Destination dining Global cuisines to be focus of venue
ANEW restaurant that takes diners on a journey through global cuisines as part of a 12-course tasting menu opens in Cheltenham next month.
Journey is the new venture of chef Jeff Lewis, who has honed his skills working in a succession of Michelin-starred restaurants including The
Fat Duck at Bray, La Gavroche in London and Ynyshir in Wales.
He has also travelled the world extensively and worked in kitchens across Asia, which is from where many of the flavours for his dishes will be inspired.
Jeff said: “Through the different countries and cultures I’ve worked in, I’ve picked up a variety of flavours that I’ve combined and tried out on many people at dinner parties and they’ve always gone down well.
“A dish may have nuances of classic English but also have dressings of Thai or meat marinated in Japanese flavours, but it’s not trying to be different or quirky but using flavours that work together but that our English palettes haven’t tried before.
“They’ll be things people recognise but equally they will be enhanced or accompanied by something they haven’t had or seen or heard of before.”
Opening on Bath Road on October 28, Journey offers diners 12 diverse dishes for £125 from Wasabi and nori popcorn and five-hour braised pig cheek to Singapore crab tartlet and dark chocolate and tofu.
Head chef Jeff will be joined by fellow chef Alex Truelove to take diners on a culinary adventure to explore global flavours in a fun and immersive experience. “We want the food to be centre stage, to delight and surprise the diner, and to offer Cheltenham a fine dining experience like no other,” said Jeff, who was brought up in Cheltenham and returned to the town to live nine years ago.
“It will be a three-hour experience with good music, some kitchen theatrics, a seamless serving performance, and the chance for guests to relax and enjoy.” Journey will use premium ingredients from local suppliers, using every part of the produce in one way or another.
Less common ingredients will be sourced from around the world or grown locally in a controlled environment.
For four nights a week from Wednesday to Saturday, Journey will have just one sitting from 7 to 10pm, with food that Jeff hopes will bring a new fine dining experience to customers, different from any other restaurant in the town.