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Immersive dining experience Dinner Time Story returns with Banquet of Hoshena
Dinner Time Story presents the Banquet of Hoshena
Launching in London this month is an immersive feast from Dinner Time Story. The team behind the hit Le Petit Chef production is returning to the capital with their new foodie experience, the Banquet Of Hoshina.
Guests will be treated to a projector-led dining concept when it launches this spring at Westfield London, before moving to Hoxton later this summer. Diners will be transported to an imaginary land where they will be joined by kings, queens, fairies and volcanoes at the table.
Dinner Time Story will take guests on a two-hour gourmet journey using 3D visual technology, image mapping and experiential props. The story will be told using flavours, ingredients, sights, sounds and tastes. Diners will feast on five courses, accompanied by wine and cocktail pairings. Each course will link to the storyline with each dish representing an emotion.
- Dinner Time Story presents Banquet of Hoshena. From 12 April – 7 August 2019 at Westfield, Ariel Way, White City, W12 7GF. Nearest station: White City. From 8 August 2019 – late 2020 at TT Liquor, 17B Kingsland Road, Hoxton, E2 8AA. Nearest station: Hoxton or Old Street. Tickets: £85/£95/£110. Pre-booking requests: info@dinnertimestory.com or tel: 07510 204 003. Visit Banquet of Hoshena on Instagram.
Indulge your sweet tooth at Ferrero Rocher: Behind The Layers pop-up experience
Ferrero Rocher: Behind The Layers takes place at Westfield London
Christmas is that time of year to ditch the diet and indulge your sweet tooth. This festive season, chocolate lovers will be in for a treat with a new pop-up experience from Ferrero Rocher.
Following their successful dessert experience last Christmas, the Italian chocolatier is bringing a taste exploration to Westfield London. Launching on 1 December, the Ferrero Rocher: Behind the Layers will take guests on a multi-sensory tasting experience. Participants will sample delicious mini-desserts inspired by the five layers of Ferrero Rocher. The different flavours will be enriched by powerful light projections, music and motion.
Guests will start their journey in the golden bar and lounge, where they discover a drink menu created by the mixologists from Liquid Chefs. Next, they will take their seats to progress to the multi-sensory dessert experience. Visitors will watch their mini-desserts being hand-made in the spectacular setting. Chef Paul Hannagen has devised the special dessert menu, each creation inspired by the layers of a Ferrero Rocher – hazelnut, chocolate wafer and gold.
Following their experience, guests will be able to visit the on-site shop to buy Ferrero Rocher, which can be accompanied by personalised calligraphy labels for your loved ones. The bar will also be open to all those who haven’t been able to get tickets to the main event.
- Ferrero Rocher: Behind The Layers takes place on 1-17 December 2017. At Westfield London, Shepherd’s Bush, W12 7GF. Nearest station: Shepherd’s Bush, Shepherd’s Bush Market or Wood Lane. Open 1pm-10.30pm (last experience 9.30pm). Tickets: £25 (45 minute experience, includes a glass of Prosecco or non-alcoholic beverage). For more information and booking, visit BehindTheLayers.co.uk.
Beyond The Waterfall review: Travel to another world in a surreal cocktail experience
Beyond The Waterfall is a surreal experience, combining entertainment, cocktails and fantasy
© Marcus Peel
Many of you have probably heard of Bompas & Parr, the food and drink wizards who have created a series of sensory, taste experiences. I visited their Alcoholic Architecture – a room full of inhalable alcohol in Borough Market earlier this year and was looking forward to visiting subsequent projects. When I heard about their special Christmas experience – Beyond The Waterfall – I knew it was right up my street. It combines an immersive theatrical experience and cocktails so I was eager to take part.
This week, I was fortunate enough to be invited to their special preview night. Beyond The Waterfall is located in the plush The Village area of Westfield London – surrounded by designer shops. The fact they have managed to turn what I presume was a standard retail unit into a magical land is pretty impressive. Standing outside the front door, we were treated to a glimpse of what to expect as we peered through the windows to see the gloomy and misty lagoon. Upon entering, we were greeted by who I would describe as glamorous nautical advisers, giving us warnings of what to expect and tokens to exchange later for fantastical concoctions.
The first part of the journey was across a 20 metre lagoon – yes, they have actually created a huge water feature in a shopping centre. We boarded small, individual boats and made our way up the lagoon – with varying degrees of success in terms of speed and direction, depending on your paddling skills! Fortunately, there are strategically placed seafarers along the way to guide or push you in the right direction – which is ultimately ‘beyond the waterfall’. Don’t worry, you won’t get wet (unless you want to!), as waterproof ponchos and a large umbrella for the actual waterfall part are provided.
Journey through a lagoon and Beyond The Waterfall
© Marcus Peel
A quick pit stop with a wise man gives you an insight into the faraway world you have travelled to and the chance to show off your drinking skills as you down your first cocktail – an interesting brown liquid in a bottle. Finally, we ended up in the hidden cavern – a mythical cocktail bar staffed by mermen and the very fabulous host Ruby. After being greeted with some welcome punch, we settled down to peruse the menu and mingle with the mermen, who entertained us with their various talents. The cocktail menu has been inspired by the sea and features unusual ingredients such as undersea botanicals, real gunpowder and rare ambergris. I ended up enjoying a Shipwreck Sour (Shipwreck cider brandy, Coral Calvados, Creme de Peche, lemon juice, shipwreck bitters and egg white), which was frothy and sweet.
Overall, we had a really fun experience. My friend and I embraced the spirit of the event and enjoyed the various flavours of alcohol we tried. The staff and entertainers we encountered along the way certainly brought a sense of adventure and theatrics so we felt a world away from the bustling shops of Westfield outside. The event has been so popular, further dates are likely to get added, so I really recommend keeping an eye out for more tickets.
- Beyond The Waterfall runs from 9 – 23 December 2016. At The Village, Westfield London, Ariel Way, White City, W12 7GF. Nearest station: Shepherd’s Bush, White City or Shepherd’s Bush Market. Open 4-10pm. Tickets are time-slotted and last 60 minutes. Tickets: £15 (includes 2 drink tokens). For tickets, visit Westfield London website.
For a guide to what else is on in London in December, click here.
Beyond The Waterfall: Take a boat trip to a magical cocktail bar at Westfield London this Christmas
At shopping malls across the country, it can feel like the kids are getting all the fun with their visits to Santa’s Grotto. However, this December, food and drink wizards Bompas & Parr are creating a festive experience for grown-ups.
Beyond The Waterfall is an immersive and multi-sensory Christmas adventure at The Village in Westfield London. Shoppers will be taken whisked across an undersea lagoon to a mysterious island, with mythical creatures staffing a cocktail bar.
The journey will start with guests riding across a 20m lagoon on small boats and passing through a waterfall. After disembarking on the shore, they will explore an Aladdin’s Cave full of gemstones before arriving at the secret cocktail tavern. At the bar, mermen mixologists will whip up boozy delights from the marine-inspired cocktail list. Ingredients include undersea botanicals and minerals, promising psychological, emotional and physiological reactions.
This is the latest experience from Bompas & Parr, who have been responsible for Alcoholic Architecture, the Museum of Food and Dinners With The Twits, among others. Beyond The Waterfall is one of B&P’s most ambitious projects yet, with structural engineers, mining consultants and theatrical prop-makers taking part.
Harry Parr, partner of Bompas & Parr, said: ‘Christmas is obviously a magical time of year but many people find it hugely predictable so we’ve designed a radical new form of escapism that still evokes the emotions and nostalgia of the season – the group activity draws people together, with a real sense of discovery and emotion associated with gift-giving and an indulgent treat at its heart.’
- Beyond The Waterfall runs from 9 – 23 December 2016. At The Village, Westfield London, Ariel Way, White City, W12 7GF. Nearest station: Shepherd’s Bush, White City or Shepherd’s Bush Market. Open 4-10pm. Tickets are time-slotted and last 60 minutes. Tickets: £15 (includes 2 drink tokens). For tickets, visit Westfield London website.
For Metro Girl’s review of Beyond The Waterfall, click here.
For a guide to what’s on in London this December, click here.
For a guide to London’s Christmas markets and fairs, click here.
Memoirs Of A Metro Girl 