Every year, if I’m lucky, I carve out a few weeks in the calendar to eat better, think clearer, and come back sharper.


While others chase sand between their toes and Bintangs by the pool, I chase something else entirely. Inspiration. The kind that fuels the desire to find and photograph something beautiful, to eat something exciting, and to feel both challenged and indulged all at once.


If you’ve ever come across my Instagram, you could probably guess when that creative streak hits. A flurry of posts, usually in a tight window. Then, nothing. Not because the camera’s been put down, but because that spark fades. Life resumes. Chores. Work. Gym. Grocery runs. And if inspiration isn’t strong enough to punch through that noise, I disappear.


So as I prepare for the next round of inspiration-seeking, it seems as good a time as any to talk about the last place that hit me like lightning. The kind of meal and experience you think about for hours after and talk about for even longer. One that made me pause, sit up a little straighter, and feel the uneasy thrill of being somewhere I didn’t know the rules.


It happened in London. At a restaurant called Ikoyi.


I won’t pretend the journey there was serene. An unexpected heatwave had turned the Tube into a sweaty, gridlocked mess. My backup plan, an Uber, turned a twenty-minute trip into a horn-blaring cultural immersion I could’ve done without. Between calls to the restaurant to apologise and trying to navigate peak hour, I finally arrived. Frazzled. Heart pounding. I took a deep breath, stepped inside, and exhaled.


The room had its own kind of magic, warm and welcoming, dressed in patinated copper, steel mesh and leather. Designed by David Thulstrup, it was both refined and disarmingly inviting. Outside, the chaos carried on. Inside, each table was its own small world. The lighting was dialed in just right, tiny spotlights hanging above, trained solely on the plates. No clutter. No distractions. Minimalist, yes, but it gave the food the stage, letting it speak loud and clear.


The first few courses moved with confidence. A sharp, elegant Gola pepper broth. A tart of girolles with a yeasted béarnaise that was intensely delicious. And moin moin - a steamed pudding (from Nigeria, I think) that was entirely new to me. Stacked tall with lobster, octopus and pine nut, it had a texture I hadn’t encountered before. Subtle, savoury, smooth.


Next was my favourite fish, turbot. Dressed with a knockout crab bisque and egusi miso. But the moment came midway through the menu. And mind you, this was considered a side car to a standout heritage pork main. Smoked jollof rice.


It landed on the table surrounded by a soft plume of smoke. An iron pot of rust-coloured grains, curled at the edges with crustacean fat and fire. The first spoonful was rich with smoke - the kind that hangs in the air like memory. The rice was lacquered and indulgent with the addition of crab custard. Recipe’s at the end, for those playing at home. Read it once — you’ll get the idea.


I’d eaten jollof rice before, or at least, I thought I had. A West African staple, cooked a hundred different ways across borders and families. But this? This was something else. Not a reinterpretation. Not a replica. It was something completely new to me. Somehow familiar, yet entirely foreign. I don’t know how to explain the taste, because we’ve all had rice. I’m sure I’ve tasted those spices in different combinations. But never like this. Never in a way that left me with nothing to compare it to. I haven’t had anything like it since.


For me, that’s inspiring. To be in a place, eating a dish that feels completely new but somehow still connects.


It’s also what drives these trips I take each year. I call them research. Fuel. Whatever the label, the goal is the same. To eat something that makes me stop. To meet people who do things their own way. To feel small, curious, and full.


In a few weeks, I’m off again.


Plans are locked in. Copenhagen this time. A return to a city I have a deep affinity with. I’ll be back at Noma, a place that has quietly shaped how I think about flavour and creativity, especially through their Taste Buds program. I’ll visit Koan, where the flavours are layered with precision, the service flows with grace, and the experience feels effortlessly worthy of 24 hours of travel. And while I’ll be returning to some of my favourite spots, I’ll also make time for new ones. To meet new people, hear their stories, eat and drink well. Preferably outside, with exceptional wine, by the water.


But before I get too far ahead of myself, there’s one last dish worth mentioning.


The final course at Ikoyi was a cookie - benne miso buried under an avalanche of truffle. Not a polite shaving or two. Piled. Smothered. The kind of excess that makes you laugh before you take the first bite. But when I think about that meal, it’s the rice that won’t let go.


That’s the thing. Inspiration doesn’t always swagger in under the weight of a luxury ingredient, Michelin stars, or a long-haul flight. Sometimes it’s just rice; hours of work hiding in something that looks almost humble, but refuses to let you forget it.


Here’s to chasing that spark. Again and again.

A small white ceramic bowl containing clear amber-colored broth with delicate herbs sits on a dark wooden table surface.
A small black caviar dish served on a textured white plate against a dark wooden surface with dramatic lighting.
Elegant plated dishes with varied textures and ingredients served on white plates in dramatic lighting at upscale restaurant.
A knife and fork with decorative handles cast dramatic shadows on a warmly lit wooden table surface.
A sandwich with red beet slices served on a black striped plate under moody lighting.
Elegant plated dish with seared meat on white ceramic plate with red bowl of garnish in dark lighting.
Two thin slices of prosciutto ham arranged on a white plate against a dark wooden table in dramatic lighting.
A small potted succulent plant sits on a dark wooden surface under dramatic lighting.
Time-lapse sequence showing a small round dish being progressively consumed on a wooden table.
A minimalist plated dessert featuring a spherical truffle on powdered sugar in an elegant gray ceramic bowl.
A chocolate cupcake with frosting sits on a wooden surface under dramatic spotlight illumination.
Hands hold a round brown truffle or mushroom against a dark wooden surface with dramatic lighting.
A series of dramatic black and white photos showing hands resting on a table next to wine glasses.
Wine glass casting dramatic shadows on wooden table in dim lighting with warm ambient glow.
Modern restaurant interior with industrial kitchen setup, round wooden table, and yellow upholstered chairs in warm lighting.
Curved booth seating in a dimly lit restaurant interior with modern pendant lights and a minimalist design aesthetic.
Architectural detail showing curved ceiling with textured grid pattern illuminated by soft lighting.
Modern restaurant interior with dark wood paneling and ambient lighting creates a sleek, minimalist dining atmosphere.
Modern restaurant interior with curved white walls, pendant lighting, and dark round tables in moody atmospheric lighting.
Raw turkey and ham portions displayed in a commercial food service refrigerator with metal shelving.

For the jollof broth:


2.5 kg Roasted Chicken Wing Stock

80 g kombu

80 g dried porcini mushrooms (ceps)

90 g chipotle powder

90 g hot paprika

60 g black peppercorns

30 g red Kampot peppercorns

15 g black Penja peppercorns

90 g madras curry powder

45 g ground cinnamon

30 g ground cumin

200 g grapeseed oil

4 kg tomatoes, quartered

1.5 kg red bell peppers, deseeded and sliced into large segments

1.5 kg red onions, sliced into large segments

150 g fresh root ginger, diced

150 g garlic, diced

30 g Scotch bonnet chiles, deseeded and sliced

90 g crayfish powder

30 g Tabasco sauce

60 g tamari

30 g fish sauce

30 g Worcestershire sauce

100 g black garlic, diced

200 g light brown sugar

60 g smoked salt


For the crab custard:


300 g whipping cream

300 g whole milk

900 g brown crab meat

200 g egg yolks

60 g fresh root ginger, sliced

40 g garlic, sliced

20 g Scotch bonnet chiles, roughly chopped

12 g smoked salt

For the wok hei paste:


125 g garlic, sliced

250 g fresh root ginger, sliced

300 g spring onions, sliced

125 g grapeseed oil

30 g Scotch bonnet chiles, deseeded and finely diced

For the rice:


1 kg fragrant Thai jasmine rice

1 kg jollof broth

grapeseed oil

filtered water (optional)


To finish:


40 g Rendered Aged Beef Fat

60 g wok hei paste

100 g crab custard

50 g turnip tops

Roasted Garlic Oil, for brushing

smoked salt


Instructions


To make the jollof broth:


In a large pot, bring the chicken stock to 70°C (158°F), then add the kombu and dried mushrooms. Take off the heat and leave to infuse for 1 hour, then strain.


Toast all the spices in a wide frying pan until fragrant, then blitz to a fine powder in a spice grinder.


Heat 150 g of the grapeseed oil in a deep pot until smoking hot, then add the tomatoes. Leave the tomatoes to fry in the oil until they begin to split and catch on the bottom of the pan. Stir, then continue to fry over high heat until most of the liquid has been reduced.

Preheat the plancha to high. Toss the peppers, onions, ginger, garlic, and chiles lightly in the remaining grapeseed oil and place in an even layer on the hot grill. Allow them to smoke and burn, but make sure they don’t overcook on the inside, and turn them to ensure they are all evenly blistered. Add them to the pot with the reduced tomatoes, along with all the spices and the crayfish powder, Tabasco, tamari, fish sauce, Worcestershire sauce, black garlic, sugar, and smoked salt. Add the infused chicken stock and simmer the broth, covered, until all the vegetables are cooked through.


Blitz the broth in a blender for 5 minutes until very smooth, adding some filtered water if necessary, then pass through a chinois. Store the broth in an airtight container in the fridge and use within 1 week.


To make the crab custard:


In a blender, blitz together the whipping cream, milk, crab, egg yolks, ginger, garlic, and Scotch bonnet for 2 minutes.

Pour the resulting custard into a wide pan and cook gently, whisking and scraping the edges with a spatula until the mixture coats the back of a spoon. Pass the custard through a chinois and season well with smoked salt. Store the custard in an airtight container in the fridge and use within 2 days.


To make the wok hei paste:


Place the garlic, ginger, and spring onions in a food processor and blitz to form a smooth paste. Place the paste into a deep pot. In a separate pan, heat the oil to 280°C (536°F) and then carefully pour it over the paste, stirring quickly.

Let the paste cool, then fold in the diced Scotch bonnets. Store in an airtight container in the fridge and use within 1 week.


To prepare the rice:


Rinse the rice gently, changing the water until it runs clear, then drain and allow the grains to dry.


Preheat the oven to 100°C/210°F/Gas Mark 1⁄4.


Bring 1 kg of the jollof broth to a simmer.


Toast the rice grains in grapeseed oil, then place into large, flat Gastronorms. Pour over the broth; it should equal the weight of the rice. Loosen each tray of rice with some filtered water if necessary, then steam in the oven for 20 minutes.


Remove from the oven and steam for a further 2–3 minutes until the rice is spongy but al dente. Leave to cool at room temperature, breaking it up with your hands and adding some cold butter and oil to further break apart the grains. Once cool, the rice can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.


To finish:

  1. Heat a nonstick frying pan over high heat, then add the beef fat, along with 70 g of rice per person and the wok hei. It should take only 30–45 seconds to cook the rice if the pan is hot enough. The grains should be shiny (but not oily) and extremely fragrant.
  2. At the same time, warm 100 g of the crab custard in a small pot until barely warm. The residual heat of the rice will continue to heat the custard.
  3. Prepare a handheld smoker filled with oak chips. Quickly grill the turnip tops and brush with roasted garlic oil and smoked salt. Divide the rice between two sharing bowls and glaze with the custard so it evenly coats the top layer of rice. Finish with the turnip tops and firmly place a lid on top. Insert the nozzle of the smoker under the lid, smoke the rice, and leave to infuse for 1 minute before serving.


Recipe excerpted from Ikoyi © 2023 by Jeremy Chan.