"Brighton’s latest restaurateur is following in the footsteps of Heston Blumenthal, the celebrity chef famed for his scientific approach to cooking.

Alex Chalk, who has 15 years of experience under the likes of Gordon Ramsay, has launched Alexander’s Gastronomy in the basement of The Townhouse boutique hotel in New Steine. The grandiose name for this new fine dining restaurant reflects its owner’s devotion to “the science of food”.

“I wanted to create new ways of experiencing food that is based on scientific methods of cooking,” says Alex. “I’m trying to get people to see food in new ways. It’s all about creating different textures and playing with the way food goes in your mouth.”

Diners may be relieved to know that Blumenthal’s signature dish, snail porridge, is definitely off Alex’s menu.

“What I do is basically nouvelle cuisine,” says the plain-speaking chef. “The term is unpopular because people associate it with tiny portions of bad food, but I want to resurrect its reputation.”

Alex, who has previously worked in London’s The Ivy and Gordon Ramsay’s Boxford Cafe, creates what he describes as “fresh modern food based on French classics”.

A graduate of Brighton’s City College (formerly Brighton College of Technology, his kitchen staff consist entirely of alumni from his alma mater.

“I’ve been really lucky in that I’ve had some great teachers. I owe a lot to Brighton and I wanted to give something back,” he says.

But the chefs have their work cut out. Some of Alex’s more imaginative creations include Vermouth foam and warm beetroot jelly.

“Vermouth foam is used in our starter of poached diver scallops, pied de mouton and broad beans,” he says.

“The inside of the scallops are mixed with shallots, Vermouth and single cream to make a white sauce. This is reduced right down to produce a strong flavour. Then with a spumer (a kind of hand blender), the sauce is whipped to create a bubbly foam that goes on top of the scallops. The foam has all the flavour of Vermouth, a sour wine mixed with herbs and spices, but you’re eating bubbles!

“The warm beetroot jelly is served with our main course of Cumbrian lamb with suet pudding, Anna potatoes, baby onions and young leeks. The beetroot is cooked in beetroot juice until it dissolves so you’re left with a blood red, strongly flavoured sauce.

“Gelatine is added to make the beetroot juice into jelly but then xanthan gum, a seaweed derivative, is also added to prevent the jelly from melting when it is heated.”

Aside from striving to create new experimental ways to enjoy food, Alex is keen to encourage his customers to challenge their perceptions of taste.

“My desserts in particular feature loads of exciting flavours that you wouldn’t associate with puddings,” he says.

One such example is strawberry and Pink Lady apple tarte tartin topped with balsamic vinegar and served with spearmint ice cream.

“You wouldn’t necessarily expect to find balsamic vinegar in a dessert,” he admits.

“But we use a really expensive sweet Spanish vinegar, which is the perfect accompaniment to the sweet apples and strawberries.”

Alex’s intimate 35-seater restaurant reflects his devotion to food and drink with a wheat, claret and chocolate colour scheme.

Finishing touches include hundreds of pounds worth of white lilies placed around the restaurant and abstract portrait artwork on the walls by Lionel Dumas, the designer who worked on Bono’s house and is the great-great grandson of the author of The Three Musketeers, Alexandre Dumas.

But the piece de resistance?

“Our toilets!” laughs Alex. “Toilets are usually really boring in fine dining restaurants, but we have two unisex loos that have to be seen to be believed.

“They were also designed by Lionel. They are called ‘Sahara’ and ‘Bahamas’ because they are decked from floor to ceiling to transport you to those two exotic locations.”

Review by Sureka Fernando