Out of the Kitchen: Jun Tanaka on his favourite restaurants and bars in London
Jun Tanaka is chef-proprietor of The Ninth in Fitzrovia, which recently won a Michelin star. When he’s not working he chooses steamed buns, good coffee and healing Thai food.
Where do you like to grab a quick bite? Bao Fitzrovia. It’s just around the corner from my restaurant and the queue isn’t quite as long as their Soho branch. I love all their small plates - from the duck hearts to the chicken chop with egg yolk. Everything on the menu is super tasty and great value!
And which would be your ultimate London restaurant for a special occasion? Definitely La Petite Maison. For me, this is one of the best restaurants in London. The dishes are simple, light and fresh yet full of flavour.
You often get out of work late. Where do you head to eat and drink? Spuntino in Soho. It’s open until 1am and it’s the perfect place to wind down after a busy service. What’s your favourite local gem? Around where I live, it would have to be Cabotte - a newly opened restaurant and wine bar on Gresham Street. If you’re a sucker for French classics and a good glass of Burgundy (like me), it’s a must!
Where do you go to cure a persistent hangover? Som Saa. Nothing like super spicy Thai food to cure a hangover.
What’s your favourite cocktail, and where do you drink it? I hardly ever drink cocktails, but I do love the Oyster Prairie at 69 Colebrooke Row.
Where do you rate for food shopping? Marylebone Farmer’s Market on a Sunday morning is a great place to pick up fruit and veg, Steve Hatt on Essex Road for fish and Jack O’Shea in Primrose Hill for meat.
Your favourite pub? Newman Arms — they do a mean Sunday roast, which is so hard to find.
What’s the most indulgent experience you have ever had in London? To be honest, my most indulgent experience in London was at home! I made Pierre Koffmann’s pig’s trotter with sweetbreads and morels and we opened a bottle of Sine Qua None.
Imagine you had a surprise day off tomorrow. You can’t leave London. What would you do? I would start the day with a coffee at Dose then a morning session at Barry’s Bootcamp East.
Then I would stroll across the river to have lunch at Padella and order the pici cacio and pepe, a very simple pasta of black pepper and cheese but incredibly satisfying to eat.
After lunch I would catch a matinée movie — there is something very indulgent about going to the cinema during the day!
A few drinks at the Newman Arms will be followed by dinner at Noble Rot — they have a fantastic wine list and the food is always delicious.
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