Simon Carlin, Head Chef & Owner at Japanese small plate restaurant Kushi-ya, talks fried mochi skewers and favourite restaurants...
When did you first know you wanted to make food for a living?
I started cooking back when I was about twenty. I was working in a local pub washing pots. Then I was given small food prep jobs and it just went from there and I thought I could make a career of it.
What person has been the biggest influence on your cooking and why?
I look up to some famous chefs like David Chang and love what he does but probably the person with the most influence would be my old head chef from my Iberico days Jacque Ferreira. He introduced me to Japanese cuisine and showed me how important standards and workmanship are in a kitchen.
Describe your venue in three words?
Laid-back, delicious, friendly.
What’s the best-selling item on your current menu and why?
We have some favourites which will probably never leave the menu, like our prawns sando or pork shoulder. But the number one seller has to be our furikake prawn toast. Big shout out to the guys in the kitchen who prep hundreds and hundreds per week!
What’s your personal favourite item on your current menu and why?
My favourite thing currently is probably our fried mochi skewer. We make fresh mochi everyday which is loaded onto skewers, deep fried then covered with house crispy chilli and lashings of parmesan. Something so simple from just water and glutenous rice, but has great flavour and texture.
What / where was the best meal you have ever cooked?
Probably just simple meals and home every week with my family. Seeing my boys enjoy their food and ask for more is just about the best it can get.
What/where was the best meal you have ever eaten? And who cooked it?
Probably Momofuku Ko in New York. Ran by a chef I mentioned above David Chang. Amazing produce, playful clever dishes with no fuss - just another level. Favourite meal recently though - Himi izakaya in London is really top notch.
Other than your own place, where do you eat out most in Notts?
I don’t eat out loads but my family favourites are Taquero for Mexican tacos or Everyday People for amazing ramen and small plates.
Who are your five ideal dinner party guests alive or dead? And what’s on the menu?
David Chang, Joe Marler, Stevie Wonder, Christopher Hitchens, and Judi Dench
Find Kushi-ya at 14a Low Pavement, Nottingham NG1 7DL.
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