Experience Dining
Oodles of passion
Andrew Giles gets an exclusive, personal, behind the scenes tour of Aurora’s slick galleys.
‘I don’t mind admitting I was a little unnerved. Having spent the night before watching ‘Hell’s Kitchen’ I had convinced myself that all chefs had the power to reduce you to mush with one steely eyed glare.
Thankfully, my fear was unfounded and what I found was a very amiable set of professionals.
What was immediately apparent was the sheer devotion projected by every white uniformed person around me. Their passion oozes from every menu, serving and delicious mouthful. There are butchers who carve to perfection, an army of bakers that rise long before the sun does and pastry chefs who meticulously create delicate desserts…
It’s phenomenal that all of this is going on while I’m simply relaxing and enjoying the fruits of their labour.
I also had no idea that the teams on board were so acclaimed within their field - I discovered that the Executive Chefs are inducted into the prestigious Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, a global society celebrating the best chefs and gastronomes from across 86 countries. Quite an achievement.
Never was this skill more apparent than when I dined in Café Bordeaux after my galley tour. My enjoyment of the meal didn’t just stem from the food - although it was utterly incredible - it was the whole experience. Everything that makes a restaurant exceptional can be found here.
The welcome was inviting, the pace of the meal perfectly timed and impressively executed, and the food was simply the best I’ve ever tasted. Had I stayed a little longer, I may have actually come face to face with the man behind Café Bordeaux - the same man that had caused my initial trepidation - Marco Pierre White. It transpires that he regularly comes on board to visit this restaurant, just to check that all is running precisely how he expects and to meet adoring fans. Gary Rhodes does the same thing for his restaurants on board Arcadia and Oriana. I can’t wait to try them. But I’m sure that when I do I’ll promptly forget all that has gone on behind the scenes to give me the perfect dining experience - but that, of course, is the point.