Cycene’s secret world: Inside Taz Sarhane’s multi-sensory Michelin-star journey

Utilising almost exclusively British produce was both a “challenging” and “limiting” decision for Taz Sarhane.

However, upon taking the head chef role at Michelin-starred Cycene, he saw it as essential to fully bring to life the philosophy he wanted to showcase at the restaurant.

Taz was still in his 20s when he took the reins at the Shoreditch site, replacing Theo Clench.

His previous work came at the likes of Claude Bosi’s Brooklands and Bibendum, before joining Cycene as a sous chef initially.

Foraging fanatic

Taz, who was born and grow up in south east London, also has Moroccan heritage. He has previously described himself as “insane about foraging”, with focus at Cycene on preservation of ingredients.

Describing his culinary outlook, Taz said: “My philosophy at Cycene is to use British ingredients. In the winter we have this dark gap where the only thing that grows around us is potatoes, squash, leeks and carrots.

“During the summer we build up a big larder of fermented, pickled, preserved, salted ingredients, which allows us to travel throughout those winter months and preserve the flavours of the summer and bring a little bit of light to December.

“I'm a very strong believer of not importing things unnecessarily. We don't really use citrus.

“Eating a watermelon in winter feels wrong to me. Seasonality is important because when things aren't in season, they don't taste very good.

“Working with 90% British produce is probably one of the most challenging decisions I've made in my career so far.

“It's limiting and day-to-day means we change the menu at the last minute because something's run out, or we open a jar and see a miso has turned slightly bad, or the flavour profile is developing too fast.

“It can mean every day is a huge challenge and to navigate that we have to be very creative. The team are very on the ball consistently reminding me when we're running out of things.

“Suppliers like Shrub in Sussex constantly update me with what's in season and what's being sown for later crops is one of the key ways we can navigate these issues.”

He continued: “The way that we incorporate preserved ingredients is by subtly adding touches here and there. I'm not fond of overly pungent sauces or flavours.

“It has to be delicate, background umami from misos we make, a touch of acidity from a pickle, saltiness from garlic capers through a langoustine head sauce.

“It's not about taking all the jars and mixing them together. It's about picking one thing from the pantry when we need it, which allows us to travel through the year and have diversity.”

Unique surroundings

Cycene is situated in Blue Mountain School, which houses art, ceramics and furniture, with exhibitions spread across various floors.

In amongst that is a unique restaurant dining experience.

“Our service style at Cycene is a funny one,” Taz began.

“We had front of house and then it decreased until we made the decision to get rid of all of them.

“I have a true passion for talking to guests. Who knows the food better than the chefs?

“It's like a home. It's a small restaurant - 16 guests a night. Having that relationship with guests throughout their meal, as they travel from room to room is the best way to work.

“We do have a sommelier, as my wine knowledge isn't as good as theirs, so it's good to have support in some areas.”

He added: “The set-up in Cycene and Blue Mountain School is a very unique thing.

“We're a restaurant inside a five-floor arts multidisciplinary centre. There's an archive of clothing, a gallery, furniture, arts, ceramics.

“We're in a building with no label outside. Everyone who comes here says they never realised there's a restaurant. It's like we’re Shoreditch’s best kept secret.

“It's a tiny townhouse, intimate and cosy. You feel the warmth. Shoreditch can be rough and ready, but when you step in, you smell Palo Santo, the music's playing, you have a glass of Champagne, that’s when the calming senses kick in.

“Working with ceramicists, artists and jewellery makers is beautiful - 90% of guests who come to Cycene have no idea they're situated in this amazing art space until we tell them.”

journey through the restaurant

Cycene is not all about the food – it is about the theatre too.

“At Cycene we always like to incorporate movement around the restaurant while you eat,” Taz explained.

“The whole philosophy behind it is no-one likes to sit down for four hours. It’s a very boring, laborious process to sit there and stuff your face for a very long time.

“We like to have people moving throughout the meal.

“We start in the bar, then guests come into the kitchen. They stand with us; they can feel the heat of the stove. It's that multi-sensory environment where you can smell the coals burning in the fire.

“Touching the wagyu with the binchotan and having the smoke engulf the lights in the kitchen is about theatre. It's not just about flavour.

“I always say the Cycene experience is 50% part of it and the food is the other 50%. Everything is so artistically led that the emotional development of what you're seeing draws you in.”

making his own path

Given his age, Taz admits he did not step into the job with all the answers. But he did not necessarily see that as a bad thing.

“Being so young and leading a restaurant like this is both very challenging and very rewarding. I'm lucky to be in this position at 30,” he said.

“But it means because you don't have the same experiences as older chefs, you might second-guess yourself or make decisions on a whim because you're not 100% sure.

“But that's what life is about, no-one knows what they're doing until you do it. That's the beauty of running a business.”

Asked how he would want his guests to feel when they leave his restaurant, Taz said: “I don't necessarily want them to remember the dishes. For me, eating is a very emotional thing.

“We're a storytelling restaurant. Ultimately when you leave, either you enjoyed it or you didn’t. The steps you took to get there are not necessarily that important, as long as you reach the goal.

“I want guests to feel warmth and generosity, like they've been invited into my home.

“It's not about eating the best things in the world and bragging you had half a kilo of caviar.

“Simple things taste the best. It's about an emotional relationship with the experience and the food.”