Chef Nuno Mendes truly is a super cool-looking dude. Place him within the quirky, rustic, peeling-paint brick backdrop of Korean restaurant Hurwundeki and you get a visually perfect pairing.
His choice of navy waistcoat and shirt combo really suited the collection of top hats and display cabinets of stuffed birds that were scattered around the walls. Adding to the ‘classic gent’ vibe was the impressive beard he was sporting, I know a ton of men who would be jealous of that coverage!
Impressing me further was that Nuno is also a super cool-dude in personality too. He was genuinely warm in his greeting, breaking off from a morning meeting to apologise for not being ready for me yet, even though it was I who had arrived too early. He was happy to go along with the brief I had been set by Time Out (the shots are part of a feature documenting some famous chefs at one of their favourite London cheap eateries), and his passion for the food they served was completely infectious. Before we ventured outdoors for the exterior shots, he actively encouraged me to tuck into the feast with himself and his PR Roxie, describing with enthusiasm the ingredients of each dish and how each one is cooked. The leftovers were thriftily bagged up to save for later, and he wouldn’t let me pay the bill, even though I had requested the food for the shot.