A humble yet sulky chef
Hedone Restaurant London is an exceptional 1 starred restaurant in being able to get into best 50 restaurants of the world. Chef Mikael Jonsson loves his job and he goes into detail in what he does. Yet, he’s a bit conceited and moody. Don’t ever try to have his photo taken with you. He might get annoyed and put you off…
Having been given excellent points by prominent food critics and blogs, and Hedone Restaurant carries a 1 Michelin star. Chef Mikael Jonsson, having worked with the distinguished gourmet VedatMilor in Turkey on a tasting blog, is taste expert. His dream of having his own restaurant got realised when the excellent products he uses were combined in addition to his skills. And in London… The best thing about Hedone is that you eat by the kitchen. The blonde tall guy you’ll see is Chef Mikael himself. He runs around, cooks and rants in blood, sweat and tears like everyone else. It’s as if the star he got hasn’t changed him one bit. He still seems to be excited.
Before starting our meal, we’re served tomato cornet as amuse bouche. Filled with renowned French Niçoise salad, this time blended in mixer and added parsley, this cornet is a feast. Also, the presentation and the taste is outstanding.
Next, the oysters are above standard, although not as impressive as the ones I’ve had at Fischer Fritz in Berlin. Most of all, the prominence of their freshness is what it’s about.
When I ask about this guy running around among waiters, then I’m told that he’s the Chef. This man with lots of things in his hand was picking tomatoes and giving directions to sous-chefs about which ones could be used. According to the waitress, Chef Mikael is mad about his ingredients.As a matter of fact, he consults several restaurants on product provision. One of the things attracting my attention was how waiters, chefs and even customers were afraid of him.
The next dish is caramelised onions with the seasonal fruit, pear. It’s a very fine starter as it refreshes your mouth with lemon sauce and sage. The pear is cooked well, and is in a good form. Later on I’m told that Mikael does the entire bakery on his own, and that he’s the owner of the recipes of breads they serve here. My bread is classic village bread with a very hard crust. To be honest, I’ve tasted better breads in London. In this regard, The Dairy and Al Pont De Ferr are my favourites in terms of the variety of selection and the taste.
Ravioli with Parmesan with onion sauce is indeed a very pleasant combination. Pasta is al dante, and it’s not bland. Horseradish puree on top (the taste is a mixture of radish and mustard) leaves extraordinary taste in your mouth. It’s splendid.
Fillet of venison is made of deer legs. It’s served with plums, beets and radish. Personally, I find venison tastier than beef. When added the duo of salt-pepper, it’s a more royal and characteristic type of meat. Especially, if you like undercooked bloody meat, I’d definitely suggest you try this one day. Of course, if you come across a soft one. Seasonal vegetablessuch as beets, carrots and radish are the popular ingredients of taste menus. This place also holds these fresh vegetables high.
Another meat dish, spring lamb is served with Scottish mushroom. The touch of mushroom with this meat is absolutely gorgeous. The fat layer of this meat might disturb you a little bit. You’ll encounter this at many places now as chefs cook meat without removing to fat part in order for meat not to lose any juice or taste. As a result, the balance of juice and fat is not disturbed, and the fat penetrates the taste of meat. Those who like hot spices will be even more satisfied if they have it with a good type of mustard.
Our first dessert is yogurt icecream with meringue and the seasonal fruit served with it is fig. It’s accompanied with lemon jelly next to it. Have a bite of the ice cream while having your meringue. Believe me, you’ll have the happiness of a child eating ice cream with icing sugar in Kanlıca .Their success is exactly to that degree. I won’t even mention the quality of figs, as by now you probably know the fame of Mikael.
The best thing about this place is, whatever you eat, you know that the ingredients are the best you can find in England. While I was dining, he said this to a customer was complaining about this diverse menu: “ Mister, if I can’t have the guts and create new things, it’s better that I don’t cook at all!”. I was shocked, but I had respect forthe chef at the same time. After saying this, he lifted a plate he was going to serve, and put it in steam to get the plates in perfect heat for meat. He’s an interesting one. You’ll either love or hate him. He doesn’t smile. Even if you applaud him loudly, he won’t smile.
The last dessert is vanilla icecream with passionflower jelly, raspberry powder on top of warm chocolate mousse. I think it’s very smart of them to put passionflower jelly on the bottom. By this way, as the dominance of chocolate is about to overwhelm you after a couple of spoons, a magical touch awakens the taste. It revives the taste in your mouth.
Although their wine list is impressive, the wines served are rather weak compared to their rivals. Their dishes shouldn’t be spoiled like this. If you ever go there, I’d recommend you to sit on the stools by the tables next to the kitchen. Thus and so, you have the chance to watch how the food is made, and to have a chat with Mikael in between. Who knows, maybe you can make him smile…
Evaluation 9/10
Address: 301-303
Chiswick High Road London W44HH
Tel: +44 (0)20 8747 0377
