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I pick up what appears to be a mini drumstick, but it is actually a chicken lollipop.
This is not just any lollipop; it is one of the specialties from celebrity chef Hotter Than Hell.
Gordon Ramsay has opened a restaurant at Heathrow T5Credit: Supplied
Order from your table with self-serviceCredit: Supplied
It smells delightful, but just how spicy is it?
After one brave bite, the answer is evident: a proper fiery blast up the nostrils.
Delicious, though. I want more, please.
I’m at Terminal 5 for the launch of Gordon’s revamped restaurant, Plane Food Market.
He has had a restaurant here since 2008, but it has now been transformed.
You can still sit down and enjoy a meal as usual.
However, Ramsay understands that most of the 30 million passengers who pass through T5 each year are busier than ever, so he has introduced a “grab and go” concept.
Diners can place orders at self-service screens at the restaurant’s entrance—just as you might elsewhere—and then eat in the restaurant or take it away.
He states: “The idea is that it will take ten minutes from ordering to your table.”
Incidentally, all the tables offer views of the runway.
But more importantly, what’s on the menu?
For the first time, you can find all of Gordon’s crowd-pleasers under one roof.
One counter features his Asian favorites, such as nigiri and spicy tuna rolls—dishes you’ll find in his Lucky Cat restaurants.
Another counter offers a variety of burgers from his Street Burger bistros.
Not KFC, but GFC: Gordon’s Fried Chicken
There are also pizzas, fish and chips, all-day breakfasts, butter chicken curry, poke bowls, steaks, salads—you name it.
Gordon’s goal is to make dining here enjoyable.
Quality Ingredients
In fact, he tells me that his kids had such a great time here ten days ago that they refused to board their plane.
We briefly discuss how we both have twins, and he shares that his eldest chose not to follow in his father's footsteps but instead joined the police force.
Then he invites me to sample some of his specials, all prepared in bite-sized portions.
First up is another chicken dish.
Not KFC, but GFC: Gordon’s Fried Chicken.
Flights can be challenging, sometimes nerve-wracking. Having the opportunity to eat before boarding allows us to relax on the plane.
Gordon
It’s topped with a dollop of his curry and mango sauce and is superb—moist on the inside with just the right amount of crispy crunch on the outside.
Next is his vegan ’Nduja Street Pizza, adorned with gooey courgette ribbons, pesto, and red onions.
Enjoy the OGR Burger
As for the OGR Burger, its rich flavor comes from being made with grass-fed Hereford beef.
However, my favorite is the bao bun, overflowing with shredded duck and hoisin sauce.
Gordon, who now operates 31 restaurants in the UK and an additional 61 globally, including locations in South Korea, Malaysia, France, and Dubai, believes that good food can help alleviate the stress of flying.
He mentions: “Flights can be challenging, sometimes nerve-wracking. Having the opportunity to eat before we board allows us to relax on the plane.”
If a holiday truly begins the moment you’re airside, then starting a trip with a meal at Plane Food Market will set you off on the right path.
Dishes are made with quality ingredients, and prices hover around £18 for a pizza, burger, or fish and chips. It’s even cheaper if you opt for grab and go.
I wasn’t flying anywhere when I visited, but I did take away a £9 portion of padron peppers for dinner at home.
Hours later, when
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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