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Joan, thanks for the compliment and shout out. 20 dumplings. Not bad for a first-grader. I think we need to have a showdown. :)

I should also add that I'm not the die-hard skeptic, never to be pleased or appeased. To be fair, I did state this at the end of my review:

"Of all of the m.g. restaurants I’ve visited, The Fat Duck has been the most successful at hitting the sweet spot where the brain is connected to the stomach. Through subtle clues and queues, it did a better job of eliciting a dialogue between the food and me than its peers. There’s a process of discovery at the table and afterward. One’s curiosity is not beyond scratching.

Given my relatively low expectations, the food at The Fat Duck impressed me. Most of it was interesting and quite tasty. Where gimmickry and theatrics were employed, they had a demonstrable purpose and directly contributed to creating the food. Sure, parts of it did seem like the circus, but in those moments, The Fat Duck made me feel more like a kid wanting to be a kid rather than an adult being humored.

...

Did The Fat Duck convert me to being a proponent of molecular gastronomy? Certainly not. But it did stir my gray matter. And, as stated at the beginning of this novel, the fact that I walked away with a new perspective on food was a reward worth the wait."

onalark: A critical mass has raved about molecular gastronomy. I'm trying to understand (and possibly appreciate) what is so appealing about the movement to so many. On paper, I've always known the theory and ideas driving the fanaticism and fascination, but The Fat Duck was the first experience where I actually saw those theories and ideas transfer successfully onto the plate. Perhaps the most important thing I gained from my meal at The Fat Duck is a confidence to say that I "get" molecular gastronomy, but don't enjoy such experiences as much as classic- and tradition-based styles and modes of cooking.

As the person who started this whole mess, here's my two cents: http://ulteriorepicure.wordpress.com/2008/06/20/ridiculousness/