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New but familiar flavors take center stage in Alpine-inspired dishes from chef-owner Jeremy Gillon
For frequent travelers who miss a sunny vacation in Europe, and for anyone who dreams of going there, Restaurant Jag’s summer menu is a welcome indulgence.
The Summer Discovery Tasting, The Plant Walk, features wild herbs and seasonal vegetables from the mountains of Savoy, France. It is a key element in the culinary repertoire of chef-owner Jeremy Gillon (he owns a collection of around forty herbs native to the region) where he takes guests on “a journey in the progression of flavors†through the region. JAG Omakase experience.
According to chef Gillon, the summer menu pays homage to nature in all its splendor, a time when the sun magnifies the colors, scents and flavors of fruits and vegetables. Think of sunny skies, forests laden with delicate scents, and beautifully flowered mountains touched by the cool breeze of the glaciers.
Now, unless you’re from Savoy, you probably haven’t heard, let alone tasted, most of the native herbs that are incorporated into the dishes. If there is mint, sage and basil, there is also rocked (known as cow parsnip), verbena (lemon verbena with citrus fruits) and hawthorne (hawthorn), among others.
The foreign-sounding ingredients can seem overwhelming, but take the opportunity to broaden your culinary horizons and have a memorable experience, just like we did.
A season to remember
Dining at the one Michelin star restaurant is always an intimate affair despite its open kitchen and the now closed IBHQ cocktail bar on the second floor. With only six tables surrounded by a sober decor of gray and taupe, the stage is set for the creations of chef Gillon.
The multi-course experience begins deliciously with a series of three canapes – a Celtic snack wrapped in mint with apple juice; sweet and smoked banana shallot and thyme (thyme) which is sandwiched between leaves of Breton sable; and Hokkaido scallops with fennel and rocked. They’re a taste of what’s to come, an unpredictable yet exciting foray into alpine-inspired cuisine.
After the creamy velvety appetizer (with oat milk), we dive into the starter where the stewed octopus is embellished with red vine (red vine leaf) and tomatoes. It’s fresh, sour and sweet at the same time – and very delicious.
The second dish surprises with its simplicity: corn, sage and Oscetra caviar. The salinity of the caviar balances the sweetness of the corn nicely while the sage infuses the dish with a subtle earthy flavor.
The following dishes play on contrasting textures, the flavors becoming stronger and smokier as the meal progresses. Seafood is featured in the third and fourth courses, with a crab-stuffed tuile biscuit accompanied by bell pepper and wild sorbet verbena; and scampi coated with kale, served with scampi cream and Achileo syrup for a balance between sweetness, bitterness and smokiness.
Now on to meats. There are ravioli stuffed with romanesco and quail egg served on a slow cooker heathen chicken and sprinkled with hawthorn powder, followed by a dish of courgettes in four cookings and wild turbot embellished with floral notes of queen of the meadows (meadowsweet). It’s smoky and punchy.
After a palate refreshment of apple, sorel and ash sorbet, we arrive at the last of the main courses. The pigeon is cooked to perfection, and is the most filling of the lot. The texture surprisingly resembles that of red meat, but it is wonderfully tender. It is served with a variety of eggplant, polenta on the side, and caraway (caraway) for a slightly peppery touch.
Then the attentive waiters unroll the cheese cart – and it’s one of the most forgiving we’ve ever seen. There is a plethora of cheeses (up to 18, depending on seasonality) from Ireland, New Zealand and France, all directly from individual cheese makers and small family farms. They are served with a selection of house roasted nuts, organic seasonal jam, fresh grapes and crackers.
The feast ends with the eighth course – a dessert featuring another unexpected combination of beetroot, dark chocolate and savory (salty) dominated by juxtaposed textures.
If the herbs of Savoy have aroused your interest, you have the opportunity to take a look at them at the end of the tasting. Small pots containing the herbs are presented to you, and Chef Gillon is there to personally explain more to you.
The dishes of the Jag restaurant will surprise, delight and sometimes even intimidate, but above all, they will leave you with wide eyes on this part of the world and its riches.
Jag Restaurant is at 76 Duxton Road.
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