Schoolkids review Dinner by Heston Blumenthal in Melbourne

KIDS can be brutally honest — so what do they think of one of Melbourne’s top restaurants, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal?

PRESTIGIOUS Melbourne restaurant, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal might be the reigning No.1 restaurant on the Delicious 100 list, but gastronomical mayhem ensued when the Herald Sun took five junior food critics to review the formal dining experience.

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Chef Ashley Palmer-Watts serves Zach, Manni, Lucy, Reid and Levi (left to right). Picture: Tony Gough

To celebrate their second birthday, executive chef Ashley Palmer-Watts invited five primary school students to test the experimental menu at the Crown restaurant for the first time; and they reviewed their food the only way kids know how: with brutal honesty.

To celebrate Dinner by Heston's 2nd birthday in Melbourne, five children had the chance to try the experimental menu for the first time. Picture: Tony Gough

They took on the reviews in the only way children know how: brutal honesty. Picture: Tony Gough

Their culinary journey began with a “rice and flesh” dish, consisting of saffron, curried kangaroo tail, red wine and amaranth, which drew mixed reviews.

Lucy, 9 said it wasn’t dissimilar to her mum’s stew, while Levi, 6, was slightly perplexed about eating our national fauna.

By the time the second course was finished, the table was already a disarray of crumbs and cutlery. But Heston’s famous “meat fruit mandarin” of chicken liver parfait and grilled bread couldn’t trump a traditional breakfast spread according to Lucy and Manni, who both declared they still prefer Nutella on toast.

Reid gets stuck into one of the meals at Dinner by Heston. Picture: Tony Gough

The more adventurous palate of Reid, 7, was satisfied however.

“It’s beautiful and gooey and just reminds me of a dip; kinda like pink hummus,” he said.

The children clinked their glasses of “rosella cordial”, masquerading as red wine, as their lamb main was served, however some of the fussier foodies were worried about how it was cooked.

“My lamb normally looks much darker at home,” Lucy declared.

“It’s very pink,” Zach, 8 added.

The “nitro ice cream trolley”, billowing in dry ice, was the menu highlight, drawing gasps of amazement and thought to being a dessert worthy of Harry Potter, according to Reid.

Levi is impressed by what’s on his plate.

Chef Ashley Palmer-Watts was delighted to have the mini-diners in.

Manni, 10, said she was excited to be in a place usually reserved for grown-ups.

“My favourite restaurant is Teppanyaki, but this is amazing. I think adults would like it more though ‘cause they tend to eat this stuff,” she said.

Palmer-Watts said he was delighted to have some mini-diners in to celebrate the restaurant’s second birthday.

“It’s brilliant; I’ve been impressed that they have tried everything,” he said.

“I love the one hundred per cent, pure honesty factor. It’s what people lose when they become adults, but if kids love something they tell you, and if they hate it, they tell you too.”