Scott Hallsworth to open permanent Freak Scene in Soho
The ex-Nobu head chef has taken on the former Barrafina site on Frith Street, most recently home to Adam Simmond’s Test Kitchen, for the opening on 29 March.
Hallsworth launched Freak Scene as a pop-up in Farringdon last July after cutting ties with Kurobuta, the ‘rock and roll izayaka’ group he founded in London in 2014.
He began a crowdfunding campaign in January to open a permanent site and failed to hit the £22,000 target, but hinted that the restaurant would continue.
The Soho menu will include a number of dishes from the original pop-up, including fried chicken with peanut soy and cucumber pickles; as well as new additions such as a foie gras crossiant with star anise jus; and a crispy nori cone with tea smoked beef fillet, pickled onions and wasabi cream.
Diners will have a choice of sitting on stools at the bar overlooking the open kitchen, or at a ledge around the edge of the restaurant. Guests can either watch the chefs at work on the robata grill, or enjoy replays of the Japanese game show Takeshi’s Castle – which will be projected on to the wall.
“I’m thrilled that we’ve found a permanent home for Freak Scene, and I think Soho is the perfect spot for us,” says Hallsworth.
“We can’t wait to fire up the grills and introduce our take on Japanese small plates to a whole new part of London.”
Hallsworth worked at Nobu in London for six years until 2007 and helped launch the high-end Japanese group in Melbourne, Australia.
