For more than a decade, Katola has worked with Ducasse, most recently as executive chef at The Grill at The Dorchester in London; he's also worked at the Jules Verne Restaurant atop the Eiffel Tower, at Benoit and at Ore at Château de Versailles. "My approach in the kitchen is seasonal, using the freshest products to create dishes that reflect the time of year," says Katola. "I've learned to always keep the ingredients in as natural a state as possible, bringing out their best flavour without taking away from their raw beauty. I'm also mindful in the kitchen of the ever-evolving world and working with respect to the environment in everything I do."
That much is evident as one succumbs to the five-course La Normandie d'Alain Ducasse menu. Among the highlights are the Saint-Michel Oyster gratinated with Normandy cider; seared sea scallops; carrots from Créances (the sandy soils of the commune are fertilised with seaweed and it is the only carrot with its own AOC); the sublime Dieppoise-style sole fillet, in which button mushrooms and pink and grey shrimp mesh with a creamy white sauce; and Camembert – suffice it to say that nobody does it quite like Rech. The finale comes by way of flambéed crêpes with Calvados – two specialities from the Normandy region, the latter being an apple brandy.
