More details has been revealed for Ikoyi, including the menu and opening date. The new restaurant and bar will be bringing contemporary West African cuisine to central London at 1 St James’s Market on Saturday 15 July.
Founded by friends Iré Hassan-Odukale and Jeremy Chan (pictured), the 48-cover venue will offer a unique take on West African cuisine.
Head Chef Jeremy will bring his fine dining experience from restaurants such as Dinner and Noma to create highly skilled dishes. The menu will take a three course format, with Jeremy using innovative cooking techniques and modern presentation to interpret West African food.
Starters will see high quality produce combined with West African seasoning to create dishes such as Rare Breed Lamb Ribs with Asun Relish, and Octopus Pepper Soup with Coastal Herbs.
Main courses will showcase carefully selected meat and authentic flavours, with dishes including Wild Nigerian Tiger Prawn, with Banga Bisque and Corn Grits, and Suya Blade of Beef, whilst sharing dishes will feature a Jollof rice with Smoked Bone Marrow and Groundnut Miso, Jeremy’s take on the iconic rice dish famed across West Africa.
Working with Aubrey Allen and other specialist suppliers, Chan will source a unique breed of four-horned lamb, Manx Loaghtan and line caught fish to be cured and smoked.
Co-founder and Director Iré Hassan-Odukale was born in Ikoyi, a cosmopolitan neighbourhood of Lagos, Nigeria which now lends its name to the restaurant. The pair, old school friends, hope to develop the public’s perception of West African cuisine and its origins, and exceed expectations of those familiar with it.
The drinks menu has been designed by brothers Max and Noel Venning, co-owners of the East London bar Three Sheets, and will complement the food and vision using spices and flavours of West Africa. Guinness Stone Fence is a cacao nib infused rum served with lime flower and lengthened with Nigerian Guinness.
The wine list has been developed by Sunaina Sethi, operations director and wine buyer at JKS Restaurants, and will draw on her experience of matching wines to complicated and spiced flavours.