Le Pont de la Tour
After two-and-a-half years as head chef of the Michelin-starred Mirabelle in London's Mayfair, Martin Caws took an 11-month career break, travelling across the Far East and Australia, returning to the UK earlier this year.
He then found himself inundated with job offers and invitations to interviews from recruitment consultants, but very quickly found one job that appealed to him more than any other: the post of executive head chef at Conran Restaurants' Pont de la Tour, set close to Tower Bridge in London.
"Pont appealed to me because I spoke to Chris Galvin, chef-director of Conran Restaurants, who persuaded me there was a real opportunity here," says Caws. "I also came to see the restaurant and that was the clincher. It's so beautiful, with fabulous views over the river and a lovely terrace in summer. I really felt there was enormous potential to push the restaurant forward to where it deserves to be."
Caws, who took up his new role in the middle of March, says his plan is to make Pont known as one of the best French restaurants in London again and to dramatically raise standards. "A few Asian influences had crept on to the menus here, so I'm bringing it right back to its French roots. I want to make this a haven for people who adore French food and to make it as good as it can possibly be. Then, I hope, the accolades will come."
Separate lunch and dinner menus are offered at Pont, and Caws has already changed the lunch menu a couple of times in tandem with a gradual change to the dinner menu, the softly-softly approach preventing too much pressure build-up on his 29-strong brigade. "I'm trying out dishes on the lunch menu so we get them right before we put them on in the evening," he explains. "So far I've changed nearly all the starters on the dinner à la carte and about half the main courses. Ultimately where I want to get to is a lunch menu that changes every couple of weeks and a seasonally changing à la carte."
Popular starter choices among the 80-90 lunchtime visitors to Pont, which seats 90 inside and a further 50 on an alfresco terrace in good weather, are currently salad of crab with mango and basil, and truffle risotto with sea scallops. Meanwhile, roasted sea bream with fennel salad and citrus fruit vinaigrette is going well as a main, and peach and Champagne jelly is running neck and neck with hot chocolate fondant at dessert. Three courses from the lunch menu - which boasts a total of six starters, seven mains and five desserts plus cheese - are £29.50.
The more extensive dinner à la carte offers a wide selection of crustaceans, seven starters, four fish mains, seven meat mains and nine desserts plus cheese. Caws says the 90-120 diners who visit in the evening are currently leaning heavily towards fish, probably because of the warmer weather. So best sellers to start are the grilled sea scallops, velouté of Champagne and sevruga caviar (£14.95) and the tartare of salmon, confit tomatoes and fresh basil (£12.50), while at main course the roasted Icelandic cod, artichokes and morels, jus de Sauternes (£19.50) is going strongly.
Caws's own penchant is for the Loch Duart salmon poached in red wine with young spinach and pea purée (£17.50). "The colours look amazing and the flavours are simple but really nice. Poaching the salmon in red wine gives it both a lovely texture and taste."
Le Pont de la Tour, The Butlers Wharf Building, 36d Shad Thames, London SE1 2YE.
Tel: 020 7403 8403
Chef's cheat
"When storing soft ballotines in the fridge, to help them keep their round shape place them on a bag of vacuum-packed water. It acts like a water bed."
Menus of the Quarter
The three winning menus for the February to April 2003 quarter are Longridge restaurant, Preston, Lancashire (Caterer, 20 February); Hustyns, St Brecock Downs, Cornwall (Caterer, 27 February); and Sevens, Truro, Cornwall (Caterer, 24 April ). All three go through to the shortlist for the 2003 Cateys Menu of the Year award sponsored by Quorn.
What's on the menu
* Ballotine of confit duck and foie gras, salad of haricots verts, £9.95
* Truffle risotto, asparagus and Parmesan, £10.50
* Crèpe parmentier with smoked salmon, crème fraÁ®che and caviar, £12.50
* Fillets of red mullet with potato, garlic, sorrel and saffron, £22
* Rump of lamb, potato gratin, roasted sweetbreads and morels, £21
* Rack of Limousin veal with tomato fondue and blue cheese crust, £25.50
* Coffee tart, coconut froth, £7.50
* Grand Marnier pithivier, orange marmalade ice-cream, £7.50
* Rhubarb and amaretti torte with chantilly mascarpone, £7.50
By Gaby Huddart
