Chef Simi Idowu-Ajibodu

Private Chef In Islington

My Mantra is ‘To Cook is to be Happy...to be cooked for is Divine’. I am my best self when creating bold and flavourful food. As a chef my aim is to elevate the image of nigerian flavours using fresh produce and modern culinary techniques.

As a Le Cordon Bleu London Alumi, I have been fortunate to gain necessary culinary skills to represent Nigerian cuisine in a modern way.

Having worked at Cut 45 and more recently the michelin-starred Ikoyi London, I am in a position to create new experiences and memories using Nigerian Fusion as my vessel.

For me, cooking is...

what makes me happy. Seeing the smiles on people’s faces when they bite into a memory

I learned to cook at...

Home but graduated from Le Cordon Bleu London

A cooking secret...

Using fresh produce to showcase Nigerian cuisine in a different light

My menus

Italian Inspiration

STARTER

All inclusive

Black Garlic Bruschetta with balsamic tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella and basil oil

Grilled Octopus with Butternut Squash Puree

Truffle Arancini

FIRST COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Roasted Pepper Risotto with Pan-Seared Garlic Prawns

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Seared Chicken Breast with slowcooked beetroots, Rosemary hassleback potatoes and mushroom sage cream

Lamb Rack with Saffron Polenta, Seared greens, Roasted Vegetables and Lamb Sauce

DESSERT

Choose 1 dish

Champagne Mixed Fruit Crumble with Vanilla Ice Cream

Chocolate Espresso Parfait with coffee milk crumbs and balsamic strawberries

Nigerian Fusion

STARTER

Choose 2 dishes

Jollof Arancini

Beef Suya Tart

Cassava Chips

FIRST COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Pan-Seared Tiger Prawns with smoked corn puree and crispy plantain

Grilled Octopus with a smoked Bergamot Puree and wilted greens

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Yaji Lamb Rack with Rosemary White Sweet Potato, scorched onions and mushroom groundnut sauce

Confit Fish of the day with wilted greens, hassleback potatoes and roasted pepper sauce

DESSERT

Choose 1 dish

Champagne Mixed Fruit Crumble with Vanilla Ice Cream

Coconut Parfait with Miso Caramel, Hazelnut Crumb and Balsamic Strawberries

Champagne Peaches with hazelnut crumb and vanilla ice cream

Guava Parfait with a Roasted Nuts crumb and balsamic figs

Warmth with Chef SiA

STARTER

All inclusive

Black Garlic Bruschetta with balsamic tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella and basil oil

Seared Scallop with chilli Pickled Carrot puree

FIRST COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Roasted Pepper Risotto with Pan-Seared Garlic Prawns

Confit Fish of the day with wilted greens and roasted pepper sauce

Grilled Octopus with a smoked Bergamot Puree and wilted greens

(V) Confit Turnips with wilted leaves and roasted pepper sauce

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Rosemary Fillet of Beef with hassleback New Potatoes, grilled vegetables and roasted mushroom cream sauce

Seared Chicken Breast with slowcooked beetroots, Rosemary hassleback potatoes and mushroom sage cream

Rosemary Lamb Rack with Garlic Potato Pave honey glazed beetroots and hibiscus jus

DESSERT

Choose 1 dish

Chocolate Brownie Tart with Balsamic Berries and Vanilla Ice Cream

Champagne Peaches with hazelnut crumb and vanilla ice cream

Guava Parfait with a Roasted Nuts crumb and balsamic figs

Italian Inspiration

STARTER

All inclusive

Black Garlic Bruschetta with balsamic tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella and basil oil

Grilled Octopus with Butternut Squash Puree

Truffle Arancini

FIRST COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Roasted Pepper Risotto with Pan-Seared Garlic Prawns

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Seared Chicken Breast with slowcooked beetroots, Rosemary hassleback potatoes and mushroom sage cream

Lamb Rack with Saffron Polenta, Seared greens, Roasted Vegetables and Lamb Sauce

DESSERT

Choose 1 dish

Champagne Mixed Fruit Crumble with Vanilla Ice Cream

Chocolate Espresso Parfait with coffee milk crumbs and balsamic strawberries

Nigerian Fusion

STARTER

Choose 2 dishes

Jollof Arancini

Beef Suya Tart

Cassava Chips

FIRST COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Pan-Seared Tiger Prawns with smoked corn puree and crispy plantain

Grilled Octopus with a smoked Bergamot Puree and wilted greens

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Yaji Lamb Rack with Rosemary White Sweet Potato, scorched onions and mushroom groundnut sauce

Confit Fish of the day with wilted greens, hassleback potatoes and roasted pepper sauce

DESSERT

Choose 1 dish

Champagne Mixed Fruit Crumble with Vanilla Ice Cream

Coconut Parfait with Miso Caramel, Hazelnut Crumb and Balsamic Strawberries

Champagne Peaches with hazelnut crumb and vanilla ice cream

Guava Parfait with a Roasted Nuts crumb and balsamic figs

Warmth with Chef SiA

STARTER

All inclusive

Black Garlic Bruschetta with balsamic tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella and basil oil

Seared Scallop with chilli Pickled Carrot puree

FIRST COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Roasted Pepper Risotto with Pan-Seared Garlic Prawns

Confit Fish of the day with wilted greens and roasted pepper sauce

Grilled Octopus with a smoked Bergamot Puree and wilted greens

(V) Confit Turnips with wilted leaves and roasted pepper sauce

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Rosemary Fillet of Beef with hassleback New Potatoes, grilled vegetables and roasted mushroom cream sauce

Seared Chicken Breast with slowcooked beetroots, Rosemary hassleback potatoes and mushroom sage cream

Rosemary Lamb Rack with Garlic Potato Pave honey glazed beetroots and hibiscus jus

DESSERT

Choose 1 dish

Chocolate Brownie Tart with Balsamic Berries and Vanilla Ice Cream

Champagne Peaches with hazelnut crumb and vanilla ice cream

Guava Parfait with a Roasted Nuts crumb and balsamic figs

Italian Inspiration

STARTER

All inclusive

Black Garlic Bruschetta with balsamic tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella and basil oil

Grilled Octopus with Butternut Squash Puree

Truffle Arancini

FIRST COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Roasted Pepper Risotto with Pan-Seared Garlic Prawns

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Seared Chicken Breast with slowcooked beetroots, Rosemary hassleback potatoes and mushroom sage cream

Lamb Rack with Saffron Polenta, Seared greens, Roasted Vegetables and Lamb Sauce

DESSERT

Choose 1 dish

Champagne Mixed Fruit Crumble with Vanilla Ice Cream

Chocolate Espresso Parfait with coffee milk crumbs and balsamic strawberries

Chef Simi's reviews

4.73

•

9 services

Chef SiA was absolutely incredible, the food was wonderful and the presentation and communication throughout the evening was fantastic. They arrived on time and well prepared and once introduced to the kitchen they cracked on and made no fuss. Every course was well explained (what the food was and where the inspiration came from, which all the guests found very interesting and a pleasure to eat). They also offered a surprise complimentary appetiser to celebrate the birthday celebration which was a lovely touch. The chef left the kitchen in an immaculate state cleaning it from top to bottom after serving the final course, which is always a bonus after a lovely meal. We would all highly recommend the chef and also the food we ate to anyone and would 100% ask Chef SiA to make the lovely meal they did for us again.

Chef SiA was really kind and an incredible chef! I would recommend her to anyone out there wanting a great experience!

Chef Sia provided an incredible experience. Birthday dinner for 11 guests. Everything was managed extremely professionally, from initial communication, menu twists, preparation of the day, organisation in the kitchen. Food was fantastic and different from what we are used to. Every dish had a nice story behind it. I highly recommend chef Sia. She has so much to offer.

Chef Simi was fantastic - we couldn't recommend her highly enough. The communications pre date were excellent and on the day itself, a 50th birthday celebration, everything was absolutely perfect - from arrival on time, to presentation and description of each course, to the food itself being wonderful. It made the evening a great culinary experience!