Your favorite chef's favorite chef, Gareth Ward, serves up a 30 course spectacle for all the senses at his double Michelin starred, five AA rosette, La Liste making restaurant Ynyshir in Wales! Gareth Ward Ynyshir Michelin Star AA rosette La Liste
I've been privileged enough to be invited to dine at some of the best restaurants in the UK, headed by some of the world's most acclaimed chefs, so when I posted on Instagram that I was heading to Ynyshir and was inundated by messages by the likes of Robert Taylor from Tallow and Richard Galli from Claridge's about how incredible the food was, I knew I was in for a real treat. *Gareth Ward Ynyshir Michelin Star AA rosette La Liste
Photos by Leigh Bowles-Meentzen (@snapthatgram) and CC Mason (@ccmasonrlly)
The Hotel
The experience offered by Ynyshir, which is nestled deep within the Welsh countryside, is one that has been immaculately crafted from start to finish. Before we dove in to the 5 hour, 30 course menu, we checked in to the spectacular accommodations. The suite, which I shared with my equally-as-much-of-a-foodie-as-myself mom, was decorated in deep, rich colors, warm wood tones, a striking stone fireplace, and a flawless modern bathroom which made me want to redesign every bathroom in my house. Gareth Ward Ynyshir Michelin Star AA rosette La Liste
The precise use of textures in the furnishings and decorations is something that one will find is mirrored within the restaurant and dishes themselves. An interesting note - the iron detailing you'll find in the hotel and restaurant, as well as some of the unique cutlery and dishes used in the presentation of some of the courses, are created by Ynyshir's on-site blacksmith! That by itself is a great indication as to how much thought Gareth has put into this place! Gareth
Ward Ynyshir Michelin Star AA rosette La Liste
The Food Gareth Ward Ynyshir Michelin Star AA rosette La Liste
It's 5 hours and 30 courses of the most thoughtfully crafted, meticulously sourced, creative food and storytelling you've ever seen.
Tasting menus are a great way for chefs to show off their talents and tell a story with their ingredients, and as someone who as done a LOT of tasting menus over the years, I can tell you that they don't always work out. Some of them are convoluted and meandering, and by the end you're left wondering, "what on earth did I just eat?!", but this couldn't be farther from the case with Ynyshir. It's 5 hours and 30 courses of the most thoughtfully crafted, meticulously sourced, creative food and storytelling you've ever seen.
I won't spoil all of the twists and turns of the menu, but here are some of my personal highlights. Before you begin the experience, one of the team takes you outside to the salt room, where all of the meat, poultry, and fish reside and absorb the flavors of the Himalayan salt as part of the preparation process.
The feast begins with a delicate Japanese Madai in white soy dashi, and is followed by three rounds of Bluefin Tuna, which showcase the fabulous variety that can be offered by just one fish. Next, they move on to two Japanese Hamachi courses, where I experienced one of my favorite dishes of the evening, the BBQ Teriyaki Hamachi. The teriyaki sauce is definitely the most authentic I've had in my travels to the UK, and Gareth told me that he flew to Japan to source all of the ingredients for it, as well as for many of the other dishes!
Shortly thereafter were several rounds of prawns, shrimp, regional lobster, and crab, all infused with local ingredients and special Thai spices. Unfortunately for me, I have recently discovered an intolerance to shellfish, so though I wasn't able to partake in these dishes, I was able to photograph them for you!
One of the things I loved most about this menu was that there were dishes that really challenged my palate, and I mean that in the best way. You will never grow as a person, or as a foodie, without challenges, so the chilled, savory duck liver near-ice cream with smoked eel, white truffle, and sweet dessert wine (the ultra-rare Grand Tokaji Eszencia 2013 for my wine connoisseurs out there) was one of those dishes for me. The wine, which is typically served on a silver spoon in infinitesimally small quantities due to it's sweetness, was countered by the smokey, salty, meatiness of the eel, and it was very much a moment of "I had never even fathomed that this combination was possible!"
One of my other favorites of the night was the Silverhill Farm Duck, served with a Plum sauce and a side of finely julienned cucumber. This. Duck. Is. Incredible. It's really the stuff that dreams are made of. I fell in love with the flavor of duck on one of my earliest trips to England, but I never thought it could taste like this. The skin is perfectly crisp, the meat is rich and succulent, and the fat completely melts in your mouth. If Gareth started a restaurant that served only this duck, I'd be there every week, no matter the drive!
The meat courses are concluded with something they call "That First Bite." Presented in what looks like an iron ring box, perfectly seared A5 wagyu is topped with pickle and a brace of sauces which, when consumed in one bite, tastes like you've just eaten the best hamburger of your life. The experience was legitimately mind-blowing.
Rounding out the food extravaganza are 7 dessert courses, a Williams Pear dish with Kakigori (Japanese shaved ice) and Manjari chocolate shavings, a nostalgic tasting apple and custard dish, a fascinating Banana ice cream with Birch syrup that they harvest and make themselves, a duck liver custard, an inventive and fun Medjool Date sticky toffee pudding, the most intense, luscious Tiramisu I've ever had, made with wild Kopi Luwak coffee, and finally a bright and refreshing milk jelly from locally sourced milk, topped with Vietnamese Passionfruit and Osteen Mango!
The Spectacle
It was, by far, the most exciting dining experience I've ever had, and just like a Hollywood blockbuster movie, it's something I would recommend to all of my friends to experience!
The restaurant is set up like a theater, with the tables facing the open kitchen so that you can see the chefs at work. Flames from the grill reach almost to the kitchen ceiling, and the team precisely plate every course like a well rehearsed ballet.
Much like the detail taken with the bedrooms, each serving dish, carafe, and piece of cutlery has been painstakingly picked to give every dish additional visual texture. Art gallery spotlights are used to highlight different rustic art on the walls, and large candles add additional ambiance. The plating and presentation is clean, thoughtful, and impactful, and what makes the event even more special is how incredibly well informed the front of house staff are. If you have any question about any ingredient, they are able to answer it without hesitation!
SPOILERS for the end of the event!
Before the penultimate dessert course, one of the chefs hurriedly walked through the center of the small dinning room and out the back door carrying a HUGE cast iron pot of burning wood. It was a near moment of panic for the diners as a thin layer of smoke filled the room before vibing music clicked on and a sparkling disco ball came alive, twirling in the center of the ceiling. The smoke was intentionally brought through the room to turn the restaurant into a spontaneous nightclub, so that you could better see the rays of light reflecting off of the disco ball! It was, by far, the most exciting dining experience I've ever had, and just like a Hollywood blockbuster movie, it's something I would recommend to all of my friends to experience!
*Press Invitation