Bon appétit at Courtleigh

Bold flavours compose Ainsley Lambie’s recipe for success. Freshly minted as executive chef at the Courtleigh Hotel and Suites, he has gone about deftly revamping the menu at Alexander’s Restaurant – the property’s ground-floor fine-dining experience – with his brand of elevated cuisine.

“We have introduced a number of new dishes and tweaked so much on the menu,” Lambie said of the culinary refresh since taking the top chef role on March 17.

“When I came to Courtleigh, it had similar haute cuisine that I was used to. A big part of my growth and development has always been diversifying Jamaican food and products so it’s perfectly in line with what I’m pushing for.”

Alexander’s Version 2.0 features four re-imagined bowls: passionfruit pork belly, vegetarian couscous, boneless oxtail with plantain, and miso-grilled chicken.

There are also inventive salads available, such as island-spiced tandoori chicken with apple, candied walnuts, red onions, and celery tossed in papaya vinaigrette; and a baked goat cheese tart salad with roasted beets, mixed greens, dried cranberries, candied pecans, and balsamic vinaigrette.

“I’m absolutely pleased with the menu overhaul,” a confident Lambie told Food during our mid-afternoon interview last Tuesday at the hotel restaurant located on Knutsford Boulevard. The kitchen had just finished lunchtime service and was briefly closed to prepare for dinner service, which would begin in three hours.

The Ocho Rios-raised chef has been married for 20 years. The business of food runs in the family, as his wife, Ann Malcolm, operates a restaurant of her own in Ocho Rios.

Today’s invitation to Courtleigh to sample his curated mix of fresh takes and redos offers a feast for the senses. As stylised plates emerge from the kitchen, they capture the attention of our eyes and noses.

“For me, it’s about fun and exploring flavours and techniques. Plus, you want your food to be nuff, value for money, right?” the exec chef rhetorically asked, with a hearty chuckle.

Six new entrées are now available, offering vegetarian, seafood, and meat options.

Fresh from the kitchen are the honey balsamic marinated lamb chops, which is served with a bacon-tomato chutney and port wine reduction with a medley of summer vegetables and buttermilk mashed potatoes. Then, there’s the chef’s vegetarian jerk tofu and ravioli simmered in a rich tomato rundown sauce with bell peppers and escallion.

Ainsley, now 52, is the first-born of six children to Lloyd, a chartered bus driver, and Cherry, a villa chef. He is a well-seasoned veteran in Jamaica’s food and hospitality scene.

His previous exec chef stints span Sandals in Ocho Rios, the Ritz Carlton in Montego Bay, and The Tryall Club in Hanover. And, his three decade-plus resume has seen employment tenures in Massachusetts and Rhode Island in the United States.

Lambie’s first job after graduating from HEART College of Hospitality Services was in 1990 at the now-defunct Ciboney Hotel in St Ann.

“I spent seven years there and left as a sous chef. I went overseas to work at Newport in Rhode Island, it was my first time travelling,” he shared.

“I worked with a lot of French chefs, it was fine dining and brunch; and I was there for nine months, but came back home after I was given the chance to work at the Ritz Carlton in St James with Chef Dennis McIntosh.”

Lambie had been a protégé of the late McIntosh during his time at Ciboney and jumped at the opportunity to work with him again.

Thinking of McIntosh – former head and team coach of the Culinary Federation of Jamaica and a beloved figure among local chefs – brought a spontaneous smile to Lambie’s face.

“He always pushed for training, not just me but [with] almost every young chef under his wings. We had a connection, wherever he was, I was always there,” recalled Lambie, who has six children aged 14 to 29.

“Dennis assisted me in getting training overseas. I trained at the Ritz Carlton in Miami at Coconut Grove. It definitely took me to that level working with the Ritz. It’s so diverse, you have to work with so many different cultures and learn different techniques. They were majorly focused on training, and it was a great experience,” said Lambie, who also enjoys drag racing in his leisure time.

Back in the Courtleigh dining room, as staff cleared tables and set flatware, Lambie returned to discussing his vision for the restaurant.

“Coming in, there’s the vision of what we wanted to do differently and the first thing we did was get new equipment. We work with a great team here,” he shared.

Reorganising the kitchen and working methods over the past 12 weeks has brought meaningful change. New equipment includes kneading machines, flat-top grills, and under-the-counter refrigerators.

“We are in the middle of training as I speak,” he informed. “I do less time in the office now, I am very hands on, that’s my goal really... passing on the wealth of knowledge I would have gained over time.”

lifestyle@gleanerjm.com