The restaurant, which will be named Pacific, will open on Lower James Street in Soho later this year on the site currently occupied by Foxlow. The sister restaurant brand to Hawksmoor, Foxlow is due to close its Soho site on 18 April after two years of trading.
Presland is credited with helping build the Saké Restaurant & Bar brand into one of the biggest Japanese restaurant groups in Australia as executive chef. The chain, which opened in 2008 and has six locations across Australia, is operated by chef Niel Perry’s Rockpool Dining Group.
Presland previously cooked in London back in July 2017, taking over the kitchen of the Tate Modern and serving a menu that included steamed miso chicken dumplings; hiramasa kingfish sashimi; wasabi beetroot salad; chirashi sushi; and summer berry mochi
A chef for more than 20 years, Presland has trained with Japanese chefs across the globe, including Hiroshi Miura, Kenji Nishinakagawa and Nobu Matsuhisa.
Presland’s representatives say more information on Pacific will be available soon.