There’s nothing worse than having an incredible looking dish brought to your table that’s billowing with liquid nitrogen and features dozens of vibrant components which doesn’t actually taste that great. A clever chef knows that understated, clean and balanced plates are the way to really impress guests, with bold, obvious flavours to match.
It can be hard to find examples of this sort of unfussy cooking in London these days, as restaurants try to out-do each other with Instagrammable, wild and wacky dishes in a bid to generate some hype and media attention. Tom Simmons, at his new eponymous restaurant in Tower Bridge, however, is sticking to what he knows. With a love for the produce of his native Wales and a respect for British and French cuisine, it’s all about the ingredients.
Tom first appeared on MasterChef: The Professionals back in 2011, making it to the quarter-finals. Since then he’s worked alongside chefs including Mark Sargeant and Tom Aikens, but it was his brief time in France that really influenced his style.
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Tom Simmons: Welsh food done well in the capital