Always great to share news here, and this month we bring Max Halley and his brilliant, towering sandwiches to central London - read on to find out where his (surprising) new home is. We'll also launch a new project from our friends - and quite frankly the best in the business - Luca co-founders Daniel Willis and Johnny Smith, as they open Outcrop. It's a project which aims to connect our world of food, drink and fun in cities, with a rural perspective and we're absolutely here for that. Oh, and we've started working with Kitchen Table, James Knappett and Sandia Chang's extraordinary, game-changing, two-starred restaurant in Fitzrovia, so stay tuned for news from them soon.
Latest news
Outcrop to launch at 180 The Strand, with AngloThai heading up its restaurant
This summer, Outcrop sees the founders of Michelin-starred Luca join forces with pop-up sensation AngloThai and Secret Cinema alumni to create a genre-defying residency. Launching on 23rd June at 180 The Strand, the three-month project will see chef John Chantarasak serve his celebrated Thai dishes in the Brutalist venue's verdant courtyard, alongside an arts and music programme that aims to reconnect city-dwellers to nature. Read more here.
Max Halley, the King of Sandwiches, arrives at London's Hippodrome
He's conquered north London, and now we're bringing Sandwich King Max Halley and his towering sarnies to Leicester Square's Hippodrome Casino. Available all day and all night, Max's new menu of retro-inspired butties features Bacon Chop BLTs, Meatball Bonanzas and Fried Coronation Chicken Sandwiches. From 1st June, it will be the only London spot beyond Max's Crouch Hill shop serving his creations - hungry Londoners, rejoice. Read more here.
Tonic now working with two Michelin-starred restaurant Kitchen Table
We're excited to announce that Tonic is now working with two Michelin-starred restaurant Kitchen Table. From acclaimed chef James Knappett and sommelier Sandia Chang, the 20-seater counter restaurant in Fitzrovia serves a spectacular tasting menu of daily changing dishes, served with Sandia's exquisite grower Champagne pairings. Having recently celebrated its 10-year anniversary, and we can't wait to see (and shout about) what's next.
What's on this month
It took longer than we hoped, but summer is finally here, and Michelin-starred restaurant Trivet is marking its arrival with a new lunch menu offering confit lobster salad and cocktails for a relaxed but refined lunch on its terrace. At 40FT Brewery the Acme Fire Cult team has launched a new izakaya menu of Japanese-inspired low-waste snacks, perfect for pairing with an al fresco pint. Poon's Wontoneria will soon be serving its beloved wontons at dinnertime, with a new evening menu available at its residency at Carousel's No.23 from later this month.
Michelin-starred Luca is celebrating the wines of top Tuscan producer Isola e Olena on 7th June, with a dinner hosted by winemaker Paolo de Marchi on. Beyond London, Wiston Estate's restaurant Chalk is showcasing its pasture-fed beef supplier with a special dinner from Executive Chef Tom Kemble on 10th June, and Spring's Skye Gyngell will be joining Chef-Founder Lloyd Morse at his Edinburgh restaurant The Palmerston for a one-off collaboration dinner on 24th June.
The Auld Reekie Report
Edinburgh's best set lunch menus
Money on the tighter side this month? The set lunch is the answer to enjoying (and supporting) your favourite restaurants without breaking the bank. From nose-to-tail treats at The Palmerston to scintillating southeast Asian food at Ka Pao, we've picked our favourites.
Read more here.
Chef spotlight: Kemal Demirasal
Have you heard the one about the champion windsurfer turned superstar chef? Well that's Kemal Demirasal, Chef-Founder of contemporary Turkish ocakbasi restaurant The Counter in Notting Hill. Born in Turkey, Kemal grew up surrounded by food at his mother's restaurant - but went on to pursue a career as a professional windsurfer, winning six national championships.
Kemal decided that his sporting days were behind him in 2007, and that he wanted to become a chef. He made it his mission to visit as many of the world’s best restaurants as he could to learn from them, and two years later, he opened his first restaurant Barbun in Alacati, a pioneer on the fine dining scene in Turkey.
In 2013, Demirasal launched Alancha in Alacati, an avant-garde fine dining restaurant which won global praises from the likes of World’s 50 Best Discovery Series and The New York Times. He also launched the Alancha lab, a test kitchen space dedicated to gastronomic experimentation.
Since then, Kemal has become one of the best-known chefs in Turkey. He has presented food documentaries on Turkish national television, and opened numerous restaurants, with The Counter in London's Goldborne Road his first outside Turkey.
Read more here.
