Updated 19/2/18 with opening date, dishes and booking details
What: Scully
In a nutshell: Ex-Nopi chef's first solo venture
Summing it all up: The former Head Chef of Nopi breaks out on his own with his first solo venture in the St James Market development in central London
The low-down
The folk behind the St James's Market have scored another hot signing as Ramael Scully, the former head chef of Ottolenghi’s NOPI restaurant will be behind the next restaurant to open there.
The eponymous Scully will be the chef's first solo venture and if his heritage is anything to go by, you can expect a flavour base to be wide and varied. The chef's mum is of Chinese and Indian descent, and his father’s Irish and Balinese. What that'll turn into in the kitchen remains to be seen, but given his six year stint heading up Nopi it won't be boring, that's for sure.
The restaurant and bar will have one helluva larder to fall back on. In the run up to opening Ramael has been amassing ingredients ranging from homemade spices vinegars, pickles, syrups and preserves through to ‘programmes’ of oils and animal fats, dairy and sprouts. And when those ingredients get used in dishes you get stuff like this hitting the menu:
- Baby Beetroot Jerky, Green Cardamom Cream
- Crispy Corn Biscuit, Eggplant Sambal, Bergamot Cream
- Grill Octopus, Salt Baked Avocado, Black Garlic
- Crispy Pork Hock, Brussels Sprouts Sambal, Lime & Beer Mustard
- Puffed Beef Tendons, Kilpatrick, Oyster Mayo
The chef's former boss, Yotam Ottolenghi, is pretty stoked about the new opening - and that's good enough for us. "He has an insatiable appetite for bold and vibrant colours and irreverent blends of ingredients," says Yotam, adding "his kitchen is an exciting and unexpected place to be.”
“I’ve been waiting a long time for this," says Scully who's looking forward to being on show in the new open kitchen. The restaurant will also feature a large sharing table, a counter-dining area with bar stools and banquette seating. Plus, and this bodes well for the whole St James's Market area which doesn't have too much in the way of bar space, there'll also be a bar area serving natural wines from Newcomer Wines and a cocktail menu inspired by the same larder approach as the kitchen. We're looking foward to trying the Pandan Daiquiri mixed with cordial made from the leftover citrus husks used by the restaurant.
More about Scully
Where is it? 4 St James's Market St. James’s London SW1Y 4QU
When does it open? 1 March 2018. Opening hours will be Monday – Saturday lunch 12 – 3pm and dinner 5.30pm – 10.30pm; Sunday lunch 12– 4pm
How to book: Book online at www.scullyrestaurant.com/
Find out more: Keep up with their news on Twitter @Scully_ldn and on Instagram @Scullyrestaurant/
