The Lowdown: Chef Dominic Sherriff, Lunch

What’s your earliest food memory?
Cooking with my grandfather. He was born in India, so we used to make onion bhajis, samosas, chutneys and stuff like that. I was very young. He would have me on a little footstool things next to the hob. My mum showed me a picture of me cooking with my grandfather and I was wearing a butchers aprons, which weirdly is what we wear in the restaurant now.

Are you a coffee or tea person?
Tea, definitely. I always buy Yorkshire Tea, maybe Twining’s Gold Blend if I’m feeling posh. Never Tetley’s. I like a strong stewing on the bag, three or four minutes until it’s jet black, and then a glug of oat milk.

What is the best thing about being a chef and restaurateur?
Taking raw ingredients, something very simple like a leek, and seeing that creative process through to the end product of a skewered braised leek with a teriyaki sauce. We’re an open kitchen at the restaurant, so customers come up and say, ‘That was amazing, thank you. I’ve never eaten anything like that before’ - that’s probably the best thing about being a chef.

As a restaurateur, it’s creating a space to give customers a level of escapism. I think that’s kind of what restaurants are about. That’s why we went for a low-lit, neon izakaya den feel. You step in and you wouldn’t know you’re on Baker Street in Brighton, you are transported to Japan.

What’s the worst thing about being a chef and restaurateur?
When you go into work and you’ve been out the night before with the team. You had about three hours sleep and you know you’ve got a 14 hour day ahead. You’re thinking, why did I not go home at 11 o’clock? Why was I having shots of tequila at four in the morning when the lights were coming on? That’s probably the worst thing - that regret, the pain.

If you weren’t a chef, what would you be?
A carpenter; another trade using my hands that’s creative.

Who do you most admire in the hospitality industry?
Jamie Oliver. Some people hate him and a lot of chefs don’t like him but I’m a fan. He’s authentically himself. He doesn’t do all the screaming, shouting and swearing. He’s very relatable and he cooks food that you can do at home. I think that’s important. With a lot of chefs you think, “I’m never going to go and buy some dehydrated seaweed from Scandinavia”, or some ridiculous thing like that. Whereas with Jamie, it’s more kind of, “Here’s a tin of white beans from Tesco. Here’s how you make a bean stew.”

What is your favourite comfort food?
Katsu curry instant noodles. I’d finish work on a Saturday night at around midnight, go home, get a packet of instant noodles out, put the kettle on and boil the noodles. I’d make up the curry paste, pour it all over the noodles and finish it with crispy onions.

What is the next restaurant on your hit list?

Plates in London is at the top of the list at the moment but it’s always got a three month waiting list. Chef Kirk Howarth’s plant-based food looks incredible; it’s really clever, really cool and very different.

Tell us about a hidden gem in Brighton
Blossom’s cocktail bar. I’m a big fan. Vodka’s the only thing that seems to agree with me, so I always order an espresso martini.

What in your opinion is the best food destination in the world?
In terms of value for money, Vietnam, just because the produce over there is incredible, really good herbs and spices, and there’s the freshness of it as well. I’ve been a few times; you’d have a massive lunch and it’d be three or four pounds.

But in terms of quality, it’s got to be Japan. My brother lives in Tokyo, so I’ve been over a couple of times. The service is impeccable and the attention to detail is just ridiculous. Even if you go to a late night ramen shop at three in the morning, you’ll get incredible food.

What’s the best thing you’ve eaten in a restaurant recently?
I was in a taperia in Benalauría in Andalusia a little while ago. It’s super remote. You pay two euros for a plate of tapas. Tomatoes were in season and they had beef tomatoes that were the size of a football. It was just a plate of local tomatoes with black salt and oregano that had apparently been picked that morning in the mountains, and just dressed in local olive oil. It was incredible. Something very simple, but really good ingredients.

Dominic Sherriff is the owner of Lunch.‍