The Chef Word

South Wales Evening Post - WeekEnd Supplement - The Good Food Guide - Thursday, July 30, 2009

Every week, weekend picks the brains of a local chef to find out the best places to eat in South West Wales.
This week, we speak to Gurbuz Vural from La Memo Brasserie in Port Talbot.

What do you recommend at La Memo?

The duck breast in orange sauce served with pak choi and mashed sweet potato. Our rump of lamb, crispy duck rolls and smoked salmon roll with cream cheese, chive and caviar are also good choices. We get a lot of feedback from customers who tell us we do the best fillet steak around. Everything here is home-made and we use local suppliers such as Swansea Market and Castell Howell to ensure that the produce is as fresh as possible. All of our desserts are home-made and we a re launching our own ice-cream in a couple of weeks.

What inspires your cooking?

I started cooking when I was about 14 and I’ve been in the business for 25 years. I’m originally from Istanbul in Turkey but I used to live in Liverpool which has some fabulous restaurants. My uncle had a big, popular restaurant in the city and when I finished school, I went to work in his kitchen. I never looked back. Two years ago my partner and I decided to open our own restaurant and we found the perfect place here in Port Talbot.

On your nights off, what do you like to cook at home?

I work six days a week, so cooking at home is a rare occurrence! When I do have a day off, I like to go out to restaurants in Swansea, trying out different places. I’m always looking for ways to improve our restaurant by looking at other establishments and how they operate. If I cook at home, I’ll usually cook a fish dish, perhaps a snapper, a turbot or a sea bass.

Do you think that people have to spend a lot on ingredients to get a good meal?

Not at all – at La Memo we offer a three-course meal for two, including a bottle of wine for £50. We also serve a three-course roast dinner every Sunday for £9.95. A lot of people tell us our prices are very reasonable for the quality of the food.

Where do you like to eat out?

I like Charlie’s in Swansea and Fairyhill in Gower – a place that gives us something to aspire to.
 

 

 

Copyright © La Memo Brasserie - Port Talbot and Neath