Simon Carlin

The Climb

A Head Chef post at Kushi-ya in Nottingham from 2017 marked the point where Simon Carlin’s work began to take clearer shape. From there, the restaurant became both testing ground and platform, with the cooking tightening into something more assured, less showy, and more exact. Now as Head Chef and owner of Kushi-ya, he continues along a path defined by purpose rather than noise.

Today

At Kushi-ya, the kitchen is led by Simon Carlin with a steady hand and a clear set of priorities. The concept has not been treated as something to overhaul, but as something to refine. A small menu and an ever changing specials board remain the structure, while the food has moved further away from fuss and towards the main ingredient, held with minimal garnish. The result is a style that reads as deliberate rather than sparse. His interest in Japanese food and ingredients rests on the discipline behind them: the patience, repetition and focus required to make a process feel finished. For Simon Carlin, that logic connects directly to the restaurant’s own brief — to make food people want to eat at a reasonable price, without loading the plate with unnecessary detail. The kitchen identity at Kushi-ya is built on that narrowing of focus. The cooking stays compact and direct, letting the ingredient carry the work while the rest is kept in check.

Signature

Simon’s signature dishes include furikake prawn toast, fried mochi skewer, prawns sando, and pork shoulder. Read together, they show a menu moving between comfort and contrast, with crisp textures, richer cuts, and a clear preference for food that lands cleanly.

In Their Words “I’ve always had a fascination with Japanese food and ingredients. The devotion that’s put into one process to make a product or a dish the best it can be is truly epic. We wanted to create food people wanted to eat at a reasonable price.” “The concept is essentially the same. Small menu with ever changing specials board. Our food has become less fussy over time and concentrates on the main ingredient with minimal garnish. I love where we are right now.”