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Flavour Bastard: extremely subtle homage to late-‘90s super sitcom ‘Spaced’ (Google the ‘Robot Wars’ episode)? Or just the most aggressively-named new restaurant in London? Not sure. Either way, this forthcoming Soho spot – located on the old Arbutus site – is an intriguing proposition.
For a start, the exec chef is one Pratap Chahal, who’s previously worked in Gordon Ramsay’s kitchen at Claridge’s, Chez Bruce and Cinnamon Club, among others. Bastard or no, that’s good parentage.
Secondly, it promises a ‘journey of flavours’ with absolutely no commitment to authenticity, the kitchen playing fast and loose with global ingredients across ‘tiny’ (think white lentil, chorizo and pecorino doughnuts or steamed rice cakes with kimchi), small (curds with pear and saffron chutney, pickled chilli and puffed rice, miso and mango-glazed aubergine with peanut crumble, smoked aubergine relish and so on) and large plates (which are main-sized versions of the smaller dishes).
Puds are equally peripatetic – Mayan-spiced milk chocolate and brownie mousse with bitter chocolate aero and lavender ice cream, anyone? When the inevitable thirst kicks in, you can wash it all down with rice wines, sake and fermented cocktails. Sounds good, don’t it? And all in the best possible taste.
Flavour Bastard opens in September, at 63-64 Frith St, W1D 3JW.
A month’s a while to wait. In the meantime, go to town with our list of Soho’s best restaurants.