Jean-Georges at The Connaught: This chef's got it

Fay Maschler expects there'll be a sequel to her visit of Jean-Georges Vongerichten's new outpost
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Fay Maschler31 January 2018

HAPPY FAMILIES — A SHORT, EXPENSIVE MOVIE

Exterior: The Connaught in deepest Mayfair. A summer evening, about 8pm. Three diners, a man accompanied by two women, greet the doorman as they enter the lobby. Cut to the more casual dining area on the left that has been completely revamped and named Jean-Georges at The Connaught. Stained glass in the wraparound windows overlooking Mount Street filters the softening light on to low-slung comfortably upholstered pale bluey-grey chairs and settees.

A tall, beautiful blonde with a smile like daybreak — Stephanie Beresforde, who some months ago was declared winner of 2017 Gold Service Scholarship (patron: Her Majesty the Queen) — seats the trio. They look around for the fourth person, the first husband of the woman with dark hair (WwDH), who is due to join them. Her second husband volunteers to go to look for him. After a few minutes Reg Gadney (RG, the second husband) returns with Tom Maschler (TM, the first husband) in tow. He has been found sitting in the bar.

Menus on a card decorated with a jolly illustration by French graphic artist Jean Jullien of a knife and fork enjoying a convivial meal are distributed. TM has forgotten his glasses and a waiter is despatched to see if there are any spares in the hotel. Several pairs are presented on a silver tray. In a Goldilocks moment they prove either too weak or too strong and TM takes the glasses off RG, rendering him more or less unable to see. The dilemma is solved by the provision of a magnifying glass for TM.

For the first time in its 100-year history The Connaught is providing takeaway pizza. It’s topped with black truffle and fontina

TM orders a gin (Hendrick’s) martini. Fast-forward to the dark-haired woman looking horrified when she sees it priced at £19 plus service on the bill.

Dissolve back to the restaurant. Jean-Georges Vongerichten, the eponymous chef, comes up to the table. He and the dark-haired woman kiss — mwah-mwah — as she knows him from the time he cooked at Vong in The Berkeley hotel over 20 years ago and introduced his Asian fusion style to London. Now with 23 restaurants in the US to his name and another 14 around the world, he appears notably youthful and chipper. J-G: “It’s the steam in the kitchens.”

Orders are taken. Fair-haired Beth Coventry (BC), the dark-haired woman’s sister starts with fresh crab crostini with lemon aioli. Two of the others, looking for the Asian influences, choose crispy salmon sushi with chipotle emulsion and soy glaze. RG decides on gazpacho incorporating raspberries, cucumber, black pepper and basil. It is agreed that, given its description, the sushi is decidedly low-impact. The crab crostini is similarly innocuous, perhaps too unexceptionable to sit on the same list as a £29 black truffle and fontina pizza that can also be ordered as takeaway in a box designed by Jean Jullien.

Fay Maschler's 50 favourite restaurants in London

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WwDH (who has done her research): “This is the first time in its 100-year history as The Connaught that the hotel has provided takeaway pizza.” Close up on her three guests looking unmoved. There is exclamation over the gazpacho, which is clearly unusually fine.

Fade to the return of J-G with another chef in tow. This is Anshu Anghotra (AA) who WwDH first knew about when, as executive chef, he launched Lanes of London at The Marriott Park Lane with the questionable shtick of finding inspiration for dishes in different streets such as Brick Lane and Edgware Road. When J-G is at one of his other 37 establishments AA will be in charge.

Dissolve to fish and chips with petits pois remoulade, where small pieces of fish in huge puffa jackets of batter destabilise the traditional concept. Parmesan-crusted chicken and roasted John Dory, £26 and £28 respectively, despite a ginger-chilli dressing accompanying the fish, convey a tenuous relationship with the verve and innovation associated with J-G. “I sometimes think about the dish of 40 vegetables that Jean-Georges served at Vong long before others were doing that sort of thing,” murmurs WwDH wistfully.

Zoom in on peach candy floss, a confection of fresh and roasted peach, its gleaming orange eye peeping out from a nest of spun sugar. It has a wow factor with an assemblage of flattering flavours — redcurrant, ginger and almond — that more or less justifies the £12 cost. Credits — which must include the exceptionally agreeable front of house staff — roll.

HAPPY FAMILIES, THE SEQUEL. The woman with dark hair, her sister and husband find themselves having agreed to lay on a birthday party for the first husband…

Daily noon-2pm & 7-11pm. Breakfast and tea also served. Dinner for two with wine, about £180 including 12.5 per cent service. Taste of Jean-Georges, £88 per person.

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