Great chefs don’t just create dishes – they create memories. Even at a summer pop up in central London. Luisa visits Lost Oasis, an open space behind St Martin’s in-the-Fields in London’s Trafalgar Square where Adam Handling MBE, well known for his Michelin star restaurant Frog in nearby Covent Garden, is curating the menu.
Lost Oasis is an immersive botanical sanctuary where plants and water features abound, created in collaboration with The Lost Gardens of Heligan in Cornwall, famed for their sub-tropical ‘jungle’ and Blue Forest, a non-profit conservation organisation. In this lush retreat of greenery, water fountains and climbing vines, Adam is serving up exceptional food until mid-August.
Other chefs pop up in rotation after his residency till the end of September. Guest can also enjoy a big screen and entertainment on certain nights.
Scottish-born, Adam’s Michelin star restaurants and gastropubs include Loch & The Tyne in the countryside of old Windsor, Ugly Butterfly with its stunning views of the Cornish coast and of course The Frog in London. Here at his summer residency at the Lost Oasis, he is serving up a deliciously easy menu. He told me: ‘My aim has always been to put British food on a global stage and to show how diverse our produce can be’.
There is Crispy Cod Loin, beer battered with a lobster bolognese and baby watercress, Short Ribs, hot smoked coffee rubbed with a gherkin and caper gravy and Mac & Cheese ‘Our Way’, with vintage cheddar and a sour cream parmesan sauce.
Yes, there are chips, but not as you know them. These are Crab Dirty Fries, with masala powder, sour cream, chives and fresh crab meat. There is a Cornish Burger with Cornish Gouda cheese, brioche bun and skin-on fries. And there is King’s Trifle, which Adam calls a ‘burnt butter mistake cake’, with strawberry jelly, long pepper custard and whipped cream.
Ordinary sounding dishes, served very informally, but not an ordinary taste. Beside the food, what impressed me most was the passion, precision and creativity behind every detail. It was inspiring to experience such excellence.
Lost Oasis, St Martin-In-The-Fields, Trafalgar Square, WC2N 4JH. Nearest tube Charing Cross. @adamhandling @lostoasishq
Friends of Frog
Beyond the Lost Oasis pop up, Adam is soon to unveil a new line up for ‘Friends of Frog’, the successful chef collaboration series he started last year. Over the next few months, Adam will welcome three of the UK’s most exciting chefs into his kitchens at Frog to offer an unforgettable experience of food and wine. Adam says: “I’ve always believed the most exciting things in this industry happen when you cook alongside people who see food in a completely different way to you. This series is about exactly that. Bringing together chefs I genuinely admire and letting those different perspectives, backgrounds and styles collide.”
The ‘Four Hands Dinner Series’, each one-month long, starts on 7 September with Chef Stuart Ralston of Lyla, Noto, Tipo, Vinette and Vivien in Edinburgh. It continues from 5 October with Chef Pierre Minotti of Orrery by Pierre Minotti in London. The final month, from 3 November, sees Chef Daniel Clifford from Summer House in Cambridge, taking over Adam’s kitchen.
Tickets are from £199 for slots between 6,30 and 7.30 pm, bookable on Open Table.
www.frogbyadamhandling.com @frogbyah @adamhandling
Luisa Welch is a freelance writer and a member of the Circle of Wine Writers