OJT EATS | Chet’s @ Rondo La Cave
Underneath the Hoxton Hotel is a pop-up space known as Rondo La Cave which similar to Carousel will have a number of guest residencies in the kitchen. Its latest residency is with Kris Yenbamroong, the chef behind LA restaurant Night + Market and it’s called Chet’s. Serving a mix of American and Thai cuisines, it sounded intriguing so we popped down to have a look.
First up was the garlic bread. This was done with milk bread and a spicy garlicky prik tum spread. The bread was super soft and the topping was so garlicky, a little spicy all with a little bit of crunch from the grilled crust. The bread was almost a little too soft for me but still super tasty.
Next up was the crispy rice salad. Now despite being called a salad, this was essentially fried rice but with some bits of the rice clearly deep fried to a satisfying crunch. The peanuts were good and not that it needed it but the peanuts added an additional crunch to the whole thing. There was a nice underlying heat which I liked too.
This was called a shimp bikini. Not sure what makes this dish at all bikini like but it was shrimp paste sandwiched between 2 layers of very thin pastry. Surprisingly light, very crisp and tasty. The only thing I’d say is that I’d have preferred a slightly thicker layer of the shrimp paste but otherwise, it was nice!
A very good example of fried chicken. It had a great crispy exterior and was super juicy. The ranch and red-eye sauces that it came with were a lovely balance of spice and creaminess.
Hailed as their signature dish, we couldn’t not go for the smashed cheeseburger. The patty was a mix of pork and beef, the cheese was American and the sauce on it was a secret. The pork and beef mix was really interesting as it had a bit more of a bounce to it than just beef. All in all, a really solid cheeseburger.
Chet’s was a really interesting mix of Thai and American cuisines that I really enjoyed. It’s only there for 4 months until September 2022 so will hopefully try to find the time to go back before it goes.
As for Rondo La Cave, it’s clearly becoming a trend but I like the idea of guest residencies. La Cave looks to be a great addition to the London food scene and am looking forward to all the guest chefs to come!
Rondo La Cave, The Hoxton, 199-206 High Holborn, WC1V 7BD
Cheers, JL