Where Chef Leo Tanyag Loves To Eat & Drink
There are two restaurants I go back to most regularly. Akira in Kensington is somewhere I enjoy for its traditional Japanese flavours and hospitality, while Nobu Shoreditch is always inspiring because of the way it brings Japanese cooking together with influences from elsewhere. They are very different restaurants, but both remind me why I love Japanese food.
Nobu Matsuhisa has always been a huge inspiration to me. I really admire the way he took Japanese techniques and flavours to a global audience without losing the identity behind the food or his own style as a chef. His approach to fusion was very influential for me, particularly in thinking about how different cuisines can work together naturally.
Memorable food does not always have to be complicated. Some of my most memorable food moments have actually been around something as simple as onigiri. In Japan, it is such an everyday snack, something familiar that you can pick up almost anywhere, and I love the idea of taking something so recognisable and showing how much care and technique can sit behind it. At Luna, we elevate that simplicity while still respecting what makes the dish special.
My go-to takeaway is really good fried chicken or onigiri. After spending all day around tasting menus, sometimes I just want something quick, comforting and easy to eat.
Sunday is always about family for me. I spend so much of the week in restaurants that, when I have time off, I want things to feel relaxed. I love going out to eat with my family and friends, ordering lots of dishes for the table and having time to properly catch up.
My favourite dining companions are always my family and friends. Food is much more enjoyable when it is shared, and I love eating with people who are genuinely excited about what is on the table rather than analysing every detail.
After a long, late shift I love to order a bowl of the lobster ramen from Nakimushi in Notting Hill. This is a time when I want something comforting, warming and uncomplicated. A really good bowl of ramen is exactly that.
I often shop at the Japan Centre at Westfield. I like being able to find Japanese ingredients that I grew up using, but I also enjoy walking around and discovering new products that might spark an idea for a dish. My most-used ingredients are probably sake and miso. They are incredibly versatile and can bring depth without overpowering a dish. Miso gives you umami and richness, while sake can be used in everything from marinades and sauces to cooking rice and seafood.
The one dish I always order if I see it on the menu is tempura. It looks incredibly simple, but it tells you a lot about a kitchen. The temperature of the oil, the batter, the seasoning and the timing all need to be exact. When it is done properly, it should feel incredibly light and delicate.
My drink of choice is a mezcal paloma. I love the freshness of grapefruit against the smokiness of mezcal. It is refreshing but still has enough character to make it interesting.
If I’m not cooking in the restaurant, I will often head to Cu4tro in Piccadilly. Midweek I normally want somewhere relaxed where I can eat well without turning it into a long evening, and Cu4tro is perfect for that.
If I’m heading out for weekend brunch, I like COYA City. At the weekend I want something lively and social rather than formal, somewhere you can settle in with friends and let brunch turn into the afternoon, and that’s what I get at this Peruvian restaurant.
My idea of a perfect Sunday lunch is Royal China on Baker Street. It’s a classic – and I love to see family or friends around a table, piled high with lots of dim sum dishes. I love that style of eating where everyone orders together and you end up trying a little bit of everything.
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A great omakase is one of the most decadent ways to eat – not necessarily because of luxury ingredients but because of the amount of care behind every course. You are watching the chef work centimetres away from you and everything, from the temperature of the rice to the way the fish is cut, is incredibly precise.
My death-row dinner would be from Sushi by Scratch in Miami. I was blown away by the entire experience and the way the chefs make you feel completely involved in the meal. If it was my final dinner, I would want something where you can sit at the counter, watch every course being made and enjoy the experience from beginning to end.
I can’t stand badly cooked robata. Cooking over fire looks simple, but temperature and timing are everything. If you get either wrong, particularly with seafood or meat, it can become dry and rubbery very quickly. There is nothing more disappointing than seeing a great ingredient ruined through poor cooking.
I recently opened MA/NA in Mayfair. It’s given me the opportunity to explore a different side of Japanese cooking, taking traditional techniques and looking at them through a more contemporary lens. It feels like a natural next chapter for me. Like Luna, it’s an intimate counter experience, so there are very few distractions and the interaction with the chefs makes it feel much more personal than a traditional restaurant meal.
I love restaurants where the kitchen becomes part of the experience. At Behind in Hackney you are completely immersed in what the chefs are doing. For me, restaurants can be cultural experiences like going to a gallery or theatre, especially when there is a strong point of view behind them.
Visit Luna-Omakase.com
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