1 Michelin Star Chefs: Luke Selby, head chef, Evelyn's Table

Luke Selby is the Head chef of Evelyn's Table in Soho, London

Luke's earliest food memories relate to ingredients, not dishes, as he recalls picking fruit and vegetables from his mother's allotment garden with his brothers as a boy. He never wanted to be anything but a chef, working at both a hotel and restaurant on the weekends while studying for his A Levels. 

Biography

Luke was born in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to an English father and a Filipino mother. His family moved to Brighton when he was young. 

After completing A-levels in chemistry, biology and art, he was hired as a commis chef at Le Manoir Aux Quat' Saisons.

Over six years, he rose from commis to sous-chef, overseeing every aspect of the kitchen, the private dining room and the pass.

After Le Manoir, he worked as a junior sous chef at Gordon Ramsay's three Michelin-starred restaurants on Royal Hospital Road for a year.

Then, seeking his first role as a head chef, he was drawn to Ollie Dabbous and his distinct culinary style, so he applied for a position at his eponymous Fitzrovia restaurant.

He was hired as a senior sous-chef and was named head chef at the restaurant within six months. 

Luke won The Roux Scholarship in 2017 and seized on the opportunity it afforded him to stage at any three Michelin-starred restaurants in the world, choosing Nihonryori Ryugin in Tokyo, where he staged under revered chef Seiji Yamamoto and gained a new understanding of Japanese ingredients, culture, techniques and flavours.

When he returned to the UK, Luke joined the team at Ollie Dabbous' new restaurant, Hide Above in Mayfair. He was at the helm when the restaurant earned a star in the Michelin Guide for Great Britain and Ireland 2019. 

That same year, Luke took part in the BBC's Great British Menu, reaching the finals.

In May 2019, Luke left Hide Above, and in 2020, he and his brothers, Theo and Nathaniel, both chefs, took over Evelyn's Table, a vacant space below the Blue Posts Pub in Chinatown, Soho.

 

 

 

Evelyn's Table

The brothers launched their venture at Layo and Zoe Paskin's Soho counter dining restaurant, Evelyn's Table, in October 2020.

The 12- seater restaurant in the basement of The Blue Posts Pub is accessible via a dimly lit, narrow stairwell leading to a door marked 'private.' 

The 'table' is, in fact, a kitchen counter, which gives customers a direct view of the chefs while they cook. 

Shortly after being listed in the Michelin Guide in November 2021, the restaurant was awarded a star in the 2022 Guide for Great Britain and Ireland. The three brothers also received the Michelin Young Chef Award 2022.

In April 2022, the restaurant ranked third in Square Meal's Top 100 Restaurant Awards for London.

Food

Before opening, the brothers spent several months developing and refining a menu that reflected them: their upbringing, the Asian influences from their mum's side of the family, a love for Japanese cuisine and their classic French training, using the best British produce from small suppliers. 

The restaurant offers a 5-course menu with an optional wine pairing, priced at £95 or £175, including the flight.

The current menu features dishes such as mushroom dumplings, marinated mackerel with plum umeboshi shisho; squid noodles in mushroom dashi; venison with chestnut sansho and Tarte tatin with clotted cream and miso. 

According to Time Out, the chefs offer "an ever-changing set menu which showcases seasonal, British ingredients using French and Japanese techniques" with a wine menu that uses "intriguing and unusual 'natural-leaning' wines, including unexpected options." 

Meanwhile, according to Michelin, guests should expect "sophisticated, original dishes on the perfectly balanced set menu in detail" with "an interesting [wine] selection from lesser-known artisan producers."