All In London talks to Sam Clark

We talk to the creative force at Moro.

Where do you source your ingredients?
Wherever possible at source. So fish direct from the boats, meat straight from the farms from a number of locations all over the UK: Yorkshire, Bristol and the South West, Colchester and Scotland to name a few. We try to keep our vegetables as seasonal as possible, half from organic UK growers during the growing season or we buy direct from Spitalfields vegetable market in the East End. That way we can choose the best quality ingredients and keep costs down.

Which are your favourite London restaurants?
So many but currently eating at the bar at Bocca di Lupo, Duck Soup in Soho, River Café, Koya, Trullo, Maltby Street, Towpath Café, Leila’s Shop, Quo Vadis

What is your favourite food to experiment with?
At the moment fish roe. We have been salting and smoking fresh grey mullet roe and transforming it into a delicious homemade bottarga, or a salad with croutons and sea urchin roe dressing. And today, garlic scapes from the Isle of Wight.

Can you name a food that you regard as a guilty pleasure?
Caviar, so expensive but so good. We are off to St. Petersburg soon so hoping we will be getting some caviar action there.

Is there an ingredient you hate using?
Pasteurised egg yolk. Doesn’t seem right for a delicious homemade mayonnaise or alioli.

What do you think restaurant trends will be for the year ahead?
All-encompassing pop-ups that are not just about the food, but more of a cultural experience, whether arts, theatre or music.

What has your most valuable experience as a chef been?
Working at the River Café. It certainly set us up for opening Moro.

This article is connected to Moro
Published Jul 4, 2012