Launching in September 2017 in the heart of Soho, Flavour Bastard is a journey of flavours. The restaurant, located on Frith Street, will be anything but authentic; taking vibrant ingredients from around the world, removing rules and traditions, and combining creative flavours and techniques. Founded by restaurateur Vic Singh with Pratap Chahal, founder of That Hungry Chef as executive chef, Flavour Bastard is set to become a rebellious addition to Soho’s exciting food scene.
The menu, created by executive chef Pratap Chahal, is split into tiny and small plates designed to be shared between friends or can be doubled-up as large plates for big appetites. The dishes reflect Flavour Bastard’s cuisine-agnostic roots, taking flavours from different cuisines and cultures.
Tiny plates include White lentil, chorizo & pecorino doughnut and Steamed rice cake with house kimchi, sesame & ssam. Small plates include Miso & mango glazed aubergine with peanut crumble, Clouds of curds with pickled chilli, Steak tartare with tamarind, chilli & garlic and Tandoori fried chicken. The restaurant’s large plate menu offers a heartier portion size of the small plates. Flavour Bastard’s mouth-watering dessert menu features Bergamot, lemon & cardamom tart with Japanese red bean, macadamia praline & banana ice cream, Mayan-spiced milk chocolate & brownie mousse with bitter chocolate aero & lavender ice cream, Quinoa pudding scented with vetiver & ginger, summer berries & pistachio and Churro ice cream sandwiches.
Upon entering Flavour Bastard, guests will be greeted by a 20-seater bronze bar, a destination in itself. The restaurant’s drinks offering will be overseen by Nick Jones, founder of Wines of Momentary Destination, and will be influenced by the flavours and alcohol production methods he experienced while travelling the world. As well as producing a Flavour Bastard brew and an eclectic wine list, the cocktail menu will reflect the food’s diverse origins, with the art of fermentation a key element and the addition of Chinese rice wine and Japanese sake.
Flavour Bastard’s design has been overseen by award-winning branding and interior design studio AfroditiKrassa. The restaurant’s interior has been inspired by the sculptures and work of Italian architect Carlo Scarpa. The concept, just like its food and overall ethos, has abstracted any references to its worldly roots with the storytelling focused around a new way of thinking.
AfroditiKrassa has drawn parallels between Scarpa’s blend of sensuous Italian material imagination and his Japanese-influenced forms with the style of cooking, where flavours and spices from around the world are blended with a cooking style that combines ancient techniques, such as smoking, curing and fermenting, with modern European cooking processes. The restaurant’s humble material palette emphasises the texture of its dishes, merging diverse materials such as raw concrete and pebbledash with warm maple wood, industrial glass and brass. The lighting is entirely bespoke, inspired by Scarpa’s brass sculptures, bringing an understated elegance to the space.