Belgravia Magazine – April 2019

Rolandas Matulaitis, head chef at the Jones Family Kitchen in Eccleston Yards, talks us through his favourite food and drink from the delicious menu.

I joined the restaurant in January and both these starters [shown left] are from my new menu, which launches at the start of May. We change our set lunch menu every week, I which is a great way for me to experiment with new dishes for the à la carte. The beetroot is cooked in salt to keep its colour and flavour and is served with freshly whipped goat’s curd.

The spiced caramel is made from reduced fresh beetroot juice with cumin, coriander and paprika, to give an extra layer of flavour to the dish. Our pork is sourced from the Ginger Pig butchers. Tamworths are actually an English breed and were almost extinct, but they have been revived by Tim Wilson and his amazing team. The belly is cooked slowly overnight to retain its lovely juicy texture.

The wild scallops are from our supplier Flying Fish Seafoods in Cornwall and this dish is like a mini surf and turf. Steak is a classic dish for us and is always on the menu, and again we source our steak from the Ginger Pig. I recommend the rib-eye to be cooked rare or medium rare, anything more ruins it. We cook it on a charcoal Josper grill, which cooks to a really high heat and seals the meat instantly, locking in all the juices and natural beefy flavour.

Our mac ’n’ cheese is layered with vegetarian parmesan and cheddar cooked out to make a delicious roux, with black truffle and white truffle as well. It is baked in the oven to form a crust. It’s definitely an indulgent dish. At the other end of the spectrum, our English greens are seasonal English vegetables – so most recently Savoy cabbage, kale and tenderstem broccoli – which are fresh and full of flavour. They are steamed and then lightly sautéed in sesame oil. The dressing is made of honey, chilli and sesame to give a slightly sweet kick. A sprinkle of black and white sesame seeds on top is to give texture.

Served with malted cornflake gelato, our triple chocolate brownie has been on the menu since the restaurant opened. Who doesn’t love a chocolate brownie? The malted cornflake flavour is a new addition though, made exclusively for us by Hackney Gelato. In our Shoreditch branch we serve it with coconut sorbet and salted caramel instead.

These two wines are by the two producers that Luke, our GM and wine expert, is most proud to have on our wine list. The rosé is from Château Sainte Marguerite, which is still family-owned and is organic-certified. It’s light, crisp, refreshing and unlike most other Provençal rosés, it has a bit of complexity to it as well. The red is from his favourite producer in the world, which is part of a gang of four who reinvented the natural winemaking movement globally. Luke said the first time he tried this wine he cried; it was like a religious experience.

The Head Full of Flowers cocktail was inspired by the Frida Kahlo mural by Zabou, here in Eccleston Yards. Made with 1800 Silver Reserva, mezcal, St-Germain elderflower liqueur, pink grapefruit juice and lime juice with a salt chilli rim, it celebrates Mexican tequila and mezcal spirits and was so popular during Belgravia in Bloom last year that it’s stayed on the menu. Our Pineapple to Cuba cocktail is a twist on a classic daiquiri and its boozy sweetness is perfect for being enjoyed outside on our terrace.

Starters

Confit Tamworth pork belly with scallops; heritage beetroot and goat’s curd salad

Main

Ginger Pig rib-eye steak with béarnaise sauce, truffle macaroni cheese and English greens

Pudding

Triple chocolate brownie

Wine

Domaine Jean Foillard Morgon Cuvée Corcelette, Beaujolais;
Château Sainte Marguerite Symphonie Rosé

Cocktails

Pineapple to Cuba
Head Full of Flowers