Lana ‘Kuchisabi’ Matsuyama at Swirl in Leyton Midland earlier this month. Photo: Stephen Emms
Since glimpsing the word on social media, I was curious to check out Kuchisabi. Not only was it the first brunch pop-up at Tilbury Road wine bar Swirl, it was also — unbelievably — the first ever along Leyton’s now buzzy stretch of railway arches.
With a considered NYC-style menu pairing Japanese-American flavours, it’s the brainchild of Oregon-raised chef and artist Lana Matsuyama, whose cooking pedigree is unquestionable. After kitchen stints at acclaimed Clerkenwell restaurants Sessions Arts Club, Brutto and Moro, she’s now head chef at new vinyl listening bar Olfa Club in St James’s Street, Walthamstow, serving small plates to accompany wines-by-the-glass. And she regularly pops up across East London including, this week, at the cosy Bruno in Victoria Park Village.
In case you’re wondering, the intriguing name itself has a particular meaning. “It’s short for Kuchisabishii,” she says, “a Japanese word which translates literally to ‘lonely mouth.’ That’s when you feel like you want to eat — even when you aren’t necessarily hungry.”
And I for one am more than familiar with that feeling. Although that wasn’t actually the case on my own visit to Swirl earlier this month, a little weary (read: ravenous) after a riotous Waltham Forest Pride at Trades Hall.
Soaking up the matinal sun on benches against the yard’s colourful Freedom For Palestine mural, in the still of a Sunday morning — surprisingly tranquil before the masses descend — my friend and I fancied, for a second, that we were on holiday. Well, it is the Leyton Riviera, right?
Lara’s concise menu lists a handful of choices, such as duck karaage and waffles (these looked good), black sesame buttermilk biscuits and wasabi sausage gravy, and shokipan french toast with strawberries. But we had eyes for only one dish: onsen eggs benedict and yuzu hollandaise.
To start, however, we cleansed those dusty palates with fresh juices and an attractive plate of Japanese pickles and ferments. Balancing tang and sweetness with precision, the thinly sliced daikon and central cluster of shiso leaves had undergone various processes to yield subtly differing flavours, some subjected to asazuke (a quick vinegar pickle), others to a longer marinade in miso or kasuzuke (the nutrient-rich sake lees).
Onsen eggs benedict, ham and yuzu hollandaise at Swirl. Photo: Stephen Emms
But of course, the elevated eggs were the main event. Slow-cooked at “a consistent lower temperature of 65C for 45 min,” as Lana explained to me afterwards, their yolks hovered somewhere between runny and custard-like, the whites softer than I had expected. Smothered in a lightly yuzu-infused hollandaise, spring onions and herbs to cut through the richness, the whole thing was anchored by sturdy muffin halves from E10’s Pavilion Bakery, and seasoned by folds of marbled ham from Stella’s in Newington Green (“it’s almost like smoked salmon,” said my friend).
We also tried furikake fries with a creamy miso ranch dip, the addition of the dry Japanese condiment — “usually what we put on rice”, Lana explained — delivering a peak hit of umami with that mix of seaweed flakes, sesame seeds and salt.
If this has piqued your interest, Lana’s third residency at Swirl takes place next weekend on Sunday August 9th (booking is advised as places are limited), from 11am to 4pm. “We might add duck eggs to the duck karaage and waffles,” she reveals, while there’ll also be “a limited number of New York-style bagels, scallion schmear, and house-cured salmon.”
That’s not all. For the meat element, she’s “curing pork loin and belly with miso and maple syrup for two weeks, then smoking it over maple wood.” And as on previous occasions, the creative brunch cocktails list will comprise miso bloody marys, shio koji Micheladas (savoury beer cocktail) and mandarin yuzu mimosas.
I was keen to find out more about her story: in today’s issue we discuss everything from her other career as artist to her professional kitchen experience and the importance of food memory as — in her words — “an immigrant in both the US and now the UK.” Scroll down for the full picture.
Kuchisabi is next at Swirl, Tilbury Road E10 on August 9th 11am to 4pm. Follow @swirl_e10 and @_kuchisabi_
Swirl hosts a one-off Sunday brunch this weekend from current residency El Jardin, featuring mini burritos, Latin shakshuka and pancakes with pulled chicken or mushroom (11am – 4pm).
Welcome to Issue 91. Sticking on Tilbury Road for a moment longer, it really is another big weekend down in Leyton Midland’s railway arches, with the now monthly return of Tilbury Yard hosting two major events both tomorrow and Sunday.
First up is All Together Now, an all-dayer (12midday to 10pm) produced by Leytonstone Against Racism to celebrate “diversity through music, culture, and community.” The main area sees a packed schedule of bands, DJs, poets and workshops, while there’s an acoustic stage outside Point Cocktails’ new taproom, and a screening at Tun Cafe of White Riot, the award-winning documentary about the 1970s Rock Against Racism movement. Streetfood comes courtesy of Neapolitan pizza dudes Daccapo and Leyton Midland’s very own Caribbean staple Ochi.
On Sunday 2nd August (from midday) is Brado, another unmissable foodie happening. This pairing of antiques, chill DJs and a 160-seater BBQ is from chef Adam Hardiman, the man behind Madame Pigg, the famed Dalston restaurant that ran from 2018 until 2022. Expect starters of king prawns with garlic butter and sticky lemon and leeks with romesco and mint, while mains include chicken roasted with Amalfi lemon and whole butterflied seabass. Sides and sauces number chicken fat potatoes, tenderstem broccoli with anchoiade, and nutty romesco.
Finally — phew — Tilbury’s new Afghan restaurant Azra will be flinging open its doors on both days, with a concise menu of naans and dips, small plates (the mantu are recommended), kebabs and the national dish, slow-cooked lamb kabuli pulao. Read my recent in-depth feature, menu tasting and interview with the family here.
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In this week’s issue for paid subscribers:
The founder of Leyton’s new Carib Cafe, which opens at Artworks East tomorrow, gives me the lowdown on her mouthwatering St. Lucian-inspired menu
Kuchisabi chef Lana on her pivot from artist to chef, the importance of food memory as an immigrant and how she finds inspiration
A beginner’s guide to the much-hyped Hon’s BBQ in Hackney Wick
New opening The Oriental (formerly sushi restaurant Yume) in Leytonstone reviewed
Side Portions: food & drink gossip, opinion, news, pop-ups, one-offs and foodie titbits.
Dining and Cooking