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20
Nottingham Post
Wednesday May 29, 2013
For breaking news go to nottinghampost.com
NEP-E01-S2 EP01
Restaurant that ripped up the rule book
Lynette Pinchess speaks to Paul Thacker, head chef at Chino Latino,
the pan-Asian restaurant in Maid Marian Way that has become a
hangout for celebrities when they are in town.
HEAD chef Paul Thacker is
celebrating ten years of service at Chino Latino.
He began as a sous chef,
training under the guidance of
sushi chef Jimmy Nakamura,
who used to work at Nobu.
Within four months Paul
was promoted to head chef.
His career began as an apprentice chef at a Thai restaurant at the Gateway Hotel,
which is where he fell in love
with eastern flavours.
Later, at Sinatra’s and the
Fashion Cafe, he learnt the
European style of cookery and
presentation.
“Then I came here and was
lucky
enough
to
blend
pan-Asian flavours with modern European food,” he said.
His personal favourite is
Thai food.
“I love the chilli and deep
flavours,” said Paul.
“One thing I like about this
food is you can twist it around.
There are no rules.”
One of his claims to fame is
making it into the Guinness
Book of Records for creating
the world’s largest custard
cream at the restaurant in
2011.
Paul attributes the restaurant’s success to his talented
team of chefs.
“I have a good team of chefs
from all over the Far East and
they are my inspiration,” he
said.
“Without these guys there
wouldn’t be a Chino Latino.”
The restaurant
Cool and stylish, Chino Latino
has become a bit of a celebrity
hangout. TV chefs James Martin and Gordon Ramsay have
both been spotted there (not
together), so has rapper 50
Cent, heartthrob Donny Osmond and the Australian
cricket team.
This year the restaurant, in
Maid Marian Way, is celebrating ten years in business.
Favouring an informal, yet
sophisticated style of eating,
Fusion flavours: Head chef
Paul Thacker trained under
the guidance of sushi chef
Jimmy Nakamura of Nobu.
1
Elizabeth King started her small
family bakery in 1853. Now 160
years later, Mrs King’s Melton
Mowbray Pork Pies are handmade
in the same tradition by the Hartland
family in Cotgrave. They’re available from
The Cheese Shop in Nottingham.
Mr Pitchfork’s Pickles
manufactures over 80,000 jars a
year for more than 50 outlets in the
East Midlands including
Attenborough Nature Reserve and
Wheatcroft Garden Centre at Edwalton.
Made in Lenton, varieties include hot
lime pickle, wholegrain mustard and
Bucks Fizz marmalade.
3
Stilton cheese – take your pick from
Cropwell Bishop, available from The
Cheese Shop, Nottingham; No 8
Deli, West Bridgford; Gonalston
Farm Shop and Bridgford Garden Centre,
East Bridgford.
The food
Pan-Asian food can be both
virtuous and sinful.
Japanese sushi and sashimi
are very healthy, said Paul,
while Chinese and Thai elements are less so, due to the
amount of cooking oil required.
The two recipes on this page
can be enjoyed guilt-free.
Paul said: “There is no compromise on flavour. These
dishes are not adapted to be
healthy. They are healthy
dishes.”
4
5
Somersby Chocolates. Former
teachers Hughie and Leah O’Hare
make all their chocolates at their
shop in Mapperley.
The Barn Bacon Company is a
family pig rearing business. Bacon
and hams, dry cured slowly to
produce a tasty product, are available,
along with sausages from Hardy’s
Farmshop at Farndon,
www.barnbacon.co.uk
TRY IT AT HOME:
Steamed sea
bass with chilli
and coriander
dressing
Paul said: “This is very easy. It takes ten
minutes – three minutes to prepare and
seven minutes to cook.”
Method
1. Make the dressing by mixing all the ingredients
in a small dipping pots.
2. Take two fillets of sea bass and lightly score
with a knife – fillet 1 on the skin side and fillet 2
on the flesh side.
3. Lay fillet 1 flesh side down on a bed of bok
choy and wrap fillet 2 round sliced asparagus
spears.
4. Lightly steam for seven minutes. If you don’t
have a steamer use a small baking tray in a frying
pan with an inch of boiling water. Add food and
put lid on to steam.
A new survey has revealed that eight out of
ten consumers in the East Midlands are
buying more British food than ever – and
are willing to pay extra for local produce.
Lynette Pinchess checks out some of the
best on our doorstep
2
food is designed for sharing
and brought to the table in a
steady stream of dishes.
Black cod with passion fruit
miso is one of the signatures
dishes produced by chefs
whose culinary expertise has
led to a series of awards, most
recently an AA rosette.
Opening times, Monday to
Saturday, are 12pm-10.30pm.
Reservations are recommended, telephone 0115 9477444.
Ingredients (serves 2)
600g sea bass
60g bok choy (the baby green version of pak choi)
40g asparagus
Dressing:
25ml lemon juice
25ml lime juice
10ml soy sauce
10g chopped coriander (or basil)
10g chopped chilli
Take five: Local produce
WHAT’S ON
YOUR MENU?
Do you have any favourite Far
East-inspired recipes? Give
your tips online
nottinghampost.com
TRY IT AT HOME:
An extremely healthy dish which
doesn’t contain any fat or oil.
Ingredients (serves 2)
140g sliced fresh tuna
40g momiji ponzu sauce (recipe
below)
10g chives
10g daikon (white radish – available
from Chinese supermarkets)
Tuna with Momiji Ponzu
Momiji Ponzu:
250ml lime juice
250ml Kikkoman soy sauce
500g momiji (red pepper paste)
Method
1. Make the dressing by mixing
the lime juice, soy sauce and
momiji.
2. Thinly slice 14 pieces of tuna
(about 10g each). Lay eight
pieces around the plate and roll
the remainder into a flower
shape.
3. Spoon the dressing onto the
tuna and garnish with fresh
shredded daikon and chopped
chives.
Wednesday May 29, 2013
21
Food & drink
dishes with a European twist
Nottingham Post
Web: nottinghampost.com/food
Email: [email protected]
Twitter @NottmPost Facebook: TheNottinghamPost
Chino Latino celebrating ten years of serving up pan-Asian
For breaking news go to nottinghampost.com
NEP-E01-S2 EP01