Ambassador of taste
Once again cooking "my kind of food", Garry Hollihead is enjoying his new venture, Embassy, in the heart of Mayfair in London's West End. Janet Harmer reports.
As head chef and co-owner of the newly opened Embassy restaurant in the heart of London's Mayfair, Garry Hollihead is delighted to once again be cooking what he calls "my kind of food".
In the 12 months up to last summer Hollihead was overseeing the kitchens at two of London's largest restaurants, the 500-seat Sugar Reef and the 250-seat Red Cube. "Being restrained by cooking for those numbers is not really my kind of thing," says Hollihead, who is a lot happier cooking at the 110-seat Embassy.
However, working at Sugar Reef and Red Cube brought Hollihead into contact with owner Mark Fuller, now his partner in Embassy, along with operations director Gina Campbell-Clough. Fuller has since sold Sugar Reef and Red Cube to concentrate on his new venture.
Hollihead, who has previously held Michelin stars at London restaurants Sutherlands and L'Escargot, heads a brigade of 12 chefs at Embassy and describes the menu as British and French Renaissance in style. "That basically means that I am taking big, classical dishes and re-evaluating them to serve in a modern way," he says.
Hence, chicken Rossini, foie gras and braised celery (£19.50) is Hollihead's twist on the classic tournedos Rossini. He serves a roasted chicken breast topped with a big slab of foie gras and slice of truffle, alongside some braised celery and dauphinoise potatoes. The accompanying jus is made from a truffle-flavoured stock to provide a deep intensity of flavour.
And instead of beef Wellington, Hollihead serves a fillet of venison Wellington (£18.25). The fillet is topped with a mushroom duxelle and then wrapped in a Savoy cabbage leaf before being covered with a fine lattice of pastry. The roasted dish is served with a truffle and foie gras jus, with some spinach pur‚e on the same plate and pomme purée in a separate dish.
For his version of sole Dieppoise (£16.95), Hollihead sits a roast fillet on a bed of pea and pomme purée, surrounded by shrimps, mussels, baby leeks, baby carrots and a light fish velouté.
Not every dish is brought to the table plated. For instance, the waiting staff serve soup from a silver pouring tureen on to a garnish in individual bowls. So a cauliflower and truffle soup (£5.95) is poured over tiny florets of cauliflower and some fresh shavings of truffle, while a scallop and asparagus velout‚ (£7.50) is added to thin slices of uncooked scallops and asparagus.
Some dishes involve two or three plates placed in the centre of the table, from which the customers help themselves. Lobster Americaine, shallots and tomato (£23.95) are served alongside separate dishes of tagliatelle and green vegetables.
Some desserts are served in a similar fashion, such as the crêpes Suzette, for which separate dishes of pancakes, orange and lemon slices, and lemon sorbet, together with a jug of orange sauce, are brought to the table.
Other desserts (all £5.95) include Mont Blanc with caramel chestnuts, plum pudding with brandy sabayon, and lemon verbena and mascarpone tart with port-marinated figs.
Average spend is currently about £25 at lunch and £35-£40 at dinner, excluding wine.
A selection from the menu at Embassy
Cocotte eggs chasseur, chicken livers, mushrooms, Madeira jus, £6.50
Boudin blanc, creamed cabbage and bacon, £8.25
Rump of lamb niçoise, pommes Anna, £16.50
Lobster newburg, Marsala and brandy, £23.95
Roast cod boulangŠre, creamed spinach, oxtail jus, £15.25
Apple charlotte, sugared rosemary, £5.95
Frosted Champagne, pears, blackcurrant sorbet, £5.95
Rice pudding jubilee, cherry compote, £5.95
Embassy, 29 Old Burlington Street, London W1. Tel: 020 7437 9933
