THE TRANSATLANTIC MAGAZINE
THE TRANSATLANTIC MAGAZINE
Multiculturalism is what makes London so vibrant. Without it, our capital would be as gray and dreary as our recent weather. Though it's neither possible nor desirable for an immigrant to erase their cultural identity, clinging to it fiercely is not the answer. So we adapt.
That's exactly what Patron Chef Santiago Lastra has done. Bringing his Mexican culinary heritage to London, he has recreated it using British ingredients. Of course some things have to be imported, dried chillies and mezcal to name two, but by and large, his ingredients are locally sourced and the result is stunning. Verjus replaces lime in a brilliant, mezcal-forward margarita, rimmed with salt art. Avocado becomes courgette in a superbly spiced vuelve a la vida, Mexico's seafood cocktail hangover cure. Gone is the mouth-numbing wallop we have come to expect from Mexican food. Instead, Lastra presents us with new, refined versions of his native cuisine, their elegance contrasted beautifully by the rustic earthenware on which they are served.
The shop is done up in grand hacienda style with a wood-beamed ceiling, terracotta, leather and tiles, all in the colors of fired earth. Free-form discs of (surely Aztec) gold hang from the ceiling, each illuminated by a single, naked bulb, almost as bright as the Michelin star Chef Lastra is deservedly basking in! His kitchen takes center stage with an absolute battalion of chefs, as skilled with their easy charm as they are with their knives and pincettes. The entire team is just delightful and service is flawless.
Corn is the heart-beat of Mexican cuisine and its pulse is present throughout the meal, from the corn husk napkin rings to the parting shot of Mezcal Vago Elote, a brilliant blend of agave and toasted corn. Gone are the days of the two-Martini lunch. Two cocktails, a glass of wine and a shot however, seemed miraculously within my range! A glass of Czech 2019 Pinot Noir was exceptional. Mezcal, hibiscus, rhubarb and whiskey made a heavenly drink with layers of smoke from the two spirits. More delights are surely to be found in the downstairs mezcaleria.
The seasonal menu is offered as 6 or 9 courses for £110/£145 with several drinks pairings on offer and an extensive wine list.
A cold pipian, traditionally served as a green sauce, made a delicious, palate-cleansing broth with the addition of mezcal and kambucha. Oblea, normally a dessert, was transformed into a second amuse bouche with crab, gooseberry and scotch bonnet sandwiched between two delicate corn wafers. Gorgeous.
Nicuatole is also traditionally a dessert – a custard made of ground maze. Topped with a yin and yang of crème fraiche and caviar divided by bright yellow flowers, it made a spectacular work of sweet and savory art.
The white, yellow, pink and blue corn tortillas at KOL are by far the best I've had in London. They made a very classy taco with langoustine, smoked chilli and sea buckthorn. Apple replaced pineapple in another Michelin-worthy taco with pork carnitas, an array of herbs, flowers, berries and fabulous chicharrones (crackling).
Purple carrot made a surprisingly good substitute for protein with a silky smooth, chocolatey mole. Earthy, sweet and nutty, the heat of chilli hitting the palate on the post-swallow exhalation.
Strawberry, guajillo chilli and masa had a brilliant balance of sweet, heat and acid in a slightly grainy sorbet. Brown butter corn cake was reborn as a tamale. Steamed in corn husk and served with buttermilk and fennel ice cream, it's the kind of innovation that Chef Lastra excels at. The kind that placed his restaurant as number 23 on The World's 50 Best Restaurants list. For 2023, he is #1 on mine!
