New
Chef takes over at Sonny's in Barnes
Sonny's needs
no introduction if you live in
SW London. More than just a neighbourhood
restaurant, like Chez Bruce in
Wandsworth, it is more of a destination
restaurant which attracts diners
from considerably further afield.
With the congestion charge causing
people to think twice about driving
into central London, such out
of centre establishments look
set to benefit from these changes.
The
good news is that one of Marcus
Wareing and Gordon Ramsey's proteges
is taking over as head
chef. She is Helena Puolakka.
After spells at L'Oranger ad
Aubergine, she became Head Chef
at Pierre Koffman's La Tante
Claire in 2001/2, so she
is no stranger to Michelin stars.
But at Sonny's she intends to
do her own thing, without the
particular pressures of conforming
to the somewhat narrow Michelin
strictures. So she's come up
with her own menu, which is based
on a robust interpretation of
the classic French repertoire
with some modern twists.
Typical
dishes might include: A salad
of crispy pork belly with poached
egg and cepes; Escabeche of Mackerel,
warm beetroot salad and horseradish
emulsion; Grilled halibut, crunchy
onion tart and sweet potato cream;
Roasted Barbary Duck, shitake
and sweet corn relish and foie
gras source; Ballotine of chicken,
pancake of chickpeas, wild mushroom
and tarragon sauce; Light orange
mousse, citrus salad and nougatine
biscuit. Look out for the
very interesting wine list starting
with house wines from £10.95.
Prices:
Starters: £4.50 - £8.50; Mains: £10.50
- £ 16.50; Puds: £5.00 - £6.50
Set Lunch 3 courses £16.00, Set dinner Monday - Thursday 3 courses £19.50
There's also a shop with a cafe
menu ranging from £3.95 to £8.50
Sonny's
94 Church Road, Barnes SW13
0DQ Tel: 020 8748 0393
