Described by Ottolenghi as the next champion of Middle Eastern food, Lebanese chef Bethany Kehdy made waves when she took up a residency at Carousel in Marylebone earlier in 2016.  Now she’s back, and ready to serve up fresh flavours in a takeover of one of East London’s trendiest restaurants, Jago.

Born in Houston to a Texan mother and Lebanese father, Kehdy spent much of her childhood in Lebanon where she experienced the atrocities of the civil war. When her father moved her family to safety in the mountains, Kehdy was exposed to nature in its rawest form, and she spent much of her time watering orchards and working on the harvest. It was here that she first developed her culinary abilities, learning to make traditional dishes from her grandmother and aunties.

She has since developed an international following, and has released an award-winning cookbook ‘The Jewelled Kitchen’. In her latest London pop-up, Kehdy will bring a fresh syntax of flavours and spices to guests over five courses. With a menu that includes sour cherry kebab nests, whipped hummus with duck awarma and tamarind & fenugreek mackerel khoresh, this is the must-have ticket for foodies: get them while they’re hot.

Tables available from 6pm until 9.30pm, from November 7th through 11th, book here.

Tags: female chef, Feminism, food, Lebanon, london, Twin Picks

If London is known for anything as a fashion capital, it’s nurturing and supporting a hotbed of creative talents all across the design spectrum.

For a second year running, Selfridges has selected its Bright Young Things. The project allows 15 newcomers from the worlds of fashion, art, design and food talents to create a window display for its Oxford and Duke Street stores.

With participants this year including womenswear designer/illustrator and CSM graduate Sorcha O’ Raghallaigh, who specialises in intricate metallic coloured and lace designs (Lady Gaga is a fan)  and designer Maarten van der Horst, who gave a new and fashionable life to the otherwise dreaded Hawaiian prints, it’s a testament to the design talents that the Big Smoke has to offer.

For those more interested in non-fashion creativity, interior designer duo Tinker & Tailor have created a Twitter-friendly interactive space, while coffee connoisseur Jack Coleman made his own personal ode to the art of the brewing and roasting.

There’s never been a better reason to stop and take a closer look. Rush hour crowds notwithstanding.

Bright Young Things is on until February 29.
selfridges.com

Tags: Art, Bright Young Things, Design, Fashion, food, Jack Coleman, Lady Gaga, london, Maarten van der Horst, Selfridges, Sorcha O' Raghallaigh, Tinker & Tailor

This week we went to Wahaca in Covent Garden to sample some ‘Mexican market’ food in honour of The Day of the Dead. The restaurant was in all-out festive mode with brightly coloured ‘papel picados’, hand-painted masks and energetic environmental art as far as the eye could see.

As I left – after masses of freshly cooked Mexican loveliness (and countless tequilas) – I grabbed a handful of what I thought were matches. They were in fact ‘grow your own Serrano chillies’. Sweet touch.

www.wahaca.co.uk

Tags: covent garden, food, mexican, restaurant, test