Flash-grilled: Lungi Mhlanga
What was your first industry job?
I started out on a market stall before anything else. It was the best thing I did because there’s no better place to learn what works best for your business than real people not ordering things you thought would be a hit. It’s very humbling.
If you weren’t in kitchens, what would you do?
Honestly, I’d love to do graphic design. It’s my secret hobby thanks to Canva.
What industry figure do you most admire, and why?
JJ Goodman - who just so happens to be my mentor. He runs an empire of bars across the country with the Cocktail Club and yet he still manages to be an incredibly kind and funny person with time for everyone.
What’s your pet hate in the kitchen?
Shouting. It’s banned in my kitchen.
What’s the oddest thing a customer has said to you?
That we should think of selling fried chicken with our donuts. Now that I think about it, it’s not such a bad idea. I actually recently teamed up with rotisserie chicken restaurant Cocotte to create a hot cheesy donut-croquette hybrid (the Do-quette) that you can try in Shoreditch until 12 February.
Sum up your cooking style in a single sentence…
I’m all about food memory - how can I trigger a food memory by creating nostalgic desserts that makes us all feel 13 again.
What’s the worst review you’ve ever had?
Someone said we were rude because we asked them to wait a few minutes whilst we fixed our card machine. They left us a one star review because of it even though they loved the donuts. It still drives me mad to this day.
What advice would you give someone starting out in the industry?
Never ever stop learning how to cook. The best chefs I know are constantly learning because that’s how passionate they are.
Which single item of kitchen equipment could you not live without?
My thermometer. Baking is a science so even 1 degree off can alter my recipe.
What would you choose to eat for your last meal?
Oxtail and rice and peas - nothing brings me more joy.
À la carte or tasting menu?
Tasting menu because I love trusting chefs to take me on a journey with their food.
What’s the best meal you’ve ever had in a restaurant?
The roast dinner at 12:51 is legendary, but an honorary shout out to the incredible cacio e pepe from Stuffed Pasta at Netil Market.
What’s your favourite fast food joint?
KFC - except their chips. They can go in the bin.
What’s the dish you wish you’d thought of?
The East Side vegan ice cream sandwich from Happy Endings. It is honestly the stuff of legend (and I’m not even vegan!).
MasterChef or Great British Menu?
MasterChef all day.
What’s the most overrated food?
In the dessert world it has to be anything with candy floss added to it. It literally adds zero flavour value and is all for aesthetics.
You’re restaurant dictator for a day – what would you ban?
Double shifts! I really believe people think more creatively when they are as rested as possible.
Who would your dream dinner party guests be?
Mac Miller, Chadwick Boseman and Maya Angelou. Weirdly I think they’d have the best vibe with each other.
What’s your earliest food memory?
Secretly eating jam roly poly with my dad when we weren’t supposed to be. It was definitely the start of my dessert journey.
Twitter or Instagram?
Twitter, because it still feels like the app it was created to be. Instagram is spending too much time trying to be TikTok.
What’s the closest you’ve ever come to death?
A car accident in Zimbabwe with my parents. Scariest moment of my life and thank god none of us were hurt.
Where do you go when you want to let your hair down?
I go see my friends to drink wine and watch My 600-lb Life - it’s my therapy.
What’s your tipple of choice?
A Tommy’s Margarita.
What’s your favourite food or drink pairing?
Pickles and vanilla ice cream. Sounds insane but it’s incredible, trust me.
What do you consider to be your signature dish?
Donut French toast with a salted condensed milk ice cream. It’s outrageously good.
