Foliage

The nights are drawing in, the autumn equinox is almost here and Chris Staines is focusing his talents on the new seasonal ingredients in his kitchen at the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park hotel in London.

The first deliveries of grouse have just arrived, and his creation of whole roasted Yorkshire grouse is already a best seller. It's served with choucroute accompanied by roasted foie gras, caramelised parsnips in truffle honey, tortellini stuffed with wild mushrooms and a sloe gin sauce.

It sounds rich, and it is. Staines, chef de cuisine at the Mandarin's 42-seat fine-dining restaurant, Foliage, has deliberately made a hearty departure from the lighter, fresher choices that held sway on the menu through the hot days of August.

There are less filling choices around still, of course. Fish remains popular, and a sweet and succulent scallop starter served as a salad with a caramelised cauliflower beignet and cauliflower panna cotta gives a satisfying contrast of textures on the palate.

Currently, the best-selling starter is a duo of marinated and roasted foie gras served with an endive tarte tatin and a vinaigrette of leeks, while a caramelised peach tarte tatin with pink Champagne and rose petal jelly and black pepper ice-cream takes the top spot among the dessert selections. Of course, as the days draw in, it'll have to fight off the rival claims of a satisfyingly rich and very chocolatey hot chocolate fondant offset by an ice-cream of black cherries.

Dishes are not priced individually, and instead a three-course meal from the … la carte menu of nine starters, nine mains and nine desserts costs £45 a head. "Diners often chose the foie gras and grouse, because they want to spoil themselves. Then they see the black pepper ice-cream and they think it'll be worth a try," says Staines.

Staines, whose CV features stints at Lucknam Park near Bath, Chez Nico on London's Park Lane and, most recently, a sous chef tenure at Marco Pierre White's former Oak Room restaurant in the capital, heads a brigade of 11 chefs at Foliage. Together they serve about 60 covers each day, usually 20 at lunch and 40 at dinner. They're aided and abetted by a front-of-house team headed by restaurant manager Matthew Thomas. The sommelier is Sebastien Chevalier.

A bi-weekly changing lunchtime menu du jour (£25 for three courses without wine, £32 with wine) runs alongside the … la carte, offering three options at each level, which is a big hit with busy professionals who don't have time on their side. Dishes on the two menus often cross over - such as a surprisingly light roast saddle of rabbit (not too earthy) served with morels, asparagus cannelloni and a velout‚ of sweet corn, which adds a lovely touch of sweetness.

At the moment average spends are running at £32 for lunch and £65 for dinner, including wine, and about 5% of diners are regular repeat visitors - a testament to the quality of the food.

Repeat business means that Staines has to keep the menu interesting and seasonally aware. With winter just around the corner he's already planning to drip-feed dishes featuring ingredients such as partridge and venison, butternut squash, wild mushrooms, apples and blackberries on to the menu. And with November, of course, will come white truffles. Foliage customers look set for a fine end to 2003.

Foliage, Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park Hotel, 66 Knightsbridge, London SW3 7LA. Tel: 020 7235 2000. Web: www.mandarinoriental.com

By Louise Bozec

What's on the menu

(£45 for three courses)

• Rolled terrine of rabbit confit and foie gras, apple chutney, leek and walnut dressing
• Raviolo of scallops, Dublin Bay prawns, asparagus, truffles and cream of sweet corn
• Roast sweetbread millefeuille, onion compote, garlic caramel and potato gnocchi
• Pan-fried fillet of John Dory, smoked haddock brandade, roast scallops, Alsace bacon, vegetables à la grecque
• Herb-crusted veal from Limousin, roast butternut squash, risotto of cauliflower, truffle jus
• Bresse pigeon, foie gras, Puy lentils and Savoy cabbage, vegetable confit
• Pistachio soufflé, chocolate sorbet, hot chocolate sauce
• Caramelised banana crème brûlèe, dark chocolate truffle, sea salt caramel ice-cream
• Raspberry ice-cream, orange chibouste gratinée, caramelised oranges

Chef's cheat

Cèpes will have thrived during the dry summer season, so Staines recommends buying them when they come into season, drying them out and using their powder to flavour sauces and risottos.