The Good Front Room’s Chef Dom Taylor is out to win the world over as he modernizes Caribbean cuisine with London’s Langham Hotel as his backdrop. Growing up in South London, he was raised by a Jamaican mother and Saint-Lucian father who taught him how to cook Caribbean staples such as Rice and Peas, Jerk Chicken, Ackee, and Saltfish.
Years later, this propelled him to pursue a career in the culinary world, which started with him gaining experience in South Carolina, the hotbed of Lowcountry cuisine which focuses on the diversity of seafood from the coastal estuaries; it also draws parallels to New Orleans and Cajun cuisine.
After years of being away from home, Dom returned to the UK, where he became Head Chef at Belgraves Hotel, a luxury boutique hotel in Belgravia, London, where he learned the ins and outs of understanding five-star service standards.
After five years, he became Head Chef at The Courthouse Hotel, a large banqueting hotel in Shoreditch, East London. This was followed by a two-year stint as Executive Chef at a brunch-focused restaurant group, The Jam Tree.
At this time, Dom decided that it was time to pursue his dreams, and this led to him opening his namesake restaurant, Chef Dom Taylor Kitchen. Its vision was to deliver Caribbean cookery authentically and respectfully to a wider audience. With that same intention in mind, Dom participated in Netflix’s Five Star Kitchen: Britain’s Next Great Chef, which aired on C4 in July 2023 – this led him to open his concept, ‘ The Good Front Room ‘ at The Langham, with the legendary Chef Michel Roux’s seal of approval.
How do you balance innovation and tradition when modernizing Caribbean dishes, and what inspires your unique interpretations?
Balancing innovation with tradition when modernising Caribbean dishes requires a deep respect for the heritage behind each recipe. It’s about making small, thoughtful adjustments over time rather than drastic changes. Caribbean cuisine is deeply cherished, and flavour must always be at the forefront. However, capturing new markets and guiding the cuisine into the future necessitates incorporating contemporary ideas. I draw much inspiration from travelling, which heavily influences my style. Through these experiences, I discover new ways to elevate traditional flavours while keeping the essence of the cuisine intact.
Your culinary journey has taken you from South London to South Carolina. How have these diverse cultural influences shaped your approach to Caribbean cuisine and what can you tell us about some of the hurdles you faced?
My journey from South London to South Carolina broadened my culinary perspective. London’s diversity, combined with my family’s teachings, helped me to develop my Caribbean flavors, while South Carolina’s soul food deepened my understanding of shared histories. A key hurdle has been refining Caribbean cuisine to be seen as both comforting and sophisticated.
Working in luxury hotels like Belgraves and The Courthouse Hotel, how did you incorporate five-star service standards to refine your Caribbean-focused menu? For example, how can you transform a dish as homey as Ackee and Saltfish into a Michelin-star dish?
The Luxury Hotel experience taught me to elevate Caribbean dishes like Ackee and Saltfish by refining each element, from premium ingredients to modern presentation. It’s about making traditional dishes fit for fine dining while maintaining their authenticity.
After winning on Five Star Kitchen, you opened The Good Front Room at The Langham. What vision did you bring to this venture, and how do you see it redefining Caribbean fine dining?
My vision was to showcase Caribbean food in a fine dining setting, blending bold flavours with elegance. I aimed to redefine Caribbean cuisine by elevating traditional dishes through modern techniques and exceptional service.
Can you share a dish that you created on Five Star Kitchen that highlights your approach to modern Caribbean cooking and the techniques that made it successful?
One standout dish was my Jerk Chicken, where I prepared my own marinade and ensured the chicken was perfectly smoked. I paired it with a plantain jam and a roasted sweet corn dressing. These elements elevated the traditional jerk flavours, creating a modern and refined take on the dish.
What unique cooking techniques have you developed or adapted to modernize Caribbean dishes, and how do these techniques enhance the flavours of traditional recipes?
The equipment available in a commercial kitchen really elevates traditional techniques. For instance, I used to cook my Dasheen (a Caribbean starchy root vegetable) whole in the combination oven, using steam and the built-in probe to ensure it reached the perfect core temperature. This allowed for consistency regardless of the size of the dasheen, which is crucial in a professional setting. It’s about taking traditions and refining them to a professional standard.
For someone new to Caribbean cuisine, which dishes from your menu would you recommend they try first, and why?
At The Good Front Room, I had a well-balanced, though small, menu with something for everyone. Whether you preferred white meat, red meat, fish, or a robust vegan dish, there was an option to suit all tastes. I don’t like to play favourites with my dishes — the menu was designed to be approachable from any angle.
Rice and Peas is a classic Caribbean dish. Could you walk us through your approach to cooking it perfectly, and what modern twists do you add to elevate its flavours?
In my opinion, Rice and Peas is a star dish that took me years to master. I use black-eyed peas, which add a slight creaminess, and approach it as if I’m making braised rice. I sweat down onions, garlic, thyme, and spring onions, then add stock to really enhance the flavour. But that’s a secret — don’t tell anyone!
9) Have you created any signature fusion dishes that blend Caribbean flavours with influences from other cuisines you’ve encountered? If so, could you share an example and the techniques behind it?
A signature fusion dish of mine would be the Ackee and Saltfish cakes, served with a Scotch bonnet aioli and roasted pineapple chow. This takes Jamaica’s national dish and gives it a European twist. While it still has the bold flavours, you’d expect from Ackee and Saltfish, it’s presented in a way that feels new yet familiar — super comforting and approachable. It’s one of my favourites and most celebrated dishes.
At The Good Front Room, which dishes best represent your vision of modern Caribbean cuisine, and what cooking methods make them stand out?
One standout dish at The Good Front Room was my slow-cooked pork belly with a dark rum and raisin glaze. This dish took Caribbean cuisine out of the box. It wasn’t a recreation or inspired by a traditional Caribbean dish, but rather a new creation. I used a beloved Caribbean flavour typically found in ice cream and applied it to pork belly, like how it’s approached in European and Asian cuisines — sweet, sticky, and fun to make.
How do you incorporate sustainable cooking techniques into your dishes, particularly when working with Caribbean ingredients that may be hard to source locally?
Cooking sustainably with exotic ingredients can be challenging, so it’s vital to minimise waste. For example, I fry plantain crisps with the skin on, making use of the entire vegetable, which adds fibre and nutrition. Similarly, when preparing meat and fish, I use the bones and trimmings to make stock for sauces. This approach ensures that nothing goes to waste, while still honouring the flavours of Caribbean cuisine.
Where do you see Caribbean cuisine heading in the next five years, and what role do you hope to play in its evolution on the global stage?
Caribbean cuisine is on the rise globally. I aim to play a part by refining traditional dishes and making them accessible to wider audiences, showing the world that Caribbean food can be world-class. I want to be part of that story.
Image Credits:Raffaella Bichiri
