Menuwatch: 10 Greek Street
A New Zealander by birth, chef Cameron Emirali has created a loyal following at his Mediterranean-influenced restaurant 10 Greek Street in Soho. Katie Pathiaki reports
It appears that the 35-cover restaurant doesn't need bells and whistles to attract customers. As 10 Greek Street celebrates its sixth birthday this month, it continues to be just as full on a Wednesday lunchtime as it is on a Friday evening, serving everyone from celebrating families to lunching business people and turning over around 100 covers a day at an average of £40 per head.
e restaurant has established itself as a casual, ingredient-led neighbourhood eaterie, offering between 12 and 14 dishes from a daily changing lunch and dinner blackboard, including certain well-known dishes, such as its annual egg yolk ravioli with grilled asparagus and shaved truffle. "It's a hit with the regulars who, come asparagus season, ask me if it's on the menu. To be honest, I'm getting a bit sick of it!" Emirali laughs.
"Everything we serve is based on supply," he continues. "For example, our fish supplier in Cornwall will ring us and tell us what's been caught, then they come up and drop it in our fridges. I tell the chefs what we have and we develop a dish together."
Emirali, a New Zealand native, started his career aged 15, training in Queensland, Australia, before moving to an island off the Great Barrier Reef. After several stints working in kitchens around Sydney and New Zealand, he took the decision to refine his cooking skills in the UK.
"I had been cooking Spanish and Italian foods for years and I had never been to the places they had originated from. I didn't speak any other languages, so I thought I'd come to England to learn more and got the bug."
He worked in London restaurants such as Eyre Brothers (now 70 Leonard Street), the Zetter and Le Pont de la Tour, but credits his six years as head chef of the Wapping Project for fine-tuning his style. "What you see now is the style I perfected there. I'm all about using fewer ingredients and making sure they're really fresh and seasonal. I do encourage young chefs to leave and try working in Michelin-starred kitchens to expand their knowledge, and to then come back. As a young chef you should really push yourself."
His menu is heavily influenced by Mediterranean cuisine, offering plates such as padrÁ³n peppers and fried baby squid; prawns, fregola, 'nduja and fennel; hake, mussels, blood orange, monk's beard and bottarga; and Brecon lamb, duck-fat potatoes, cavolo nero and anchovies.
One of Emirali's favourites is a lambs' tongue dish served with egg and watercress. First the tongues are braised and the membrane peeled off when soft. The tongues are then left to set in the fridge overnight before being grilled and placed on an emulsion of anchovy, olive oil, rosemary, tarragon and lemon juice, along with a duck egg and watercress.
o-owner and general manager Luke Wilson, a former wine merchant, met Emirali when he was working for wine supplier Liberty Wines. Wilson has created a handwritten black book of wines, available upon request, which features a monthly changing selection of rare bottles sourced from fine wine lists, private cellars and auctions, priced from £40 to £500.
n opening 10 Greek Street, Emirali's only care was cooking great food and having a full lunch and dinner service. The duo now operate the Whitechapel Refectory and After Hours at the Whitechapel Gallery in east London - a café by day and a wine bar by night.
This month, Emirali announced the closure of his second restaurant, 8 Hoxton Square, which opened in Shoreditch in 2014, in order to "focus on new projects".
ld he open another restaurant? "I don't want to spread myself too thin," Emirali says. "I think what we've got now is enough. What I'm interested in doing in the future will be something a bit different - like a brewery. We want to do something that excites us but that will still enable me to cook every day at 10 Greek Street alongside it."
From the menu
Starters
- Olives £3
- Burrata £8
- Ventricina and jamÁ³n serrano £9
- Fried baby squid £9
Mains
- Butternut squash, crumbed goats' cheese, radicchio and sage £8
- Gnudi, cardoncelli and pecorino £18
- Brecon lamb, kale, parsnip and anchovy £28
Whole pheasant, bread pudding, swede, sprouts and lardons £50 for two
Desserts
- Chocolate mousse, blood orange, pomegranate and hazelnut £9
- Pear sorbet and Strega £7
- Almond tart, rhubarb and custard £8 Selection of ice-creams £7
10 Greek Street, Soho, London W1D 4DH
www.10greekstreet.com
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