One-O-One

T he past 12 months have been eventful for Pascal Proyart. Not only did he narrowly escape being caught up in the horror of the Madrid bombing (Caterer, 18 March, page 10) but, more happily, the Sheraton Park Tower hotel's restaurant One-O-One, where he's executive chef, was voted London's best fish restaurant by readers of the Harden's restaurant guides.

As a result, One-O-One is busier than ever, with Proyart hoping to maintain that success as he develops the menu and grows the restaurant's reputation. "I've got a great team behind me," he says. "But also the success of a fish restaurant is the product, and I'm strict about that. I'm the one who cleans the fish every morning, so my suppliers know it'd better be spot-on."

Many of Proyart's most successful dishes are developed in his car, where he spends about two hours on his daily commute. "It's the place where I am at my most constructive," he says.

He likes to put surf and turf dishes on his menus but is careful to match the contrasting proteins to avoid overpowering the taste of the fish. "I think that's my strength," he says. "When you cook fish the most important thing is to find the fish at the end of the day."

Proyart's menu is comprehensive, with never less than nine dishes per course, augmented by a sub-menu of five rock oyster and six royal king crab options. The king crab, in particular, is the mark of his menu. He was, he claims, the first of London's fine-dining chefs to put the cold-water crustacean on to a menu six years ago, although these days diners associate it with the Capital and Nobu restaurants.

"Everyone thought it was crazy for me to buy it in, because it's so expensive, but we sell about 50-60kg a week," he says. "I prefer it to lobster - it's sweet and there's no waste; the shell is thin, so it's full of meat."

The crab comes either grilled, roasted or served cold with six accompaniments: a‹oli sauce; wasabi-lime mayonnaise; olive oil and tomato sauce vierge; warm with spring onions and sweet chilli-ginger sauce; and parsley and lemon sauce. The crab also appears on the … la carte menu in tournedos form, served with winter truffle risotto, a Parmesan egg pancake and candied tomato.

On the à la carte menu, recently introduced dishes include the pan‚ of pig's trotter. Pig's trotter, stuffed with sweetbread, foie gras and shank of veal, is formed into a roulade, then pan-fried in Chinese breadcrumbs. It's served with langoustine tournedos and a salad of French beans, spinach and raw mushrooms dressed in vinaigrette made with balsamic vinegar, porcini truffle, olive oil, and Jerez vinegar. A glass of beetroot juice completes the dish and lends a burst of earthy freshness to cut through the richness of the other ingredients.

Oriental allusions are also found in a lobster salad served with a dressing made up of 25 spices, including ginger, garlic and lemon grass. An accompanying apple and celeriac sorbet helps refresh the dish and calm the palate.

A blend of tradition and modern flavours is apparent throughout most dishes. Witness a roasted pavé of cod with squid and piquillo, sautéd in garlic and chilli and served with risotto nero and a consommé of tomato and basil; and an offering of turbot - one of the best fish to be had in England, according to Proyart - which is roasted in clarified butter (on the bone, to retain moisture) and offset with a tomato, tarragon and chervil sauce, pont-neuf potatoes and a truffle and watercress salad.

Pan-fried John Dory - another new dish - is served with a roasted foie gras and sweet potato mash. The mash is filled with asparagus á la créme, with the John Dory served on top under foie gras and a sabayon made with grain mustard and tarragon.

Among the dessert selection, classic comfort food gets the thumbs-up in dishes like caramelised banana pancake - essentially a pancake stuffed with banana and raisins cooked in rum. Butterscotch sauce flavoured with coffee and rum is poured over the pancake, which is then caramelised and served with chocolate ice-cream.

One-O-One, Sheraton Park Tower, 101 Knightsbridge, London SW1X 7RN. Tel: 020 7290 7101

Chef's Cheat
When cooking fish like cod, I always leave the skin on to retain the moisture. I cook on one side only, until the flesh is cooked three-quarters of the way through to create a crust, and I never use flour on fish - just make sure it's not wet before cooking.

What's on the menu - Seaweed-steamed langoustines, wasabi-lime mayonnaise, £16.50.

• Pan-roasted sea scallops and duck foie gras, wild mushroom fricass‚e and jus r"ti truffle, £17

- Dover sole, roasted langoustine, saut‚d baby spinach, wild mushrooms and chives mousseline sauce, £25
- Roasted wild sea bass, soft tapenade crust, grilled baby artichoke, purple crushed potato and parsley barigoule sauce, £24.
- Plate gourmand of Challans duck, roasted breast, leg confit, pan-fried foie gras, morels-shallot mash and Madeira sauce, £24
- Hot chocolate fondant and passion fruit sorbet, £8
- Ravioli of pineapple and nougat glace, with coconut sorbet and exotic fruit coulis, £7
- Chilled poached pear William and strawberry warm Champagne sabayon, £9