Hackney’s Pidgin names Naz Hassan as its new head chef

Hassan was most recently at progressive Indian restaurant BiBi. The Bangladesh-born chef’s CV prior to that includes The Cut at 45 Park Lane, Social Eating House and Crispin. 

His dishes at the 28-cover Wilton Way restaurant  will offer refined, contemporary European cooking with East and South Asian accents, with each ingredient ‘deserving its place and purpose on the plate’.

Sample dishes include brown shrimp kakiage with chive mayonnaise; asparagus, apricot and lardo; lamb belly birria taco; and peach and lemon verbena mille-feuille. 

“I’ve always thought of Pidgin as one of East London’s culinary institutions, so I’m beyond thrilled to be joining the excellent team,” Hassan says. 

“I want to bring the energy, flavours and excitement to my dishes that made me fall in love with London - nothing gimmicky or for show; just delicious, well cooked food, presented simply and elegantly.”

Pidgin has a weekly-changing menu, wine and cocktail list, and famously never repeats a dish.

Opened in 2015, it grew out of the success of owners James Ramsden and Sam Herlihy’s first venture, supper club Secret Larder in Holloway, North London.

It has gained a reputation as an incubator, with previous head chefs including Adolfo De Cecco (Casa Fofó) and Elizabeth Haigh (Mei Mei). The latter attracted a Michelin star while cooking at Pidgin. 

Pidgin’s outgoing head chef Snaith is understood to be reviving his pop-up restaurant concept Nehmann.