Jun Tanaka's London

Q: Where do you live in London?

I live in the Barbican. It's a concrete jungle, but if I wanted to walk to work I could do it in 20 minutes… 4 minutes by cab. It's handy – you can go out on Friday or Saturday night and walk home. It's also quiet at the weekends.

Q: What do you love about living in London?

London's really cosmopolitan and so diverse; anyone can fit in. It's a city with a never-ending amount of things to do. The restaurant scene is absolutely amazing.

Q: Where and when did you last eat out in London?

HK Diner, a Chinese restaurant in Chinatown. It's open till 4am, so we can go after service. I usually meet my friend Mark, who is a chef as well. We finish work around 12 o'clock and if we’re hungry, we go down there on Friday night. It’s not your conventional Chinese food.

Q: Best London breakfast?

I don't go out for cooked breakfast a lot, but when I do, it's usually Smiths of Smithfield; purely because it's around the corner. I usually have the eggs Benedict. But I don't think I'm a connoisseur of cooked English breakfast.

Q: What's the best party you've been to in London?

Taste of London is coming up and the after-party is always brilliant. It's good fun because it's the whole chefing industry. After 4 days of Taste of London, which is incredibly hard work, the party is our chance to let off steam.

Q: Is there a specific club you like?

I go to the Cuckoo Club, but purely because my friend is the head chef there.

Q: What's the most you have ever spent on a night out?

It would have to be with a girlfriend. It was for New Year's Eve. It involved staying at The Dorchester for a night and then we went out for a meal. I spent about £700.

Q: What's the most recent play, gig, comedy act you have been to that you would recommend?

I went to see Prince last time he was here. That was amazing. I've also been to see Cirque du Soleil a few times, which is always entertaining.

Q: What's your favourite London icon?

I like London cabs because I live in them and they're unique to London. The cab drivers also know exactly where to take you, unlike in New York.

Q: Most romantic London spot?

Primrose Hill is very nice especially during summer. I love Richmond Park. I guess my most favourite places are Richmond, Hampstead Heath and Primrose Hill because you’re still in London but you don't have that feeling of being surrounded by lots of people and traffic. It's like you're in a little village at the same time as being in the city.

Q: What's your favourite shop in London?

I love Borough Market. It's changed slightly over the years and become more commercial, but I'm still happy to spend an entire day there just hanging out and buying food. The best time to go is Friday morning – then you miss all the crowds.

Q: Top tip for visitors?

Make sure you have plenty of money. Be organised. You should have an idea of what you want to do, otherwise you can get easily distracted and waste time.

Q: If you were Mayor for the day what would you do/change?

Nothing, I love it!

Q: If you were invisible for the day where would you go?

Other kitchens; to see what they're doing.

Q: If you could take one piece from a London museum or gallery, what would it be?

I love photography. Every year they have the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition at the Natural History Museum. I would definitely like to take a few of those and put them up on my wall.

Q: If you could go back to any period in London's history when would it be?

It would be around the 1890s when Georges Auguste Escoffier was at the Savoy. He's the father of French cooking. He's the chef who introduced the modern day kitchen brigade system (with each section run by a chef de partie). And he created the Peach Melba. So I would go back and have his Peach Melba or work in his kitchen for a day.

Q: What do you miss most when you are away from London?

Well, the first job I ever had was at Le Gavroche in Mayfair. The kitchen was in the basement and the fridges were outside. So during service, when the food ran out, you had to go outside to get more. And I can still remember as I came out and smelt the night air, I actually for an instant, felt very happy (although I was working ridiculous hours). And the reason was – and I get the feeling sometimes even now – it's that sense of possibility in London. That although we are so regimented in our daily lives, being in London, you have the possibility of doing anything you want.