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Sensory Dining
at The Set
I was really looking forward to visiting The Set Restaurant in
Brighton’s Regency Square, opened by two of the city’s most
talented chefs, Semone Bonner and Dan Kenny. They had been
advertising a Sensory Dining Experience and, in a funny way, it all
sounded really quite mysterious. As I had been given a ticket to go
I thought I would give it a try and see what it was all about.
The write-up had promised a special oneoff food experience that would excite every
single one your senses. The ticket offered
a four-course tasting menu and had been
designed to see how smell, sound and light
effects can confuse and enhance the food
you put into your mouth.
I parked the car right outside which was
just as well as it was pouring with rain and
blowing a gale, then I looked at the building
and it was one of the lovely Regency style
houses, I think I was expecting more of a
restaurant-looking front (you can tell I don’t
get out much!) but as The Set is inside
the Artist Residence, one of Brighton’s
boutique hotels, I should not really have
expected that at all.
On entering, I could then see what a lovely
layout the place had and I was greeted by
a young lady who pointed me to the bar
(always a good move) there were several
other people there enjoying their drinks
with merriment and cheer, they all seemed
somewhat excited at the thought of this
unusual food experience we were about to
be offered.
While waiting, I had a good look around
(well, I am a woman after all) and thought
what a lovely, rustic, warm atmosphere the
place had. I was enjoying my wine and
hoping the drink wouldn’t affect my taste
buds which might make me say all the
wrong things, or did I mean I hoped the
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drink wouldn’t affect my words, but too late
the glass of wine started going down very
nicely.
The clock struck noon and five minutes later
we were taken through to The Set’s seating
area, greeted by the most welcoming staff.
While most sat at large, wooden, rustic
tables I was very lucky (well, I think I was) to
sit at the bar like table which enabled me to
see most of what the chefs, Semone, Dan
and their assistants were up to.
Our first course was a toasted muffin with
crispy egg, bacon with coffee jam and
marmite hollandaise with the sense of
burning toast, alarm clocks and roasted
coffee. I really enjoyed this course the
crispy egg and bacon and the whole dish
was a real sense of breakfast time for me
and made me feel like this sensory dining
experience was going to be a doddle …..or
was it?…..Read on!
We had to put a blindfold on for the second
course and I thought ‘hello what have I let
myself in for this time?’ It made me feel
a little uneasy to start with as I could hear
and sense people moving around me, I
wanted to pick my wine up and have a
slurp but I couldn’t remember where it was!!
Oops yes you’ve guessed it, I knocked the
glass but fortunately somehow I caught
it. The room was then filled with a hickory
essence smoke vapour and I could hear
people laughing and wondering whether
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this should be happening and thinking the
next course must be burning. We were
then asked to take our blindfold off and
there was a plate with the food wrapped
in foil in front of me. On opening this I
was presented with bonfire jersey jacket
potatoes with blue cheese béchamel,
smoked butter, pulled pork and barbecue
beans. This all sounds delicious now but
you must remember that we were not told
what any of the food was until after we had
tasted it. But all was good so far…
Course three –, there were some weird
sensations going on with my taste buds
during this one. We were served three
marshmallows, all white in colour but
with very different flavours. Miso with
lemongrass and cardamon with tomato
and Parmesan – sorry chaps but they were
definitely not to my liking. I can’t say any
more than that…
Course four – when it was served to me
I thought hoorah a normal plate of sweet
pudding which looked like a sort of crumble
with ice cream. I took a large mouthful of
the ice cream which served me right as I
should have remembered what I was there
for - it was sweetcorn, served with truffle
crumble and chicken salt, but let’s leave
that there shall we.
Although I didn’t like some of it I wasn’t
there to judge, sorry if it sounds like it, I was
there to enjoy a one-off food experience
from two of the most talented local chefs
Semone and Dan and I felt very privileged to
meet them and eat at their recently opened
restaurant. It was fun, interesting and a
great experience which actually did what it
was meant to - excite every single one of
my senses and that’s exactly what it did.
Please go and visit The Set, the menu
has plenty to offer. You will sit in the most
warm, welcoming restaurant. I think it’s one
of those restaurants that you will re-visit
time and time again taking friends along to
enjoy good food and wine and remember
it’s in a convenient location opposite the
West Pier so after filling your belly you can
take a long stroll along Brighton seafront
and be thankful that the city has such a lot
to offer.
By Vivien Barker