Santiago Lastra welcomes Jorge Vallejo for one day only uniting Mexican food, culture, and spirit in London. A celebration of everything KOL is and represents on the restaurant’s 3rd birthday.
Held at Santiago’s restaurant KOL, guests will have the option of lunch or dinner and to take a journey through Mexico in the form of an exclusive and collaborative tasting menu: blending influences of each chef’s ethos in creating a personal dining experience of Mexican cuisine.
KOL is now No.23 on The World’s 50 Best Restaurants and honours Mexican cuisine through a contemporary lens. Championing seasonality and regional British produce, Chef Santiago has developed a new understanding of what Mexican cuisine is, without access to Mexico’s abundant ingredients.
Chef Jorge Vallejo, alongside wife Alejandra Flores, opened Quintonil in 2012, exploring Mexican culinary traditions and concentrating on product and flavour quality by working with regional producers who spark a positive impact on their communities. Now over 10 years later, Quintonil sits at No.9 on The World’s 50 Best Restaurants due to Jorge’s personal and professional interpretation of what it means to be a Mexican chef. He has become an inspiration to Chef Santiago and KOL.
Santiago and Jorge are welcoming diners to their four-hands collaboration to experience an authentic, personable and contemporary exploration into Mexican cuisine. The two chefs will spend time beforehand foraging in Kent’s open countryside to part source ingredients and inspiration for this new collaboration.
The tasting menu will feature 8 creative dishes, served with an opening welcome drink from Montelobos Mezcal. Non-alcoholic options are available throughout the meal, as well as a drinks pairing using Montelobos Mezcals, or a curated selection of wines from the KOL Mezcaleria.
“As Aeromexico, we are thrilled to join forces with KOL and Quintonil to celebrate the exquisite flavours of Mexican cuisine. Through this partnership, we are not just bringing Mexico to the UK but also connecting cultures and creating unforgettable experiences. Stay tuned for more exciting collaborations as we continue this culinary journey together” noted Mark Mooren, Aeromexico’s Sales Director UK and Benelux.
