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Time Out favourite Hasan Semay, aka Big Has, is set to open his debut restaurant in north London.
The chef will be soft-launching the Turkish-Cypriot ‘grill and fry’ Liman at the Palmers Green end of Green Lanes at the end of November, with the doors officially opening on December 3.
Working around a coal-fired mangal, Liman will specialise in whole-animal cookery and kebabs, including the likes of whole grilled seabass, chicken leg and lamb shish and sheftalia sausage, alongside fresh pitta bread. The menu will also include glass-battered calamari, salt cod and lamb kofte and Cypriot chips with oregano salt. Drinks will be BYOB.
Speaking about the restaurant, which he is opening with his uncle and cousin, Hasan commented: ‘I want to give people somewhere they can come down in their tracksuit, knowing they can eat really well for less than £25. Proper food made with love, using beautiful ingredients. No mystery meat, but maybe a cut you haven’t tried before that you’ll discover to be extremely delicious.’
Has, a graduate of Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen training scheme, has released a number of cookbooks: 2022’s Big Has HOME: Recipes from North London to North Cyprus and 2025’s Smoke and Seasoned Bread: Recipes from Türkiye.
The Edmonton-raised chef added: ‘The first generation of Cypriots in north London have made an incredible impact on local culture, establishing long-standing independents that I’ve grown up with and that make London feel like home. You’ve got the original kebab spots like Dionysus in Southgate; Yasar Halim, the best supermarket for Cypriot ingredients; and, not forgetting, Aroma Patisserie in Palmers Green, where I’ve been going all my life. With the greatest respect to those who did it before us, I hope Liman will become part of our neighbourhood’s continued story and somewhere that everyone feels welcome.’
Liman, 91 Green Lanes, Palmers Green, N13 4TD.
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