London, unsung hero of fine dining

Before I learned a thing or two about London, one of the much undeserved cliches bouncing around my head was: British food sucks.

It does not.

So, on the other side of the spectrum from last week's post on cheap eats, I am featuring a bit of fine dining which showcases the soul and sophistication of British cooking. The following three unbelievably talented British chefs  are trailblazers on the global culinary stage and are only a few of the many British chefs who defy any notion that British food is bland.

Photo from eatmedaily.com

1. Marco Pierre White

Always associated with a sense of rock-n-roll, Marco Pierre White breathed new life and revolutionized British gastronomy. Known as the legendary enfant terrible of the British culinary world, White challenged all that was proper (and French!) and paved the way for modern cooking not just in the UK but in the international culinary scene as well. White was the youngest and first British chef to receive three stars from the Michelin Guide not that he particularly cared for their judgment. He has also trained many renown chefs such as Gordon Ramsey, no small feat in my eyes. Currently retired, he is a restaurateur involved with restaurants such as Marco Restaurant, Wheeler's of St. James, and King's Road Steakhouse and Grill.

Photo from theguardian.com

2. Heston Blumenthal

Perhaps Heston Blumenthal's awkward smile belies the inner geek in him as he is one of the world's most scientific chefs. Blumenthal is one of the bastions of molecular gastronomy which include Ferran Adria and Thomas Keller. His Michelin starred and internationally acclaimed restaurant, the Fat Duck, is mentioned with the same awe as El Bulli and the French Laundry. Greatly influenced by British culinary history, Blumenthal creates inconceivable interpretations of traditional recipes using aspects of chemistry previously unheard of in the kitchen. One of his signature creations is the meat fruit which is his answer to the medieval belief that fruits and vegetables were dangerous to eat raw.

Photo from nytimes.com

3. Fergus Henderson

Head chef and owner of St. John in Smithfield, London, Fergus Henderson champions nose-to-tail cooking that optimizes traditional British cuisine. Nose-to-tail cooking leaves nothing to waste and literally uses every part of the animal, like offal and blood. When asked to explain the philosophy behind his cooking Henderson said, "it seems common sense and even polite to the animal to use all of it. Rather than being testosterone-fuelled blood-lust, it actually seems to be a gentle approach to meat eating". Many of his recipes go back to old, traditional recipes from a time when every little bit of an animal was eaten and not wasted. His restaurant, praised by the likes of Anthony Bourdain and Mario Batali, may not seem like a posh affair but it's not-so-new innovative philosophy has stirred up a cult following and pushed St. John into British stardom.