Meet… Jean-Georges Vongerichten

Michelin-starred chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten is bringing his innovative cuisine to Knightsbridge as his new restaurant abc kitchens opens at The Emory hotel in Old Barrack Yard. A continuation of his three popular abc restaurants in New York, we discuss why he wanted to bring the concept across the pond and how sustainability is at the heart of his cooking.

JGV: When they started building The Emory over 10 years ago, which is one of Richard Rogers’ last big projects, we were already at The Connaught. So, Maybourne (behind Claridge’s, The Berkeley and The Connaught) approached us about bringing abc kitchens over to London. It’s the first abc outside of New York, and it’s a fantastic location; you’re right across from Hyde Park and the Rose Garden.

Everything is seasonal and constantly changing, from English peas to local asparagus. We got some artichokes today that are locally grown. I remember when I arrived in London for the first time in 1985, everything was imported from France, Italy… And I thought, there’s so many local farms, local rhubarb, herbs etc. Now we even have hydroponic herbs and salad growing five blocks away from here. And in London there are farmer’s markets everywhere. Spring is the best time to open because everything is coming out, things are growing and sprouting.

We have a fantastic chef, Ben Boeynaems, who knows all the local farmers and markets. He came to New York for almost a month to learn abc recipes. Ben is really a specialist on the markets. From now until September there is always something new, every week it changes. We have morels now, but we could have porcinis in a month… It’s always evolving.

I’m from a meat and cabbage part of the world; lots of sauerkraut and sausages. We were far from the ocean, there’s no oysters in Alsace, no scallops, things like that, mostly freshwater fish. But out in the garden in France, I had memories of picking up radishes and herbs. My family was in the coal business, so I grew up in this, but it changed in the early 1960s and ’70s to gasoline and then to solar heating. Cooking was the same. It was a time when grandparents, uncles etc would all live in a house together with the parents and the kids. I feel like this doesn’t exist anymore. Back then, everyone was involved in cooking. The kitchen was the heart of the home.

Travelling, testing things, talking to customers, talking to chefs. On social media you will see something that you haven’t seen or tasted before. I think the role of a chef is really to keep exploring and trying new techniques. Not “reinventing” necessarily, or using a new fruit or new vegetable, but using it in a different way.

Book your table at abc kitchens by visiting theemory.co.uk