Behind a grey, uninspiring facade, at the bottom of the London Park Tower hotel, sits an institution of Knightsbridge – One O One. A mecca for foodies and connoisseurs in search of some of the very best seafood available in London. To mark a very special lunch. Pascal Proyart the Head Chef at One O One, welcomed Mark Jordan of Michelin starred Ocean Restaurant of the Atlantic Hotel in Jersey to showcase the flavours and quality of produce from Brittany (Pascal) and Jersey (Mark).
I’ve been lucky enough to dine at some of the best seafood restaurants in Europe, including Sea Grill and Bon Bon, both in Brussels and both holding two Michelin stars. One O One is currently not a Michelin starred restaurant, but after reading this review I hope you’ll agree with me and argue that it should be. A shiny star is long overdue.
Our first course by Chef Pascal was Royal King crab, pastilla, celeriac, apple and beetroot. A beautifully presented dish. Each taste delivered the perfect balance from the sweetness and meatiness of the crab, earthy beetroot puree and zing from the celeriac and apple jelly.
Next was a dish by Chef Mark of squid rice-less risotto, cauliflower pickled and anchovy cream. As the description suggests, the ‘risotto’ was rice-less and Mark has cleverly used the squid as the body of this dish, creating something very interesting. The squid was creamy and silky in texture, giving it a rich and fulfilling taste, but without the density and gummy texture often found with a traditional risotto. The sharpness from the pickled beetroot helped lift the dish even more.
Continuing our experience was white halibut, abalone, sunshokes and hazelnut with a béarnaise jus by Chef Pascal. Another beautifully presented dish, with an expertly prepared piece of firm and meaty halibut. Abalones (marine snail), were new to me – adding a little sweetness to the dish, pairing well with the nutty flavour of the sunshokes. Altogether a dish of quality produce and satisfying flavours.
Following on was another dish by Chef Pascel of scallop, foie gras, sea-spinach, wild mushroom and vermouth. Two elements dominated the dish, being the scallop and foie gras, both perfectly matched. The scallop was wonderfully meaty, juicy and very well-seasoned – combining this with the richness and creaminess of the seared foie gras was a triumph of taste and texture.
Chef Mark was next with Jersey beef, lobster, beef marmite and dauphinoise cappuccino. Mark, along with a local breeder has developed the animal into what I can only describe as amongst the best beef I have ever tasted. It was tender, yet meaty, with a farmyard flavour, you could taste the grass this animal had eaten – a taste revelation. At the base of this dish was a preparation of tongue, lobster parcel, caramelised onion and pureed dauphinoise shot with infused truffle. Stunning.
Feeling extremely full by this point, I still couldn’t say no to cheese – particularly with the promise of five Jersey cheeses and a fig chutney and walnut bread. All the cheeses were stunning and the fig chutney was an ideal accompaniment to each. I’m not a cheese crackers or biscuit fan, so the slightly toasted walnut bread helped combine these favours perfectly.
To finish, a rich, indulgent dessert of 55% Vahlrona chocolate pave, praline ice cream and gold leaf to finish, created by Mark Jordan. Picture perfect and every bit as good as it looked. The pave was dense and mouth coating, delivering a powerfully rich taste of chocolate, but not heavy in any way. The praline ice-cream helped lift the dish a little to reveal a lovely bitterness to the chocolate. The petit fours went down a treat too.
Pascal and Mark have a different approach in how they present their passion and creativity, but they share this quality and this is evident in how they source and prepare their ingredients. If a permanent collaboration was ever possible, their possibilities for delivering exceptional dishes, with a focus on seafood is endless.
9/10
