If you haven’t eaten at Mr Simon Rogan’s two-star Cumbrian restaurant L’Enclume, you will certainly have felt its influence. Since it opened in 2002, it has – along with Le Manoir Aux Quat’Saisons in Oxfordshire – been leading the way in the simple, locally sourced, ingredient-led cooking that many British restaurateurs attempt to achieve in 2019. But not everyone has the space or energy to set up their own farm in the Lake District, of course.

With that in mind, how does Mr Rogan, who has recently opened Hong Kong arms of his London restaurants Roganic and Aulis, maintain his philosophy? And what inspired him to open L’Enclume in the first place? Find out, below.

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How do you translate your style of cooking to Hong Kong?

“When we opened, a lot of people were questioning how the change would work. Hong Kong isn’t all skyscrapers and shopping malls, though. There are places near the Chinese border that have organic farms and if you look hard enough you can find things to cook with. The seasons are a bit different ,of course – the summer is too hot. But I’m very impressed with the produce. We don’t want to import. There’s a multitude of shellfish around the island and the vegetables are as good as in the UK.”

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What was your inspiration to start cooking in the first place?

“Money. At school, I had a part-time job in a Greek restaurant and it paid really well. I became accustomed to having money. When it came to leaving school I decided I liked money too much so I didn’t go to university. I got a full-time job in the restaurant. I soon realized I was pretty rubbish compared to other trainee chefs as they were working in better places. So I got myself into a nice country house hotel. I was paid absolutely nothing, but I was in love with what I was doing. I wanted to be the best. I wanted to travel the world and see new styles.”

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Who were your influences?

“Before I opened L’Enclume in 2002, I was heavily influenced by Mr Marc Veyrat in the Alps. I was obsessed with his use of wild herbs, flowers and roots. I loved Mr Pierre Gagnaire’s work and Mr Michel Bras, too – wild food cooked with flair and modernity. And that’s what influenced my early cooking at L’Enclume.”

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Everyone seems to be trying to cook in tune with their surroundings…

“That’s been L’Enclume’s ethos for a long time. We are connected to our surroundings. The time, the place. This ethos has got stronger and stronger. We are always improving our knowledge of the local area, as well as the farm which is unrecognisable from our first radish beds. It’s a massive operation now. That’s why L’Enclume is so admired. The lengths we go to, sticking to our guns and not following fads.”

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How so?

“Our cooking style has definitely become simpler. It’s a cutting-edge style of food, but we have a real aversion to artsy flourishes and making things look nice for social media and all that nonsense. We just keep an eye on flavour combinations and amazing ingredients. Cooking as simply as possible. You can’t be too simple, of course – that’s where the layerings of flavour come in. Something that seems simple has gone through various complex approaches. We try to treat ingredients with the absolute respect they deserve. We don’t deconstruct and reconstruct them.”

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Which dish best sums up your approach?

“One of our specialities is the grilled salad. We take various brassicas that we’ve grown organically on our farm. They’re grilled over charcoal so some are smoky, some are crispy, and some are soft. There are all different layers and textures. We dress it and add an elderflower vinaigrette for a bit of acidity. And then we finish it with an umami-rich cheese sauce and lots of truffle. You’ve got salt, umami, everything. Everything, apart from the truffle, we grow ourselves.”

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When you’re not working what do you like to eat?

“I eat very simply. I don’t go to many top-end restaurants. I like ethnic foods from all over the world. I like eating things I’m no expert in. I like top-class Indian food or Thai. In Hong Kong I’ve eaten plenty of Cantonese food. I like meat but I ty to eat as little as possible. I eat lots of fish and vegetables. I’m a big fan of Kiln in London, and Smoking Goat. I like casual, flame influenced restaurants – I love BBQ. It’s been the cooking medium since time began.”

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