Perfection in ingredients is not only about sourcing the highest quality; it is also about finding the best way of preparing them to bring out their potential in flavour. It really is a quest to make this happen, for this you need both perseverance and passion which Chef Patron Mikael Jönsson has.

Mikael is a former lawyer and food blogger from Sweden who went with his dream. In 2011 he started his own restaurant even though he had never previously worked in a professional kitchen. It is situated in Chiswick, a posh neighbourhood in west London, not the place you would expect to find this level of dining, but well worth a visit. It is actually a must place to visit in London, even Europe, for dining.

Even though Mikael is Swedish the food is not part of the Nordic cuisine. Ingredients are mainly from Europe and especially Great Britain and France and as much organic as possible. The results on the plates are excellent dishes that may look simple to do, but looks can deceive. Finding the best crab, teal, scallop or onion is a continuous daily and relentless hard work. Then experimenting and finding the best techniques to prepare them in order to bring out their flavours is respecting the ingredients. Take for example the Cornish rock oysters, the simple way would be to eat them raw as they are so delicious that anyway, but to poach them in their shell for 45 minutes and create something that still tastes raw and natural, but with a different texture, is taking the oysters to a higher level. Then pairing this with some granny smith apple foam lightly enhances the overall taste. So it is totally focus on ingredients and bringing out their flavour with the right techniques, some well-chosen matching accompaniments and in principle no chemicals at all. In some ways is not this what cooking should be about?

The wine list is focused on Europe and especially France. Mikael has some great gems in his cellar which he is also in a continuous quest for finding new jewels and developing further. The wines are excellent on their own and are more for drinking and enjoying parallel to the meal and not for pairing. Service is generally good but times between dishes can be a bit uneven.

Hedone is an English transliteration from Greek and can be described as the quest for pleasure. Having a meal at Mikael Jönsson’s restaurant will take you very far into the quest for pleasures in dining.

Written by Joakim