Behind the Flavours
Join us for an intimate Q&A with L’oscar London’s Executive Chef, Arturas Kondratjevas. The Lithuanian-born Chef reveals the inspiration behind the exciting new flavours of our autumn menu and a rare glimpse into his creative process.
Autumn is here! What are your favourite ingredients to work with during this season?
AK : I love mushrooms, especially ceps and girolles. From a very young age, my parents taught me all about foraging, so when I see ceps and girolles in the kitchen, it brings back many warm memories.
What’s your personal go-to comfort food when the weather turns colder? Does it influence any of your creations here at L’oscar?
AK: I believe it’s ingrained in our DNA: when the weather gets colder, our instinct makes us crave fatty, warm food to gain extra pounds for winter, as food was scarce during that season in the past. Today, we don’t face the same food supply issues in winter, but our DNA still plays its part. I feel the same, so I tend to go for slow-braised, smoked ribs, ox cheeks, or hearty casseroles.
If you could describe L’oscar Restaurant’s autumn menu in three words, what would they be?
AK: Nature, harmonious, caring
Is there a particular dish on the autumn menu that holds a special meaning or story for you?
AK: It has to be cep soup. It’s a modern version of the soup my mother used to make for us after a successful foraging trip.
What’s your favourite autumn drink or cocktail at L’oscar to pair with the menu?
AK: I would recommend this autumn to try Smoky Muna cocktail.
For those who might not have access to rare or seasonal ingredients, what’s one versatile autumn ingredient you think anyone can work with to create a standout dish?
AK: Potato – I don’t know of a more versatile vegetable than the potato. You can boil it, bake it, roast it, steam it, cook it in charcoal, smoke it, juice it, fry it, pan-fry it, dehydrate and rehydrate it. The creativity is endless.
What’s one quirky or little-known fact about your time as Executive Chef at L’oscar London?
AK: I used to be an illegal street drag racer and was the president of the Honda CRX fan club I’m lucky to be alive.
