There is a convergence of worlds in the dishes on the menu of Scully St James's, the debut solo venture of Ramael Scully, who serves as the executive chef and co-founder of the acclaimed London restaurant. A mix-matching of flavors — from maize-based, southern America-inspired bites to gourmet takes on British BBQ meats and Asian-infused fish plates — that's nuanced enough to reflect the former NOPI head chef and long-time Ottolenghi collaborator's own multifaceted upbringing. Born to a mother of Chinese and Indian descent and an Irish-Balinese father, Scully was brought up in Sydney, Australia, where he took a liking to cooking and attended culinary school before moving his first steps within the field, working in the kitchens of fine dining eateries between Sydney itself, Moscow, and the UK from the early 2000s onwards.
The co-author of NOPI: The Cookbook, which came out in September 2015, Scully landed his first job with the Ottolenghi group in 2005, when he had just relocated to London, later moving to NOPI upon its launch in 2011. While his career took off from there, the positive influence of his partnership with Yotam Ottolenghi was mutual, with Scully's pan-Asian inspirations and worldwide, unexpected ingredient juxtapositions leaving a strong imprint on numerous of the acclaimed British-Israeli chef and restaurateur's dishes — think heartwarming mains like sea bass and turmeric potatoes in rasam broth, which draws from the tanginess of South Indian cuisine; fit-for-breakfast North African starters like celeriac purée with spiced cauliflower and quail's eggs; and fragrant corn cakes with beetroot and apple salad, a simple, playful lunch meal packed with herbs. As one of the British capital's most innovative gastronomic talents, we couldn't help but wonder what Scully's go-to chef's essentials were.
