Newly opened just a few days ago, the eagerly awaited Hells Kitchen from Gordon Ramsay makes its debut and I could not wait to try his signature dish, the Beef Wellington which is considered one of the toughest dishes to make. The restaurant has a heaven and hell theme as faux flames are lit via display monitors around the restaurant and the kitchen is split into a blue "heaven" and red "hell" side. Servers line up on both ends ready to take dishes to the table and there is a bar set up near the entrance. Service is excellent as well as the food and compared to some of the other restaurants in town, this may be a decent price for quality food.
Smoke on the water, pre-dinner drink
To star the show a nice smokey cocktail. I wouldn't have it any other way. This is a bulleit rye, aperol, amaro averna, sweet vermouth, that is served smoking with cherry wood. The presentation is as good as the drink.
Lobster Risotto
Butter poached lobster tail with a saffron, roasted tomato and chives risotto.
Pan-Seared Scallops
In the center of the dish is a corn with braised bacon lardons. The scallops are served with pickeled shallots sprinkled on and sitting on a bit of corn puree, drizzled with chicken jus.Beef Wellington
The star of the evening and one of the reasons why I came to Hells Kitchen as I wanted to try Gordon Ramsay's signature dish. It did not disappoint and it was my favorite of the evening. The savory flavor of the duxelle blended beautifully with the prosciutto wrap and melded with the pastry interior creating a soft contrast to the flaky crust of the pastry exterior. The red wine demi-glace was a nice balance to the wellington and the rich potato puree was delightful decadence. If you'd pardon my reverence to the meat and potatoes, I felt the vegetables were there out of guilt rather than as a true side dish and if they weren't on the plate, I would not have noticed or missed them.
Sticky Toffee Pudding
I readily admit that I am not a dessert person. If given the choice, I would have more of the main course, another side dish or another appetizer. This is why prix fixe and chef tasting menus are a great choice for me, otherwise I'd have never known about this dish. The gooiness of the hot toffee pudding mixed with the cold creamy ice cream a top a warm toffee sauce are a great finish to a good meal.