FOOD + DRINK in THE KITCHEN WITH
ANDRES GARCIA
HEAD CHEF, RG’ S RESTAURANT, GRILL & TERRACE, ROWHILL GRANGE & UTOPIA SPA, WILMINGTON
Tell us about your culinary journey so far. I am head chef at RG’ s and I oversee all dining at Rowhill Grange Hotel & Utopia Spa. My journey started in London as an apprentice at The Berkeley in Knightsbridge 24 years ago. I was part of the opening team for the now world-famous Rosewood London before being offered the position of head chef for the Renaissance St. Pancras’ Booking Office 1869 where I went on to oversee the à la carte restaurants, the roof top garden, street food buffets and high profile banqueting events. I am very proud to be Kent born and bred- Bexleyheath to be specific! Following many years in London, I wanted to be closer to home and return to my Kentish roots. I love coming to work, approaching through the trees and seeing the horses nosing over the fence. I also really enjoy mentoring the next generation of local chefs.
What’ s the restaurant concept at RG’ s Restaurant, Grill & Terrace? RG’ s is the culinary heart of Rowhill Grange, proudly holding two AA Rosettes. Our menu showcases a modern interpretation of beloved classics using the best fresh and locally sourced ingredients. Open for breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner, the restaurant is bright and airy by day, and warm and intimate in the evening. During the summer months, we invite guests to enjoy pre-dinner drinks and alfresco dining on our sunny terrace. We are usually fully booked on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings, so I’ d advise booking in advance on those nights.
What is your favourite dish on the menu? I love the creative process with my team and one of my favourite dishes on our spring menu was created by our sous chef( also named Andres). It’ s a savoury tomato waffle with black olive, confit cherry tomato, basil sorbet, whipped ricotta and smoked tomato oil. It’ s a dish that we have been working on for a while and it’ s great to see it finally leaving the kitchen and hearing how much our guests love it.
Tell us about the recipe we’ re showcasing. It’ s our version of the classic prawn cocktail. It’ s been on the menu for a number of years and continues to be our most popular dish. It can be tricky to bring changes to a much-loved favourite, so although the presentation has been updated, the components remain much the same- crisp Little Gem lettuce, rich Marie Rose sauce( we’ ve added brown crab meat to enhance the flavour) and juicy fresh tiger prawns.
What ingredient could you not live without? Don’ t tell anyone, but I think I might have to say salt – seasoning is so important. The addition of a good quality sea salt can make a world of difference to the simplest of ingredients. Fresh tomatoes for example; all you need is salt- and maybe a dash of good olive oil.
Which chef, past or present, would you love to work in the kitchen with? I would have to say Anthony Bourdain, a renowned American chef who explored the four corners of the culinary world with his TV programmes, from street food vendors in Asia to Michelin star restaurants in San Sebastian.
Aside from your own restaurant, where’ s your go-to place to dine in Kent? Thackeray’ s in Tunbridge Wells. It has been a while since I have been back, but my family and I have shared some great celebrations there and the food is always on point. They are not afraid to push the boundaries and they’ re just great chefs enjoying what they do best.
What is your guilty pleasure? Day to day my eating habits are probably not so healthy; I rarely have time to sit and often eat on the go. I do love the Turkish restaurant close to my home- the smell coming from the Turkish BBQ is always incredible. We cook over Japanese coals at RG’ s because it gives meat the most incredible flavour. The Tomahawk steak we serve is one of the biggest sellers and has many loyal fans, including me!
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