The Langham has unveiled a hotly anticipated new restaurant helmed by Dom Taylor – winner of Channel 4’s Five Star Kitchen: Britain’s Next Great Chef.
As part of a grueling six-week show, some of the UK’s most promising chefs were pitted against each other competing for a high-stakes prize: their very own restaurant in The Langham, London.
The finale of the show – which aired on July 15 – saw Michel Roux Jr., British pastry chef Ravneet Gill and leading global restaurateur Mike Reid crown Dom Taylor as the much-deserved winner.
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Born in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, to a Jamaican mother and Saint Lucian father, Taylor previously helmed the kitchen at Belgraves Hotel before a stint as head chef at The Courthouse Hotel, and, most recently, executive chef at The Jam Tree.
Taylor impressed the judges with his modern Caribbean dishes, rooted in the cooking of his childhood. His new restaurant at The Langham takes its name from a sacred room at his great aunt Myrtle’s that was kept in immaculate condition to receive special guests – The Good Front Room.
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Located in The Langham’s Palm Court, the restaurant itself is adorned with palm trees, dried flowers and artwork from Caroline Chinakwe, a Nigerian-born mixed media artist from North West London.
Taylor’s menu puts a contemporary twist on classic Caribbean cooking. Among the standout dishes are his Jerk chicken served with a dollop of plantain jam, plantain crisp and a blackened sweetcorn dressing; dark rum-glazed pork belly with pickled raisins and cho cho, charred hispi cabbage and thyme salt crackling; and Banana leaf baked sea bream with lemongrass, pimento, and ginger.
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Be sure to save room for dessert. Taylor’s take on the traditional Jamaican Bun and cheese – toasted spiced bun, sweet blue cheese, sour cherries and spiced plantain chutney – sounds delicious. As for drinks, there’s a lengthy wine list, served alongside an array of Caribbean cocktails. We love the sound of the Pina Verde, a heady mix of Chartreuse, pineapple, coconut, and lime.
“It is a dream come true to open a restaurant at such a prestigious address as The Langham,” said Taylor ahead of the launch. “The modern Caribbean menu we are serving at The Good Front Room brings something totally new to the world of five-star hotel dining in London, and I’m excited to get cooking!”
Michel Roux, Jr. added: “With Five Star Kitchen, we set out to find a hidden gem of a chef with an original vision to revolutionize five-star dining and to launch an exciting new restaurant at The Langham. Dom’s concept is personal, it’s what makes it unique, and after many months of planning and getting everything ready for the launch, I can’t wait for the first guests to try The Good Front Room.”
Dom Taylor’s The Good Front Room will be open at The Langham for a six-month residence from 15 July 2023 every Wednesday – Saturday from 6.30-10pm.
palm-court.co.uk/good-front-room
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