Viajante - A Tour Of The Town Hall With Nuno Mendes

Nuno Mendes

Last week, I had the pleasure of dinning at Viajante, Bethnal Green with Douglas Blyde (journalist), Christopher Turner (editor of Icon and Cabinet Magazine) and Signe Bindslev Henriksen and Peter Bundgaard Rützou - (the designers of Noma - the world's best restaurant). They had spontaneously taken a trip to London (their home town Copenhagen).

Signe Bindslev Henriksen and Peter Bundgaard Rützou

We had the six course menu, plus many other surprises along the way with wine matching all in presence of Nuno Mendes standing quietly but gloriously by his mute yet theatrical open plan kitchen room.

I had previously been to Viajante when it first opened for lunch and often for cocktails. What I had this time was entirely marvelous, (except for a couple of natural wines that tasted too BoHo for me). It was indeed an experience to indulge in, to take pleasure of, to give time for… each plate arrived with tastes that intrigued my tongue of notes wonderfully combined.

I only wish I had scribbled what we ate. I was pleased there was no menu, everything explained and it was all a surprise. I love this way of dinning, similar to The Loft Project and also similar to what I do at my own supper club.

It had passed midnight and everyone was packing up for the night when Nuno Mendes, showed us around the The Town Hall: his hotel, conference rooms, private rooms and The Corner Room. This was a rare and special treat to have a tour by the man himself.

Nuno Mendes presents himself immaculate in his chef whites with a pair of tweezers on his black apron and has the aura of a quiet Japanese man seeping in calm and zen. He speaks in a gentle voice and smiles with his entire face - his eyes curve, even his pupils smiles. But as he toured us around the corridors and stairwells, I notice his ripped jeans and boxers sneaking through the chef whites. It made him all the more humane and incredible because he was wearing comfortable sandals.

He tells us his personal likes and dislikes of the design, the space and how it is combined. His ambitions to regain perfection will be endless as he embraces the spirit and soul of The Town Hall - you can feel his arms wrapped around the place with all of his love.

Nuno Mendes, Signe Bindslev Henriksen, Christopher Turner, Douglas Blyde

 

Peter Bundgaard Rützou

The Corner Room

Hotel Swimming Pool

Viajante

Patriot Square

Bethnal Green
London E2 9NF
+44 (0) 20 7871 0461
www.viajante.co.uk