The Bite Magazine - Autumn/Winter 2019 - Issue 26

Superior, Premier, and Signature, giving diners different levels of dining experiences aboard Glass Room.We had the Signature package which provided us with à la carte aperitif of our choice, five-course à la carte menu, wine pairing with each course, diges- tif, barista coffee, and live entertainment. Our first drink of the evening was Vapo- retto Prosecco, a sparkling brut from Italy that is full of delicate citrus, pear and peach notes. It was delicious, light and refreshing. Before we set off, we took in the scenery around us including the foot and road traffic onWestminster Bridge to our right, Waterloo Bridge up the river to our left, and County Hall and the Shell Centre across the river directly in front of us with the silhouette of the London Eye taking centre stage. It was like an entirely differ- ent world watching the activities of people in London from a floating restaurant on a mild but pleasant evening. It wasn’t long before we started ascending towards Waterloo Bridge. The menus at Glass Room are all set and depending on which package you choose, you’ll either have a three-course or a five- course dinner.The amuse-bouche (or hors d’oeuvre), a French term meaning ‘a bit of food served before the meal to stimulate the appetite’, brought to us by Miguel, our server for the evening, consisted of Pea and Mint Velouté with coconut yogurt, sumac, and Cheshire cheese sablé. It was cold and had the pleasant taste of pea and mint which made an interesting combination. For starters, we had Oak Smoked Salmon with radish, mustard and dill, and toasted rye; Cherry Tomato, Caramelised Onion and Goat’s Curd Tart with red pepper essence and dressed leaves; and Ham Hock and Split Pea Terrine with pickles and toasted sourdough, all paired with a Bodegas Castro Albariño A20 wine from Spain. But we decided to stick with dessert wine which was sweet with a nice edge to it and glasses of prosecco. The condiments of radish, mustard, and dill really complimented the Oak Smoked Salmon well, and the toasted rye brought a real touch to the dish.While, the delicious taste of fresh tomatoes and enriched car- amelised onion, along with the red pepper essence gave the Cherry Tomato, Caramel- ised Onion, and Goat’s Curd Tart a real kick. The Ham Hock and Split Pea Terrine which was moist with an interesting taste were nicely placed with the pickles, accom- panied by crunchy, toasted sourdough. As we dined and listened to jazz music performed by a saxophonist and a piano player that blended perfectly together, we saw many of the iconic landmarks as we passed underWaterloo, Blackfriars, South- wark, London, and Tower bridges. Moving towards St. Katherine Docks, we caught sight of the Docklands and Canary Wharf, until we ventured past North Greenwich - in particular, the Intercontinental at the O2 and O2 Greenwich. At night, it is espe- cially magical with all of the lights shining and guiding our path. Feeling relaxed and completely enjoying the journey, it was soon time for the main dishes of Free Range Chicken Ballotine with pearl barley risotto, asparagus, broad bean and jus gras; Beetroot Gnocchi with summer vegetables in a light citrus broth; bite cuisine Cherry Tomato, Caramelised Onion, and Goat’s Curd Tart Food Photography:TonyWellington