Chef News is sponsored by the the Kitchen Porters Club
MATER1A by Victor Garvey is now open. Located in the vibrant Notting Hill neighbourhood at 115 Westbourne Grove, MATER1A (Materia Prima) meaning ‘raw material’ is Victor’s love letter to his favourite material – food. An intimate 16-seater restaurant MATER1A is where Victor will be cooking dishes he truly loves and wants others to enjoy too.
Having first opened SOLA in 2019, the restaurant quickly established itself as one of London’s hottest tables, gaining a coveted Michelin star in 2021. Maintaining its position as one of London’s leading dining experiences, Victor is now ready for his next adventure.
The food at MATER1A is a journey through Victor’s culinary life, so far and presented across two different tasting menus with the choice being 11 or 21 courses. All dishes take major influence from Victor’s formative two years spent working in Japan as well as his experience cooking in leading restaurants across America and Europe. Excited by change and fuelled by creativity, the menu at MATER1A will constantly evolve giving Victor the opportunity to always explore and innovate.
All dishes are entirely ingredient led, allowing for the ‘material’ to speak for itself with the likes of Froya Langoustine, Shizuoka Crown Melon and Mr Tanaka’s Tuna all featuring on MATER1A’S debut menus. An eclectic collection of never seen before dishes from Atsuyaki Tamago (a Japanese soufflé omelette) made with Cacklebean Egg and served with Black Truffle to Smoked Cornish Sardine with Shine Muscat Grape and Marcona Almond, make for an exciting voyage of discovery through Victor’s 20 plus years cooking at the highest level.
Supported by a trusted team, Head Chef is Kaming Pang who was formerly sous chef at SOLA for one year and prior to that worked at the Michelin starred Le Vieille Tour in Brittany. Originally from Tokyo, Pang’s ability to balance Eastern flavours with Western cooking techniques makes him a great lead for MATER1A.
Ruben Santos is Restaurant Manager – having formerly worked at the two Michelin starred Alex Dilling at Cafe Royale and of Portuguese descent, he brings with him efficiency and warmth in equal spades.
Christian Vega takes the role of Head Sommelier – formerly at the one Michelin starred Rotisserie du Chambertin in Burgundy, his experience working in one of France’s most important wine regions means Vega is no stranger to curating masterful wine lists. With over 150 wines listed at MATER1A, Vega is a safe pair of hands to ensure all guests’ menus are perfectly paired.
At MATER1A the dining journey begins the moment you walk through the door. Upon arrival, guests are guided through a passage which spotlights hero ingredients currently featured on the menu – from Shine Muscat Grapes to Tatami Iwashi, you are invited to look, touch, smell and learn about the elements of the dishes you’re yet to experience.
The main dining room is an intimate space for 16 diners where hand carved contemporary wooden panelling throughout the restaurant perfectly aligns with MATER1A’S celebration of craftsmanship. Throughout the bijoux dining room, curved wooden tub chairs border circular marble top tables where oversized rattan lights provide a central spotlight for each section. An open window into the kitchen allows you to see the chefs at work, but most importantly for Victor to see his guests and as he would at home, welcome and interact with them.
DJ Dan’s hand created DJ spot sits at the back of the restaurant – subtle in appearance but vibrant in its presence, here an eclectic soundtrack is designed to suit the dining experience. Tapped into the mood of the room, expect west coast hip hop one night, and rock another – like everything at MATER1A, it’s tailor made.
Completing ‘Victor’s World’ will be Kamakura located on the ground floor. Accessed via a separate entrance and an entirely individual offering to MATER1A, it is the sibling to Victor’s favourite sushi bar, Jugemu in Soho. Run by a husband-and-wife team, Sakiko and Tuya they are known for their dedicated chef following for good reason. Likely to be London’s smallest Izakaya, the robust whisky and sake list (available by the bottle for you to name and keep for your next visit) perfectly pairs with a succinct seasonal sushi menu made using only the best ingredients, many of which will marry with MATER1A’S.
MATER1A is the restaurant Victor has always wanted but never had the confidence to create. Ready for his next challenge and determined to create a restaurant he truly loves, MATER1A feels like a rite of passage for Victor Garvey – a place to eat, play and stay a while, complete with the added benefit of having his favourite Izakaya on the ground floor.
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Chef News is sponsored by the the Kitchen Porters Club
