Eater reports that Presland is to launch his new Japanese-focused solo venture Pacific on the Mayfair site, which was previously the permanent home to James Ramsden and Sam Herlihy’s Magpie restaurant that closed in March after less than two years of trading.
Presland was originally expected to open Pacific as a permanent venture on the former Foxlow site in Soho, but those plans appear to have fallen through.
According to Eater, he has indicated the Heddon Street pop-up will operate in lieu of a permanent restaurant in the medium-term.
The menu will feature a selection of fresh sashimi and grilled seafood dishes including crispy skin hiramasa kingfish with sweet ponzu buckwheat salsa; and miso toothfish, grilled and served with saikyo miso marinade.
Presland is credited with helping build the Saké Restaurant & Bar brand into one of the biggest Japanese restaurant groups in Australia.
A chef for more than 20 years, he has trained with Japanese chefs across the globe, including Nobu Matsuhisa, Hiroshi Miura and Kenji Nishinakagawa.
10 Heddon Street is a short-term incubator project created by The Crown Estate in partnership with restaurant consultants Montana Fogg, which allows talent in the restaurant industry to test new concepts and creative ideas for a short period of time in a West End space.
According to Camilla Topham, director at property consultancy firm Distrkt, some London landlords are becoming increasingly nervous about signing restaurants up for long leases following several high-prole closures, and are therefore looking at short-term lets as a means to avoid the negative PR of a restaurant failing.
