In association with
Dear

At the time of year when many are drinking and eating out in droves, it is admirable to see charity initiatives getting much support in the hospitality community. CookForSyria is back and many restaurants are adding a £1 donation to bills, while some go further, with a special dish on the menu too to aid Unicef’s work – bravo Sabor, Hoppers, Koya and many more.

As revellers make their way around the city, it’s impossible not to see those less fortunate so the launch of this year’s StreetSmart campaign is very timely too. Participating restaurants will add £1 to bills, with the money going towards helping the homeless and those in insecure accommodation. More than 500 restaurants round the UK have signed up to get involved. As so often, CODE applauds the generous spirit of our industry.
 
A reminder that to receive CODE Quarterly magazine, packed with features, interviews and industry leading contributors, you need to subscribe here. For every sign-up until the end of the year, CODE will contribute £1 to each of the two charities above.

Have a good week.

Yamagoya

There’s no shortage of ramen bars in the west end, but Yamagoya, opening its second branch on Shaftesbury Avenue on 15 December, has a couple of good reasons to visit. First is a roast beef ramen, which sounds just right for winter, and the famous clear Rainbow Cake. The whole menu is available to eat in and grab-and-go.

Lost Boys

It’s the world’s only vampire themed pizzeria (we believe them) – now Lost Boys Pizza is expanding. In December it will open on Eversholt Street in Camden and in addition to their black charcoal pizzas and puntastic cocktails – ie Stranger Tings – there will be a basement absinthe bar, named Croque Monsieur.

Calcutta Canteen

While we wait to see her Netflix ‘Chef’s Table’ episode, Asma Khan is not waiting around herself. The Darjeeling Express owner announced the launch of a spin-off pop-up cafe serving snacks and tea called Calcutta Canteen, on Broadwick Street, to open in the next week or so (she closed the Market Halls Fulham iteration this summer). Her partner is baker Tarunima Sinha.

Dabbers

They’ll be hoping for a full house (sorry) when Dabbers opens its bingo hall in Houndsditch, near Liverpool Street, next month. The ‘immersive experience’ will include games, a bar, restaurant and comedy acts, with the old-timers’ game as its theme, perked up for a young crowd. Expect cocktails, comfort food and DJs.

Opening...

Two carb-centric launches – first the much-socialed Cakes & Bubbles by Albert Adrià in the Cafe Royal hotel, which is now open… This Thursday sees the opening of Buns & Buns in Covent Garden, focusing on different kind of bread carapaces… Meanwhile, the (not) floor-covering themed LINO – in a former carpet warehouse near Smithfield – will start service on 22 November.

...and closing

The Whistling Shop, the innovative cocktail bar in Shoreditch which opened in 2011, is closing. Eater London reports that the space has been sold to the London Cocktail Club. Among those who concocted new creations at the Worship Street site included Ryan Chetiyawardana and Matt Whiley, while owners Tristan Stephenson and Thomas Aske now run the Fluid Movement group.

Andrew Fairlie

CODE is very sorry to hear that Andrew Fairlie, one of our best liked and well respected chefs, is stepping down from Gleneagles due to ill health. Fairlie, who won two stars for the Scottish restaurant in 2006, was the first-ever winner of the Roux Scholarship. From February next year, his head chef Stevie McLaughlin will take over.

Eddie Harris

Sapling in Dalston has announced that its new head chef is Eddie Harris, who has previously worked at Chiltern Firehouse, Portland and The Laughing Heart. At Sapling, Harris will bring Scandinavian flavours to the menu, while the current format of a rotating list of 30 wines will continue.

We are looking for someone who, first and foremost, understands that genuine hospitality is ingrained in everything we do.

You don’t have to have had a background in Michelin restaurants, just an overall enthusiasm for great cooking, well-sourced ingredients, great wine and an interest in a sustainable business practice.

Click to read more

We're casting our net to look for an experienced Sous Chef to assist in leading and inspiring our kitchen team who work hard to serve delicious plates of food, that not only taste great but also look fantastic. Cooking skills and knowledge are important, but our Sous Chefs are mainly passionate, reliable and always willing to expand their knowledge in exchange for development. 

Click to read more

Looking for an experienced restaurant manager to work in our flagship neighbourhood restaurant serving up day boat, sustainable British fish & seafood at our restaurants in Fitzrovia.

We’re a small, friendly team, working busy services with lots of regular customers of all age groups and backgrounds. Our style is ‘casual excellence’ - think Michelin starred knowledge and professionalism served up in a casual, seafood shack environment. The right candidates will be energetic, customer focused and passionate about food & wine.


Click here to read more

Those fries are flying out and the McFlurrys are in a hurry … It’s just been reported that McDonalds took £200m via Uber Eats in the last 12 months.

MEATliquor’s main man Scott Collins was spotted at Berenjak last Wednesday, his third visit in a week. After the Hand and Flowers collaboration at Halloween, could a MEATjak be on the cards?

Another boss man, The Infatuation’s Chris Stang, has been in London to oversee the expansion of their UK operation - but are they really building it themselves? His hardhat look in Instagram stories certainly made it look that way.

The London Restaurant Festival held its awards last week and had announced a shortlist for reviewer of the year, but never announced a winner. Was it the result of Jay walking? 

From London Bridge to London Fields. Click here to read The Dumbwaiter’s best bites of the week.

restaurant of the week
BabaBoom Islington
bar of the week
Mrs Fogg's Maritime Club & Distillery

Copyright © Nexus CODE Ltd 2018
The CODE Bulletin is published by Nexus CODE Ltd
CODE ® is a registered trade mark of Nexus CODE Ltd