Dallaway and Murdoch announce Bethnal Green residency

On 1 March, head chef Josh Dallaway and sommelier Sinead Murdoch will launch a year-long residency at Cav in Bethnal Green.

Inspired by the dining cultures of Portugal and Spain, food at Tasca will focus on regionality and produce. The wine list will be 80% female-founded, with half of the selection sourced from Portugal and Spain.

The idea for Tasca came naturally to the couple after spending extensive time in Portugal, Spain and the South of France. The restaurants, which are often family-run, offer a warm welcome, a laid-back atmosphere and celebrate local produce, something Tasca will aim to emulate. 

Dining at Tasca

A short selection of pintxos and petiscos will be a permanent fixture at the restaurant, including Cantabrian anchovy and kumquat gilda and the jambon beurre gilda, inspired by the French sandwich.

The cachorrinho is similar to a hotdog and originates from Porto. Tasca’s take will be an unmissable pork and prawn version with scarlet prawns, Ossau-Iratty cheese and piri-piri oil, chopped into pieces and enjoyed with a glass of wine.

Dallaway will draw on preservation and fermentation techniques, with some of his ferments years in the making. Cornish shellfish will be served in a sharp escabeche – a preservation technique of marinating in vinegar, oil and spices. Sharing dishes will include a satisfying dish of cured British tuna with fried eggs and crispy potato. There will also be Dorset clams, bathed in a Bilbaína-style sauce consisting of burnt garlic, dried chillies and Tasca’s cider vinegar.

For dessert, chocolate crema will be finished with olive oil and sea salt. Tasca’s unconventional Bikini sandwich will offer an ingenious interpretation of the Barcelona classic. Tomme de chevre cheese and Iberico ham are pressed between thin brioche and cooked until crisp, then smothered in smoked maple syrup and a salted goat's milk ice cream.

Murdoch's carefully curated wine list will celebrate women, resulting in an offering otherwise unheard of in the capital. She will also focus on winemakers using sustainable farming practices, with natural and low-intervention wines making a big appearance.

You may also be interested in…