Why not try this lovely lamb loin dish

Roland Tokaji is the head chef at Macdonald Norwood Hall Hotel in Aberdeenshire.

He runs the busy Tapestry Restaurant.

What’s your background?

I’m originally from Hungary, but I’ve been in the UK for around 15 years. Previously, I worked in Belfast for the Waterfront Hall, which is Northern Ireland’s biggest conference centre. I’ve been here for five months now.

Tell us about the restaurant at MacDonald Hotel?

Tapestry Restaurant is in a really old building, so I think the restaurant has a unique personality. It’s a nice, quiet restaurant. When you’ve been busy, you can just get a coffee and come here to relax.

How important are local ingredients?

We always try to use local products that we can get from the UK or Scotland. I don’t use any vegetables or fruits that aren’t local. It’s really important for me to support local farmers.

What are your plans for the menu?

We try to keep everything as fresh as possible, and we want to keep it that way. I’m always trying to use unusual items that people don’t see every day. I want to give them a new experience.

Roland Tokaji, head chef at Macdonald Norwood Hall Hotel

What’s your ingredient of the month?

I really like to use dandelion in salads. It has a unique flavour. I would use it with smoked salmon, and mix it up with radishes and apples. Take off the leaves, roughly chop them, or leave them whole.

This interview first appeared in The Leopard edition of Scottish Field in July 2018.