Carousel, Marylebone’s culinary hub for international chef talent, has revealed its line-up of handpicked guest chef residencies, from January through March.
Following twenty-five successful residencies in 2015, including summer and winter stints from Carousel head chef and co-founder Ollie Templeton and memorable turns from the likes of Sydney’s Shaun Presland, Mexico City’s Oswaldo Oliva and London’s own Olia Hercules, the Marylebone restaurant will continue to showcase a similar breadth of international chef talent in 2016.
The New Year line-up kicks off on Tuesday 5th January with Romy Gill’s North-East-India-meets-the-West Country home cooking and the understated French-Japanese fare of Reykjavik-based Akané Monavon; followed by Stockholm’s two-Michelin-star Oaxen Krog & Slip ahead of Tokyo’s Rimpei Yoshikawa, who will recreate signature dishes from his French/Moroccan bistro, Pignon. Rounding off the first quarter of 2016 is New Yorker Tara Norvell, co-founder of Brooklyn hot spot Okonomi and one of the city’s leading exponents of modern Japanese cooking.
Romy Gill, runner up in this year’s Observer Food Monthly ‘Best Restaurant’ Awards begins the New Year residencies this month (January 5th-16th) with an inventive menu combining the aromatic flavours of her native India with the freshest West Country produce, sourced from nearby her adopted home of Thornbury, Gloucestershire. Dishes on Romy’s ‘Spice Trail’ menu include ‘Laal Maas wild boar with yoghurt, red Kashmiri chilli & coriander’ and her signature ‘Tamarind & apple chutney’.
Next up (19th-30th January), Akané Monavon takes the reins in the Carousel kitchen. A chef with a truly international perspective, she’s worked in cutting edge kitchens in New York, London, Tokyo and most recently Reykjavik, developing a laid back, French-Japanese style that’s delicate and understated. Look out for dishes such as ‘Tempura lobster dusted with sumac’, ‘Grilled camembert with rose pepper & berry emulsion’ and ‘Cardamom crème brûlée’.
Chefs Johan Tengsved, Mikael Wretman and Emil Grönlund of Stockholm institution Oaxen Krog & Slip (two Michelins stars) will tag team for the first two weeks of February (2nd-13th), recreating tasty sharing dishes from the restaurant’s Nordic bistro (the ‘Slip’), including its legendary ‘Knuckle of Veal’. Substituting sustainable, locally sourced Scandinavian ingredients for the best that the UK has to offer, the family style menu will be perfectly suited to Carousel’s communal casual dining.
In March (1st-12th), Rimpei Yoshikawa, of bohemian Shibuya bistro Pignon, swaps the neon lights of Tokyo for the cobbled streets of Marylebone, showcasing the soulful, everyday style of French-Moroccan cooking he’s made his own since leaving the world of haute cuisine five years ago in favour of a simpler approach. Expect stripped back dishes such as ‘Confit aromatic duck with kinkan & cumin’, ‘Merguez sausages with housemade harissa & couscous’ anda rather special ‘Guacamole topped with thinly-sliced octopus’ on this, his London debut.
Seeing in spring 2016 (15th-26th March), ambitious New Yorker Tara Norvell will show London diners why her Williamsburg ramen and omakasejoint, Okonomi, has become so popular since opening last May. Her consciously uncomplicated, ingredient-led philosophy is twinned with fresh ideas and impeccable technique, a style resulting in creative dishes including ‘Miso & uni purée ravioli topped with sea urchin, blood orange & fresh shiso leaf’. Tara believes that set menus are “the future of restaurants”, making Carousel the perfect fit for her experience-oriented style.
Dinner by Carousel’s guest chefs offers a set menu of four or more courses (£35 per person), while head chef and co-founder Ollie Templeton and his team take care of lunch (£9.50 for one course).
Carousel January / February/ March 2016 guest chef series
- Romy Gill: 5th-16th January
- Akané Monavon: 19th-30th January
- Oaxen Krog & Slip: 2nd-13th February
- Rimpei Yoshikawa: 1st-12th March
- Tara Norvell: 15th-26th March
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