Meet the chefs bringing the heat to London this summer

Growing up surrounded by what he calls the “best food culture in the world” in Istanbul, Bulent first arrived at Kervan Sofrasi as a pot wash. Fourteen years later, following a stint as a prep chef, he is now Head Chef and General Manager, proudly leading a team of 70 staff.

In fact, Bulent has been part of Kervan Sofrasi for much of its history. The business recently celebrated its 20th anniversary, two decades after opening its doors in Edmonton in 2006. “From the very beginning, it was a family-run business, with everyone involved and working together to build something special,” reflects Bulent. Over the years, the restaurant has gone from strength to strength, with expansion becoming a “natural next step” for the brand. “Each new branch has allowed us to grow Kervan, introducing our food and family-style approach to new communities,” he adds.

Kervan’s cuisine is “rooted in Turkish traditions”, where food is intended to bring people together through bold flavours and a strong sense of togetherness. “Sharing is central to the experience,” explains Bulent. Generous platters such as the ‘Kervan Special’ are designed for the whole table – and you! – to enjoy.

In a nutshell: Charcoal-grilled meats, fresh meze and vegetarian kebabs, alongside traditional pide and seafood.

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Tamila’s executive chef and co-founder, Prince Durairaj, grew up in South India’s Tamil Nadu, where he gained insight into the restaurant industry from a young age, thanks to his uncle’s prominent restaurant business. “I started out as a tea boy, making masala tea and medhu vadai before the chefs in the kitchen took me under their wing,” he shares. 

Seeking new challenges, Prince moved to London in 2010, where he was keen to learn European cooking skills from the “centre of the UK's hospitality industry” and started working at Les Deux Salons, before ultimately opening something of his own at Tamila. 

“I met my business partner Glen and I realised that authentic South Indian and Tamil food was hard to find in London,” adds Prince. “We started with a small street food stall in Hackney in 2021 where we quickly learned there was an appetite for South Indian food in London and in 2024, we opened our first curry house in Clapham Junction.”

From here, Tamila has grown from strength to strength, with the duo opening two more sites in Soho and King’s Cross. Rooted in the Tamil food that Prince grew up with and inspired by what’s cooked in South India today, the menu also draws some home inspiration from Prince’s wife’s cooking with dishes inspired “directly by her recipes, including our aubergine curry, based on the way it’s been prepared in her family for years.”

In a nutshell: South Indian cooking – including the childhood favourites of the exec chef.

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With a background in building food and drinks brands, rather than in the kitchen, Mahesh built his career on the marketing side of hospitality. “I've always been drawn to the challenge of taking a great product and getting it in front of more people,” he shares.

A self-proclaimed “hardcore foodie” who happily “travels miles for good food”, Mahesh joined SKVP co-founders Sujay Sohani and Subodh Joshi at a pivotal moment of growth in 2019. Since then, the business has expanded from three stores to 23. “Growing a restaurant business is relentless,” adds Mahesh, “but watching guests genuinely enjoy the food is what makes it worth it.”

At its heart, SKVP is Maharashtrian – the “street food of Mumbai” – which Mahesh believes sets the brand apart from most UK Indian restaurants that serve North Indian food. The inspiration has always come from Mumbai’s streets, reflecting its “bustling stalls, carts on every corner and the snacks people eat on the way to a cricket match”.

With an ethos that is “vegetarian by design, not as an afterthought”, the brand's authenticity is exactly what Mahesh believes earned SKVP its name. Every dish is freshly assembled, allowing guests to dial the heat to their own taste. All that's left to do is grab a mango lassi and dive in.

In a nutshell: Vegetarian street food straight from the markets of Mumbai to the plates of Londoners.

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After “accidentally falling into the food industry”, Harneet Baweja worked across various kitchens as a pot wash, prep cook and bakery assistant while at college. At 28, he moved to London and spotted a gap in the market for mid-range Indian food. It proved a defining moment in his career. “Sh*t, I can do this,” he remembers thinking.

In 2015, Gunpowder was born – although it wasn't all plain sailing. Harneet recalls the challenge of finding a site in London without “big private equity backing”. Eventually, he found a landlord who wanted a six-month deposit, which he “managed to scrape together”, and the rest is history.

From the start, Gunpowder's ethos has remained the same: produce first, flavour and spices second. “We do the basics right,” says Harneet. “The discipline of doing it every day is what sets us apart.” The restaurant prides itself on sourcing high-quality ingredients from the UK and across Europe, with part of the menu changing seasonally to reflect the best available produce.

“It’s a slow-burn way of working, but it feels more authentic to us,” adds Harneet.

In a nutshell: Generous portions of classic curries and an abundance of perfectly spiced lamb chops. 

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For Woo-young Lee, bringing Korean soul food to London was years in the making. Growing up in South Korea, Korean fried chicken was his favourite food, and while studying German at university and travelling around Europe, he spotted a gap in the market. “There are a lot of fried chicken cuisines in Europe,” he says, “but they're not like Korean fried chicken.” It was then that he decided to introduce the dish to a wider audience.

In October 2014, CheeMc opened its first site on Walworth Road. Nearly a decade later, the brand expanded with a second restaurant in Soho. The journey, however, began much earlier. As the youngest child in his family, Woo-young was often tasked with serving food and helping in the kitchen, sparking a lifelong passion for cooking and hospitality.

Today, CheeMc serves 14 different flavours of the fried chicken alongside traditional Korean delicacies such as bibimbap, tteokbokki and kimchi pancakes. The concept is inspired by the way Korean fried chicken is enjoyed across generations, whether as a meal or paired with a beer – fitting, given that CheeMc literally translates to “chicken and beer”.

If there's one thing Woo-young recommends ordering, it's simple: the fried chicken. After all, it's the dish that started it all.

In a nutshell: Korean soul food: traditional dishes designed to be enjoyed alongside an ice-cold beer.

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From growing up on a farm in rural Thailand to co-founding one of the UK's most successful Thai restaurant groups, Saiphin Moore’s career has been anything but conventional. 

Before moving to London in the early 2000s, she had already honed her entrepreneurial instincts, setting up both a takeaway shop and a noodle restaurant beneath her mother's house in Thailand. After arriving in the capital, Saiphin started small. She began selling classic Thai curries and summer rolls at the Brick Lane Sunday market, “cooking in my small kitchen in my little apartment in Wapping” before serving customers every weekend.

The first Rosa's Thai opened in 2008 after the team secured a site on Hanbury Street. Their goal? To prove the authenticity of their food to the locals. Nearly two decades later, that same authenticity remains at the heart of the business. In fact, the recipes for many dishes have remained unchanged since day one.

That commitment extends to the ingredients, too. The team makes their own curry paste, working with a factory in southern Thailand and a network of farmers who grow chillies, lemongrass and fresh herbs specifically for the restaurant. “I never use a shortcut, and I cook by heart,” says Saiphin. “Thai cuisine has to be authentic.”

In a nutshell: Flavourful Thai classics using ingredients imported directly from Thailand.

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“Growing up, I was surrounded by the rich flavours and traditions of South Asian cooking, which sparked my interest in the kitchen,” explains KB Gurung, head chef at Bombay Bicycle Chef, the group of Indian restaurants that prides itself on serving up bold, authentic flavours with hotspots in Battersea, Kilburn and Balham. 

“Family meals were a big part of my upbringing, and I was always fascinated by the way food brings people together. I loved discovering different flavours, learning about spices and understanding the stories behind dishes. That curiosity never left me and eventually became my profession.”

And so, after earning his stripes in everything from customer service to restaurant operations and menu development, Bombay Bicycle Chef was born from KB’s desire to offer authentic Indian flavours in a contemporary setting. Dine-in? You got it. Takeaway? To your doorstep.

He says: “We wanted to create a restaurant that respected traditional recipes while also appealing to London's diverse and adventurous food scene. We focus on bold flavours, fresh ingredients and carefully balanced spices. While we offer many classic dishes that people know and love, we also bring our own approach to presentation and combinations.”

In a nutshell: Think traditional Indian cooking with creamy classics sitting alongside seasonal specials.

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Growing up, Rahul Shah was a self-confessed foodie who “loved watching chefs preparing food” – a passion that would shape his career. After landing his first hotel chef role, he worked across independent restaurants, chain hotels and contract catering, with even a brief stint in TV cooking, before becoming National Executive Chef at Banana Tree.

First opened in Maida Vale in 1991, Banana Tree has built its reputation on bold Southeast Asian flavours, making Rahul a natural fit for the brand. He firmly believes that “cooking is an art with no right or wrong” and is constantly inspired by exploring different cuisines and flavour combinations

“We go big on flavour; it’s what makes us stand out,” says Rahul. In fact, some of the restaurant’s signature dishes are made using recipes that are more than 66 years old and passed down by the founder’s mother.

Drawing inspiration from Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia and Japan, Banana Tree's menu is designed to appeal to everyone, whether you're a seasoned traveller or totally new to the cuisines. Guests can also tailor the heat level of their meal with the restaurant's in-house chilli sauce, making it easy to spice things up – or dial them down – depending on your appetite for heat.

In a nutshell: Legendary pan-asian cuisine that pays homage to original recipes and big flavour.

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