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An Insider’s Guide to London

Trivet chef Jonny Lake tells all.

LondonGuide2023-Trivet — Trivet chef Jonny Lake, master sommelier Isa Bal, and Melissa Fergus

EX-MONTREALER JONNY LAKE has been living and working in the U.K. for nearly 20 years. Thirteen of them were at Heston Blumenthal’s The Fat Duck, in Bray — a stint he completed as the estimable restaurant group’s executive chef. In 2018 he quit, along with the group’s award-winning head sommelier, Isa Bal, to collaborate on a place of their own. In October 2019 they opened Trivet, in Bermondsey, where, in 2022, they earned a richly deserved first Michelin star.

What brought you to the U.K.?

My main reason for moving to the U.K. was to work at The Fat Duck. I had been living and working in different parts of Italy and France for a few years, and all the magazines I was reading at the time [2004] were talking about what was happening in London, and every article would have something about Heston Blumenthal and what he was doing in this old pub in a village about 30 miles away. It all sounded very exciting, so I contacted the restaurant with the hopes of getting an interview. Two months later, I started there as a chef de partie and it was a good fit from the start.

When friends from elsewhere visit, where do you take them first and why?

Trivet, of course.

› Trivet

36 Snowsfields, London

If you have only one weekend with them, where else do you take them for meals and why?

Endo at the Rotunda (DINNER) Kazutoshi Endo and I have known each other for many years, and we have collaborated on a couple of amazing projects with, hopefully, more to come. Endo-san stops at nothing to find the best ingredients for his restaurant, and this becomes quickly apparent when you eat at The Rotunda. After only two or three dishes of his multi-course menu, you know you are somewhere special. I love the way he plays with textures and temperatures to keep you wanting more.

› Endo at the Rotunda

8th Floor, The Helios, Television Centre, 101 Wood Lane, London
TUBE STATIONS: White City, Wood Lane

A. Wong (DIM SUM LUNCH) Andrew’s knowledge of regional Chinese cuisine is endless. I have always admired his continued pursuit of knowledge of Chinese cooking techniques and ingredients. Over the years, he has managed to create two-restaurants-in-one by offering a dim sum menu at lunch and a multi-course tasting menu at dinner. Both experiences are amazing, but my favourite would have to be sitting at the counter for lunch, facing the kitchen. Intense flavours and amazing technique with incredibly welcoming service — Andrew and his wife, Nathalie, have created something truly special.

Tayyabs (LUNCH) Amazing Punjabi cuisine. Tayyabs is where we go to eat for our team outing every year, just before closing for Christmas. [They’re] always welcoming and happy for us to bring our own wine. Lamb chops, king prawns and seekh kebab all the way.

› A. Wong

70 Wilton Road, Victoria, London
TUBE STATIONS: Pimlico

Mangal 1 (DINNER) Authentic Turkish “greasy spoon,” introduced to me by master sommelier Isa Bal, my partner at Trivet. Everything that is cooked on the large charcoal grill is amazing, but the offals are particularly good. BYOB and always a great atmosphere.

London now has many new high-end patisseries. These are two of our favourites:

Claridge’s ArtSpace Café
The Connaught Patisserie by Nicolas Rouzaud

› The Connaught Patisserie

Carlos Place, Mayfair, London
TUBE STATIONS: Bond Street

What sets London chefs apart?

Their knowledge and awareness of so many different types of food. This is due to the incredibly diverse nature of London’s restaurant scene, which ranges across all types and levels, from fine dining to casual. Relationships with passionate suppliers and other chefs continue to develop, and it’s amazing to see people I used to work alongside now opening and running their own restaurants in London.

Where do you go for morning coffee and what’s special about it?

First coffee of the day is usually when I arrive at Trivet. We take coffee seriously and have worked with Kiss the Hippo since our opening in 2019. We created our own Trivet blend with them, which we serve alongside a changing selection of great coffees roasted by them. If I am not at the restaurant in the morning, I will try to go to Rosslyn (which has three locations in London). They are constantly bringing in amazing coffees from roasters around the world, so there is always something interesting and delicious there.

› Kiss the Hippo

Multiple locations, London

What about late-night drinks?

The Black Book, in Soho, is open until very late, and the level of wine, food and cocktails on offer is much higher than anything else open at that time. You will always find many industry people there.

Where do you go to get away from it all?
I like to take a walk over to Tate Modern. It’s such an amazing building and it’s a nice walk along the river.

What do they have in London that you cannot get at home and wish you could?

I think [McVitie’s] milk chocolate Hobnobs are possibly the best biscuits ever created.

› The Black Book

23 Frith Street, Soho, London

Conversely, what do you bring to London from Canada because you cannot find it there?

Maple syrup for sure. It’s available here, but the quality is nowhere close. I think it has a lot to do with freshness. I am lucky that I have a good friend who is able to send me a good amount every spring. Most summers, I manage to get to Canada in August for a week or two. We go to Southampton on Lake Huron and all I basically eat is tomatoes and corn.

Shopping for home, where would you go?

Fish – The Chelsea Fishmonger (owner, Rex Goldsmith)
Meat – The Ginger Pig (Marylebone and Borough Market)
Bread – Alma Mill and Bakery (Southwark); open for retail on Saturdays
Cheese – La Fromagerie (Marylebone)
Vegetables – The Ealing Grocer (a specialty food shop owned by the legendary Andy Harris)