Things To Do

Revealed: The Chambers of Flavour

Your First Look at The Chambers of Flavour | Behind the Curtain at Gingerline

We will never know what the world’s best-kept secret is.

But it’s probably pretty boring.

We can, now however, exclusively reveal to you the world’s second best-kept secret, which is far, far more exciting: The Chambers of Flavour.

Having just finished its 8 month debut run (don’t worry, it’ll be back. And tickets to Classic Gingerlne have just gone on sale in the intermission; but more on that later.), the Chambers are the latest immersive project from secret supper club pioneers Gingerline. It was hugely ambitious, to say the least. And somehow, they’ve kept a cloak of total secrecy around it. No cameras were allowed. No phones were permitted beyond the bar. No details about the rooms, their contents, and the performers were given away on social media, or as far as we can tell, anywhere.

That is, until we arrived.

Sneaking in with a camera just before it closed, here – for the first time – is the scoop: The concept is actually pretty simple. Five rooms, five courses. Each one presenting a different feel, flavour, and mood. Things started fairly casually at:

THE BAR

Chambers of Flavour

As guests mingled in the bar area – which appears like the face of a giant, anthropomorphic machine – a boat appeared out of its mouth. Diners then had to literally lie down flat as they were pulled into the first chamber…

BIRDS IN THE TREES

Chambers of Flavour

…Which was an ethereal, dream-like forest. Starters were found in bird’s nests dotted around the chamber (people literally had to find their own), and involved micro herbs, truffle infused tapioca pearls, and an egg filled with parsley and truffle mousse.

CRASH TEST DREAM

Chambers of Flavour

Next up, a slight change of gear: guests entered the “mind of a crash test dummy”, in a mirrored room with flashing orange lights, and an engine block suspended from the ceiling. A mute crash test dummy then took “motor oil” (soy sauce) from the engine block, and added it to guest’s white miso ramen soup.

GHASTLY DINING HALL

Chambers of Flavour

For the main courses, things got a little more Victorian. Two ghosts were the hosts at a huge banqueting table in a decaying grand banqueting hall, serving up mains of black chicken with corn veloute.

SHIPWRECKED

Chambers of Flavour

Yes. That is a ball pit. And yes, they served booze in it. Guests enjoyed a palate cleanser of pineapple, gin, and eucalyptus martinis.

AIR GINGERLINE

Chambers of Flavour

This was the final chamber – an actual plane fuselage, complete with plane seats, window projections to simulate takeoff, a singing drag queen air hostess (“Every cloud has a ginger lining”), and a dessert trolley with strawberry gazpacho, and mango and green team profiteroles.

THE NEXT EVENT

Sure, you might not have made it to this one, but they’re tearing the whole thing down to remake it bigger, and better. Twice the size in fact, and with the same conceptual geniuses behind it. And if you can’t wait that long? Some more Classic Gingerline tickets have just been released, and by virtue of you being a Nudge reader, you’re finding out about it before anyone else. Well done you.

 

NOTE: The Chambers of Flavour will be back. They’re rebuilding it bigger and better, and there’ll be live bands. Find out more HERE


Air Gingerline photo credit: Emma Nathan

Like unusual dining experiences? Check out our guide to pop up restaurants in London this month


Revealed: The Chambers of Flavour


London , East London,