Harvey Nichols Birmingham is teaming up with much-lauded chef Louisa Ellis for a one night only restaurant takeover next month. The MasterChef: The Professionals finalist will bring her innovative style to the luxury store’s Brasserie on Sunday August 5 as part of the Taste of the Mailbox celebrations.
The menu for the evening is called ‘Hadaka’, a Japanese word meaning ‘naked’ or ‘bare’. Mixing exciting flavours from the Far East with the finest British ingredients, Louisa will be demonstrating how every element of each dish should be equally important with nowhere to hide.
Louisa, who now runs her own private chef business, explains: “I want diners to enjoy a real feast; one that will leave them with smiles on their faces. I have been experimenting with some new ingredients and flavours and I am really excited for people to try them.”
Dishes will feature some unusual additions guests won’t normally associate with an evening eating out in Birmingham. The talented young chef, who trained at Adam’s Restaurant before moving to The Wilderness, says: “Shiso Mayonnaise is made using a Japanese herb and has flavours of spearmint, basil and anise – it goes really well with beef. Then there’s Algae and when you see this on the menu you must think ‘what on earth?’ but it has a great salty and fishy taste and is a sustainable substitute for animal proteins. It is also claimed that it can help to cleanse the body, provide extra energy and boost the immune system.
“And I’ll also be using my favourite ingredient in the whole world – Yuzu. It’s like a mix between grapefruit and lime and I used it on MasterChef: The Professionals for my Banana Heaven; the judges loved it so much there wasn’t a crumb left.”
To ensure guests on the evening enjoy Louisa’s food at its best, places will be strictly limited to just 50 diners over five sittings, with tables available from 6.30pm. The five-course menu is priced at £75 or £110 to include hand-selected Sake and Japanese drinks pairing and there is a vegetarian selection available. Eight lucky diners can also enjoy the Chef’s Table experience with Louisa for a £25 supplement.
Francesca Basi, Hospitality Manager at Harvey Nichols Birmingham, added: “Louisa has gained such an exciting reputation in a very short time, she really is one of the city’s rising stars. Her dishes bring together amazing flavours and innovative techniques and the ones we will be serving during her evening with us are no exception. We are delighted to be working with her for what promises to be a very memorable evening, and one no Birmingham foodie should miss.”
