Tic-Tac-Toes that are placed as a signature hallmark in every room. (I wanted to take one home with me.) Spacious and comfortable, the luxury only begins here with two shower heads in the shower and a swiveling table that can rise up to become a dinner table. This would be rather convenient. Next, we moved onto the Sky Suite at 800 square feet where we were greeted by champagne. We were living it up. Again, we found ourselves in a beautiful room that was big enough to host small events or business meetings. Then it was onto the king of all suites, the penthouse suite. At 2500 square feet and spanning 2 floors, it really is a site to behold. This will cost you $2000-$5000 a night depending on the time of year. This would be amazing for private parties with its 180 degree view of the city. You can even see Central Park in the midst of a bubble bath from the master bathroom. If it looks familiar to you, it may be because MTV films some of their MV's and hosts a lot of their parties here. It further features 2 beds and 2 baths on the upper floor and a commercial kitchen on the lower floor for those events!

Overall, I had a luxurious and welcoming experience at The London NYC. It was a pleasure meeting up with the staff there and the rest of the London Ladies. I believe it has a lot to offer to travelling families, business men and women, and individuals in general. Thank you for the wonderful experience and I look forward to coming back during Restaurant Week.

Previous NYC Foodie posts:
Ippudo Ramen || Peter Luger Steak House || Morimoto

Disclaimer: I was invited to #TheLondonLadies Event for a luncheon and tour of The London NYC. No other form of compensation was received. Opinions expressed belong to Whirlwind of Surprises and are NOT influenced in any way. Please view my full disclosure, TOS, and privacy policy. Please take the time to enter my other giveaways while you're here.

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                                                         Until next time,