New Chef Breathes Life into the Hilton Kitchen

Nervously I followed the smartly dressed concierge through the Hilton Hotel: along a grand hallway, up a flight of polished stairs, past leather sofas, enormous televisions and businessmen clinking glasses.

I was an hour early for the introductory dinner of the new executive chef, Leon Hatton-Jones, and I had my doubts about what was coming next.

I’d been invited to sample Hatton-Jones’s new menu and I thought I would be eating alone. Standing awkwardly by the door, fidgeting with my champagne glass, I waited for the lonely meal to begin. I imagined sitting down to eat on a long empty table in the middle of a busy dining room humming with chatter. I walk in and a heavy silence would fall, everyone stops their conversations, puts down their cutlery and swivels in their seats to stare at this sad, friendless individual eating all on his own.

A firm handshake from the general manager interrupted my daydream. Quickly following him were men in sharp suits: public relations, director of operations, cluster marketer, account director. Introductions were made and they quickly assured me my embarrassing fate was not sealed, there were would be others dining with me.

Feeling relieved, I looked out towards the bar and saw Hatton-Jones approaching in dazzling whites and a pristine chef’s hat perched on his head. We shook hands and immediately began talking about his training, the menu, Namibia, meat, South Africa, children, sushi, stress and football. For 45 minutes we talked, and he gave me the most humble and honest answers I could have asked for.

Leon was one of those lucky children who knew exactly what he wanted to do when he grew up. He enjoyed cooking at home, so in primary school he made up his mind and decided he was going to be a chef. Simple. Now with 17 years experience, he’s the executive chef for Namibia’s most popular hotel, solely responsible for the four separate restaurants and bars the establishment operates. His CV is long and impressive with a list of diplomas, awards and memberships, but more importantly, he has a true passion for cooking.

When it was time for us to sit down, Hatton-Jones disappeared into his busy kitchen and began pulling the strings amongst the red-faced chefs. Inside the hustling room, consumed in smells, smoke and heat, Hatton-Jones lead the preparations which were quickly whisked into the hands of sangfroid waiters and brought out into the placid Hilton dining area.

To start the evening, a simple bowl of bush tomato and butternut soup was followed by a small fillet of Namibian kabeljou. As these plates were set down, Hatton-Jones stepped out of the kitchen to describe the underlying ethos behind these dishes as “uncomplicated yet impressive”. The soup fitted this description perfectly. Despite only having two main ingredients it had a surprisingly rich flavour. Although the kabeljou was prepared in a similar pared-back manner, it was less impressive for me, because of the tricky bones that had to be negotiated.

With those two dishes sitting comfortably in my stomach, the crux of the meal was served: Sossusvlei warthog fillet. Many people have had bad experiences with warthog, normally related to a foul smell the meat has a tendency of holding. But through a simple process of marinating the fillet in milk, Hatton-Jones transformed the offending meat into a delicacy. The incredible dish was the peak of a strong and balanced evening.

Despite only being at the Hilton for four months, Hatton-Jones has breathed new life into the hotel’s kitchens. Keep an eye on their menus for exciting food in the future.