Restaurant radar: February 2022

By James McAllister

- Last updated on GMT

Restaurant radar: February 2022 Em Sherif Hello Oriental Richoux Stuart Gillies Cedric Grolet Lahpet

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A subterranean Asian food hall in Manchester, the relaunch of Richoux and a second site from Stuart Gillies are among this month's biggest restaurant openings.

Em Sherif

Mireille-Hayek-s-Em-Sherif-Lebanese-restaurant-to-launch-in-Harrods-next-week

The first European outpost for acclaimed chef Mireille Hayek's Beirut-born Em Sherif restaurant group is to launching at Harrods in London's Knightsbridge this month. Located on the store’s second floor, the 80-seat restaurant will offer a 'unique take on refined Lebanese cuisine', with an à la carte menu designed by Hayek and her daughter Yasmina, who is group head chef at Em Sherif. Signature dishes will include a fattoush salad with pomegranate molasses; wagyu hummus; and Em Ali, a vanilla-infused milk, nuts and puff pastry. Interiors by award-winning designer Ramy Butros will complement the Lebanese menu, incorporating hand-selected and intricately embroidered chair designs - representing the Hayek family’s culture and history - and beautiful bespoke tiles on the walls. Hayek, who has no formal chefs training or experience, opened Em Sherif, which is named after her son, in 2011, and has grown the group to twelve venues across the Middle East with locations in Dubai, Kuwait and Qatar. The original Beirut restaurant was named as one of the top nine female-led restaurants to watch in 2021 by The World's 50 Best Group, and features on The World's 50 Best Discovery database.
87-135 Brompton Road, London SW1X 7XL
harrods.com/en-gb/restaurants

Hello Oriental

February finally sees the launch of Hello Oriental – a subterranean, three-floor Asian food hall located in Manchester’s Circle Square. Developed by the team behind Manchester restaurant Ocean Treasure, Hello Oriental will draw inspiration from Asian dining destinations such as Bang Bang Oriental in London and 1800 Lucky in Miami, serving Chinese and Vietnamese cuisine. The venue’s focal point will be a market hall that will serve everything from Chinese roast meats and dim sum to east Asian street food. There will also be modern Chinese bakery and on-site supermarket, which will sell all of the products and ingredients that are cooked on-site.
Circle Square, South Pavilion, 2 Symphony Park, Manchester, M1 7FS
hofoodhall.com

Cedric Grolet at The Berkeley

Cedric-Grolet-to-open-a-patisserie-at-The-Berkeley

Pastry chef Cedric Grolet is set to the launch of his first patisserie outside of France on Valentine’s Day (14 February) at The Berkeley hotel in London’s Knightsbridge. Grolet, who is considered to be one of the world’s best pastry chefs, will open Cedric Grolet at The Berkeley with food and drink available to take away or to consumed within the hotel, in a new 60-cover space. The patisserie will have a pastry theatre and eight seats that will overlook the kitchen and enable guests to see Grolet’s team at work. The chef is known for his culinary ‘trompe-l'œil’ and his famous fruits and flowers patisserie creations will be able to buy at the new café, which will serve ‘le petit déjeuner’ and ‘Goûter Cedric Grolet’ afternoon tea. There will also be a large selection of pastries, viennoisseries and exclusive new creations on the menu.
Wilton Place, London SW1X 7RL
the-berkeley.co.uk/whats-new/cedric-grolet-the-berkeley

Restaurant 1890 by Gordon Ramsay

Gordon Ramsay is to open his third outpost within The Savoy hotel in London on 23 February. Called Restaurant 1890 by Gordon Ramsay, the space, which is located next to the American Bar overlooking the hotel entrance in what was previously the D’Oyly Carte room, will pay homage to famed French chef Georges Auguste Escoffier and be overseen by executive head chef James Sharp, previously senior sous chef at Pétrus by Gordon Ramsay. The restaurant’s £110 tasting menu will feature ‘seasonal modern French’ dishes with ‘European influences’. Sarah Rhone, previously general manager at Phil Howard and Rebecca Mascarenhas' Elystan Street, has been appointed general manager with Emanuel Pesqueira as its head sommelier.
Savoy Hotel, Strand, London WC2R 0EU
gordonramsayrestaurants.com/restaurant-1890

Marsha Soho

Sustainability-focused-chicken-restaurant-Marsha-to-double-up-with-new-Soho-site

Sustainability-focused chicken brand Marsha is to launch a second London restaurant this month, replacing Whyte & Brown at Kingly Court in Soho. Marsha launched its debut site last year on the riverside in Gabriel's Wharf, and its second location will follow alone the same lines as the original with a menu that uses higher-welfare chickens from the Soane family farm in the Yorkshire Wolds and aims to use as much of the bird as possible across its selection of small plates, roasted chicken and burgers. Sharing dishes include crispy chicken skins with a house seasoning; chicken hearts in blankets with chimichurri; sautéed chicken livers with green lentils and harissa yoghurt; and buttermilk gochujang wings with kimchi slaw. There's also a range of 'signature' burgers, as well as a half chicken that's poached in hot brine and oven roasted. Other dishes, meanwhile, include bang bang cauliflower with gochujang sauce; grilled spring cabbage with smoked romesco, tahini and almonds; and a chocolate and pecan brownie dessert with coconut choc-chip ice cream. In keeping with Marsha’s 'philosophy of low waste', several drinks on the highball and spritzer-focused cocktail menu make the most of ingredients from the kitchen that would otherwise have been discarded. They include the ‘Dirty Clucker’, a chicken-stock infused take on a dirty martini garnished with a crispy chicken skin rim around the glass.
Kingly Court, Carnaby Street, London W1B 5PW
marshalondon.co.uk

Lahpet Covent Garden

Dan Anton and Zaw Mahesh have chosen Covent Garden's The Yards for their second Lahpet restaurant. Both of Burmese heritage, the pair have run Lahpet in Shoreditch since 2018 offering authentic food from the South East Asian country now known as Myanmar. The restaurant is one of a handful in the capital to offer Burmese dishes including mohinga, catfish and lemongrass chowder; coconut noodles with chicken; and the namesake lahpet thohk, a salad of pickled tea leaves. The Covent Garden restaurant will also have new dishes including wet thar myit chin, roasted pork belly and bamboo shoots made with shallot, fermented soya bean paste, garlic and chilli; Rakhine monti, a spicy and sour soup of sea bream and squid cooked with fermented fish paste, chilli, tamarind and black pepper; and Shan htamin, a popular Shan state street food dish with jasmine rice, sea bream, potato, tomato, fried garlic and shallots, peanuts and chives.
21 Slingsby Place, London WC2E 9AB
lahpet.co.uk

Blacklock Covent Garden

Known for its hearty portions and good value chops and meat dishes, London-based chop specialist Blacklock is finally set to launch its fourth restaurant this month, in Covent Garden; an opening that will coincide with the start of the group’s ‘journey’ to B Corp status. Taking over a site on Bedford Street that used to house the King’s Coachmakers, the 110-cover restaurant will be the group’s biggest site to date and see new, lesser-known cuts of meat hitting the menu for the first time, including Denver and tri-tip steaks.
16a Bedford Street, London WC2E 9HE
theblacklock.com

Grace & Savour
Grace-Savour-to-open-at-Hampton-Manor-in-February-2022

Head chef David Taylor is to launch a new restaurant and development kitchen at the West Midlands-based Hampton Manor later this month. Called Grace & Savour, it will be located in the manor’s walled garden and see Taylor’s wife Anette run the front of house while he leads the kitchen. There will also be five bedrooms available to book, giving diners the option of participating in a 24-hour experience at the estate. The restaurant will be open to non-residents as well as staying guests and will have counter dining that overlooks the kitchen. Guests will be taken on a tour of the garden before sitting down to a dinner of around 15 dishes accompanied by drinks pairings that will include kombuchas, teas and small-batch wines. The menu will reflect what is available at the time and will feature dishes that ‘replicate an understanding of the complexities of produce, broken food chains and scarcity of nutrient-rich soil’.
Hampton Manor Estate, Shadowbrook Lane, Hampton in Arden, Solihull B92 0EN
www.hamptonmanor.com

Silverleaf

Three of the capital’s top bartenders are teaming up to open a new cocktail bar in the recently launched Pan Pacific London hotel this month. The bar, called Silverleaf, is the brainchild of Martyn ‘Simo’ Simpson, owner of Milroy’s of Soho, his former director of bars Chris Tanner, and former bar manager at Shoreditch’s Callooh Callay Liam Broom. Tanner will be the bar’s general manager and Broom will be its bar manager, with Simpson helping curate the bar’s menu and drinks selection Silverleaf is described as being inspired by ‘naturalism and the elements’ and will be located in the 144-year-old Devonshire House, a separate building adjacent to the hotel in the middle of Pan Pacific London’s estate. It will feature a large marble bar and include a semi-private area and Alba; a separate space that accommodates up to 12 people and which is designed for private drink experiences as well as being home to a bottle-keep for customers. Each cocktail on the drink’s menu will champion two or three core ingredients, including unusual options and ones that have been foraged. Drinks are said to have ‘minimalist presentation’ with a touch of colour along with edible garnishes.
80 Houndsditch, London EC3A 7AB
panpacific.com/en/hotels-and-resorts/pp-london/dining/silverleaf

Richoux Piccadilly

Richoux-Piccadilly-to-reopen-with-former-Moor-Hall-chefs-at-the-helm

Former Moor Hall chefs Jamie Butler and Lewis Spencer have revealed plans to ‘breathe new life’ into the Richoux brand after it fell into administration last year, and will head up the kitchen at patisserie and restaurant Richoux’s Piccadilly when it relaunches on 23 February. The new Richoux will have new design, with its recognised red exterior being replaced with a navy blue one. As with the previous incarnation the interior will be Gallic inspired and will feature low-hanging vintage chandeliers and a patisserie counter with pale blue banquette seating at the front of the venue. The main dining room, which is designed by Lucy Potter of Fox and Church, will have scalloped pearl floor tiles, restored original alcoves, mottled mirrored walls and art deco wall lights. To the rear will be a bar with polished golden fixtures described as being ‘reminiscent of old school Parisian cafes’. Lewis and Spencer’s all-day menu will pay homage to the grand brasseries of Paris with dishes including French onion soup; Welsh rarebit and croque monsieur alongside plates of Mediterranean prawns; and raw tuna and watermelon. Larger plates will include salmon a la plancha with wild rice, artichokes, lemon and pickled cucumber; grilled chicken paillard in a citrus gremolata, served with rocket and toasted almonds; and crispy duck salad with hoisin dressing, candied cashew, spring onion and gem lettuce. Patisserie items, meanwhile, will include cruffins in flavours including passion fruit and banana crème; sea salt; caramelised white chocolate custard; and vanilla bean and raspberry as well as tare tatins and chocolate cakes.
172 Piccadilly, St. James's, London W1J 9EJ
richoux.co.uk

Number Eight

Former-Gordon-Ramsay-Group-CEO-Stuart-Gillies-to-open-Number-Eight-restaurant-in-Sevenoaks

Following on from the success of Bank House in Chislehurst, chef and former Gordon Ramsay Group CEO Stuart Gillies is to launch a second restaurant this month on 24 February, in the Kent town of Sevenoaks. Called Number Eight, the restaurant will be located in a 16th​ century corner venue with a courtyard terrace with interior features such as solid oak parquet flooring, banquet seating, gold rimmed lampshades and a raised marble-topped bar. It will also have a 16-cover private dining space called The Gallery that will double as a space to showcase young up and coming artists. The menu will reflect Gillies’ career as having worked in restaurants in Stockholm, Rome, New York and London with dishes including whipped cod’s roe with hazelnuts, green beans and homemade focaccia; truffled artichokes with creme fraiche dressing and mache salad; buttermilk chicken, bbq sauce, blue cheese shavings (pictured below); confit leg of Goosnargh duck, roasted ceps, cavolo nero, garlic fried potatoes; Rye Bay monkfish curry; roasted loin of Chart Farm venison, swede mash, sour cherry, chocolate sauce; and fettucine of Dorset crab with chilli, spring onions, garlic. As with Bank House, Gillies will run Number Eight in partnership with his wife Cecilia.
8 London Road, Sevenoaks, Kent, United Kingdom, TN13 1AJ
no8sevenoaks.com

Delicious Pho

Canadian-based Vietnamese street food concept Delicious Pho is launching its first UK site in London’s Spitalfields. Occupying the former Byron site, Delicious Pho will hold 134 people and be available for both eat in and takeaway.  Founded by chef Chau Tran, Delicious Pho will offer authentic Pho at the core of its menu. Centred on a homemade broth where the flavour has developed over 12 hours, rice noodles and protein are then added along with a side of fresh herbs beansprouts, lime and chilli. On the Delicious Pho menu, protein options are divided into ‘The Simple’ where one protein is added and ranges from ten combinations including beef, chicken, prawn, veggie and tofu; ‘The Regular’, which is centred on just beef protein and includes six combinations of beef cuts such as sliced steak, flank and tendon, or sliced steak and tripe; and finally The Pho Master, which comes in three beef combinations of varying cuts. Supporting the core Delicious Pho menu is a variety of starters including salads, chicken wings and summer rolls, as well as sharing platters; as well as a selection of curry and rice dishes.
3-6 Steward Street, Spitalfields, E1 6FQ
deliciouspho.co.uk

Itaku

Restaurateur Jean-Bernard Fernandez-Versini and chef Ivan Simeoli will launch their debut UK restaurant in Marylebone this month. Called Itaku, the 60-cover restaurant will open on Great Portland Street serving a menu of Italian cuisine using Japanese flavours and techniques. Fernandez-Versini is founder of Cannes pop up nightclub Cosy Box, which is now in its 15th year, while Simeoli has worked at venues including The Royal Academy of Arts, The Wallace Collection and Massimo Bottura’s three Michelin starred restaurant Osteria Francescana. Signature dishes will include soya milk poached pork belly with baked Umbrian beans; miso Cornish monkfish with flamed pumpkin and Tuscan black cabbage; Sicilian red prawns with black truffle ponzu and shiso; truffle carbonara; and seafood linguine. There will also be a raw bar with a selection of sashimi and vegetables.
110 Great Portland St, London W1W 6PQ
itaku.co.uk

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