Originally from India, raised in the city of Pune in Maharashtra, Franky Fernandes is Executive Chef at Lanes of London, an all-day dining restaurant situated within luxury five-star boutique hotel, London Marriott Hotel Park Lane. With over 21 years of hospitality experience, Franky has played an integral role in the success of one of Mayfair’s most memorable and esteemed dining and drinking destinations, Lanes of London. Franky’s love for culinary arts and passion for food started at a young age where he learnt from his grandfather – a chef in the armed forces. Inspired by his grandfather, Franky went on chase a career in hospitality and graduated from the International Institute of Hotel Management in Pune.
During his first year working in the industry, Franky gained invaluable experience at the Hyatt Regency Mumbai before given the opportunity to relocate to London to pursue his passion for hospitality. Franky has worked in a number of five-star, luxury properties in London including; InterContinental London Park Lane, JW Marriott Grosvenor House London, The Dorchester London, Hyatt Regency London – The Churchill; cooking a variety of cuisines, before residing as Executive Chef at London Marriott Hotel Park Lane.
His ethos is to create a memorable dining experience for all guests by using local, seasonal ingredients. This is illustrated through his menu development and innovation; spotlighting the marriage between Asian ingredients and western cooking techniques to delight guests and bring his passion to plate.
Burnt Basque cheesecake, salted caramel and whipped cream.
Franky is driven to inspire the next generation of culinary talent, regularly hosting inspirational career talks and cooking demonstrations at culinary colleges across London. He has recently mentored a Springboard’s FutureChef competition participant who won the 2023 regional chef competition and will represent London at the nationals this year.
Do you have a favourite time of the year or set of ingredients that you look forward to working with?
I admire the spring and summer seasons in the UK; they’re full of vibrant and beautiful colours. Using seasonal ingredients helps to elevate my dishes as they’re always very vibrant and presentable, but also full of nutrients and flavours.
Arabian spiced lamb chops, col-cannon mash and minted sour cream
What would you do if you weren’t a chef?
If I wasn’t a chef, I would certainly choose to be a lawyer. I always like to keep my direction crystal clear, stick to a plan and be direct with my decisions, just like my thought process when following a good recipe. I always want to be the voice of reason and represent those who need their voice to be heard. I’ve always felt I’ve had these leadership skills since I was younger so I would want to make good use of them!
Do your personal preferences influence the menu at all?
Definitely! I create new menus each season, a lot of thought goes into identifying diner’s wants and needs. In London, there are a vast number of people from different cultural backgrounds, so I like to ensure my menu offers a variety of options accessible to all. Ultimately, my menus are a creation of my thoughts, ideas and past experiences of my travels. I’m a trained chef in European and Asian cuisine, so my aim is always to marry different flavours and different styles of cooking together bring. Food speaks all languages, there are no boundaries when it comes to food which is cooked beautifully. An old mantra – food must be tasty, there should be room for all palates, it must be quick yet elegant.
What do you think is the most over-hyped food trend currently?
There’s a recent uplift in brands using chemicals in food to elevate dishes – for me this is so over-hyped. I always use the freshest of ingredients to keep the nutritional value as much as I can. If I go out to eat with my family, the above is what I’ll always consider.
When are you happiest?
I am happiest when in India with my friends and family, especially with my childhood friends – sharing experiences with them reminds me of all the fond memories.
Pan seared stone bass, pea puree, crushed potatoes, asparagus and mango salsa
When you’re not in the kitchen where can you be found?
When I’m not in the kitchen, you can find me doing lots of outdoor activities with my friends, either fishing, swimming or playing football.
Where is your favourite place to dine?
There are lots of places amazing restaurants in London but there is one place called Wong-kie in China Town; that place is packed with guests because it serves the most delicious authentic Chinese cuisine at very reasonable price.
What’s your favourite takeaway or comfort food?
My favourite food is Goan fish thali; I could make it my lifetime comfort food.
What makes the local food scene so exciting?
Local food always takes you down memory lane through its history and culture. There’s so many diverse cultures in London which means you get a taste of so many different cuisines – that’s what’s exciting about the local food scene, you learn so much about the history and culture of so many different places!
Burrata, pickled radicchio, basil sponge, ciabatta crisp, macerated figs and balsamic pearls
Which is the dish you’ve created that you are most proud of and why?
I have created many dishes in my career but there is one dish which I created when training my mentee for Springboard’s Future Chef competition, where we represented London and won the finals, taking us to the National Championships. That dish became very special for me for the memories we created; all the takes, trials, and testing was an experience in itself. The dish is called Chicken Ballotine and is stuffed with forest mushrooms, squash purée, truffle jus and fondant potatoes.
You’re having friends over for dinner tonight. What’s on the table?
Raw mango and crab rolls in rice paper, mackerel recheado, chaats, pork vindaloo, sannas, vegetable pulao.
Name your favourite city that has it all: food, culture, and nightlife.
Goa – there’s no doubt about it.
Can you tell us more about the cuisine at your restaurants?
At Lanes of London at London Marriott Hotel Park Lane, we serve modern European dishes, which are seasonal and fresh, using local produce. With elegant presentation, there are authentic flavours in every bite.
COMPRESSED WATERMELON AND CRAB
Ingredients
Crab Cannelloni
- Green Zucchini, 20 gm
- Yellow Zucchini, 20 gm
- Crab Meat, 28 gm
- Dill Leaves, 2 gm
- Fennel Seed, 1 gm
- Mayonnaise, 5 gm
- Salt & pepper, to taste
Compressed Watermelon
- Seedless Watermelon, 60 gm
- Basil Leaves, 3 gm
- Balsamic Reduction, 5 gm
- Orange Zest, 2 gm
- Salt, to taste
Seared Scallop
- Scallop, 1 pic
- Lemon Juice, 2 mL
- Olive Oil, 5 mL
- Herb mix, to taste
- Salt & pepper, to taste
Parsley Mayo
- Parsley oil, 10 gm
- Mayonnaise, 20 gm
- Salt & pepper, to taste
Glazed Carrot
- Baby Carrot, ½ pic
- Butter, for glaze
- Salt & pepper, to taste
- Caviar, garnish
- Red Chard, garnish
Preparation
- Begin by preparing the crab roll. In a mixing bowl, add crab meat, mayo, fennel seed, seasoning, dill leaves and mix well. Slice green and yellow zucchinis, blanch and allow to cool. Strain and add the crab mixture on top of the zucchini and roll.
- Cook marinated scallops until slightly golden with high heat in a pan.
- For the compressed watermelon, cut the melon into a rectangular size then vacuum pack with seasoning, basil leaves and balsamic reduction. Keep the compressed watermelon in a chiller for 24 hours.
- For the herb mayo, mix mayo and herb oil together then mix until a smooth green colour.
- Blanch baby carrots in boiling water then glaze on a medium heat pan. Season with salt and pepper.
- Finally, place all ingredients on a plate and present it as per the picture. Garnish with caviar and red chard.
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