All In London talks to Jun Tanaka

Where do you source your ingredients?
All my seafood comes from the British coast, mainly from Looe in Cornwall. The scallops and langoustines are from Keltic Seafare in Scotland. The lamb is from Elwy Valley in Wales and during autumn the game comes from Blackmore Game in Hampshire. The vegetables are [from] a mix of British and French producers.

Which are your favourite London restaurants?
Dinings is my favorite Japanese restaurant. For the best British food I would go to Great Queen Street, for Italian Zafferano, and for tapas Barrafina. The best late night Chinese is HK Diner and if you don’t want to spend too much but still have a great meal, I would go to Koya every time. If money is no object then it would be La Petite Maison.

What is your favourite food to experiment with?
I love cooking with forgotten cuts. The lesser used cuts of meat like the cheek, tail, belly and skirt.

Can you name a food that you regard as a guilty pleasure?
Foie gras.

Is there an ingredient you hate using?
Any ingredient that’s not in season.

What do you think restaurant trends will be for the year ahead?
Speciality restaurants will be the trend for this year and next. Restaurants that serve one thing but do it really well. It could be anything from noodles to hotdogs.

What has your most valuable experience as a chef been?
Learning how to motivate, inspire and manage a team of people has definitely been the most valuable and challenging experience.