That’s the headline from a recent New York Times article (4 July 2023) by Amy Tara Koch. Those words equally describe the FHIOR approach to ingredients, flavours and platings.
“At Fhior in Edinburgh, the chef Scott Smith’s passion for coaxing knock-your-socks-off flavor from humble Scottish ingredients is displayed in his seven- and 10-course tasting menus. One dish, flash-fried koji-brined cauliflower with a relish of lovage-seed spiked apricot, is an umami blast with burnt orange zip. The cuisine may be haute, but the vibe is not.”
Spot on.
In late 2018, not long after FHIOR first opened its doors, the New York Times had this to say: “The restaurant… focuses on as-local-as-possible Scottish ingredients done with Nordic touches and a Japanese-style aesthetic. Meat can come from farms in the Shetland Islands or the Scottish Borders, seafood from Northern Scotland and the produce is so local that some if (recently, samphire, sea purslane and seaweed) is foraged by Mr. Smith himself.”
All still true, though these days Scott’s more likely to delegate foraging tasks while he works on developing new dishes.
