"Bonnet de douche!"

Well, almost exactly 1 year on from being bought a voucher to The Kitchen, I actually went along to see what all the fuss is about. That makes it sound like I didn't want to go along but I was really looking forward to going. However, for some reason, it was only the thought of the voucher expiring after 12 months that got my lazy butt into gear and booked myself in.

And what was not to like?

I like cooking, I enjoy discussing food, eating food, nice wine. This way, I could prepare tasty meals, someone would tidy away for me, I get to chat to and ask advice from a Michelin starred chef and generally act like a wanna be Hugh-Fearnley Whittingstall.

As it turns out, I had booked at a very quiet time of day to go and it was just myself and Thierry. What a splendid chap he was too. Affable, knowledgeable, reassuring; he asked me if I liked to cook and was I any good?

"I'm ok I s'pose", I replied before very coolly slicing the merest sliver of skin off a finger.

He smiled understandingly before hollering the length of the cafe/kitchen, for someone to bring a plaster. Jean (as in John, not Jean) kindly brought me not one for my bloody digit, but two more, "just een case uh?", he sniggered.

Heh heh heh ..... yeah, thanks John.

Apart from the embarrassing slip o' the knife, I really enjoyed my time there. I could've been in and out inside 20 minutes but chatting easily with Thierry, this turned into an hour and a quarter, getting tips not only about how to cook but where to buy good, quality meat and fish as well as fresh, seasonal vegetables, more of which, another time.

"Are you driving?" he asked. I was. "Shame, we could 'ave drirnk zum good French wine, no?"

Damn.

This was probably a good thing though, because it's possible I could have sliced my entire hand off, such was the sharpness of the knives there, something of which he was immensely proud.

I made ham hock pie for two and I made Indonesian chicken rendang, they were professionally heat sealed and packaged in a sleeve that wouldn't look out of place in Harrods food hall.

I thanked him very much for the unique experience and told him I would be back.

And I will, definitely.

Got to.

I never spent all my voucher!

Au revoir!