Who is The London Foodie?
I am a Japanese Brazilian chef who made London home nearly 30 years ago. I am passionate about good food, wine and travel and have been writing as The London Foodie since 2009. After a career in investment banking, I left the City to pursue my interest in food. Following training in Japanese cuisine in Tokyo, I returned to the UK and graduated with the Grande Diplome from Le Cordon Bleu. Today, I host the Japanese Supper Club from my home in Islington about which you can find out more here.
Just as mad about wine, I also hold an Advanced Certificate from the Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET) which encouraged me to write about my experiences with wine and spirits and matching them with food. For more information about my wine writing, click here.
Since going freelance, I have been able to focus more on travel writing particularly on food and wine related travels. More about these foodie travels here.
What is The London Foodie about?
The London Foodie is a non-commercial site, a hobby gone mad from which I derive no income. I do not advertise on this site, and have no intention to do so in future.
I am happy to review product samples, wines, cookery books, restaurants and hotels by invitation but will make my own mind up on whether to recommend them or not. As a non-commercial site, my integrity comes first.
I cater for private or corporate events at my home in Islington or at your own London location. I have worked with major food brands including Bordeaux Wines, Tilda Basmati, Unearthed and Discovery Foods to present their range of products in a non-commercial, friendly supper club environment for journalists and bloggers. If you are a PR consultant and would like to discuss this opportunity further for one of your food clients, send me an email for further details.
I may take a while to get back to you - I read all e-mails and will reply to each one of them, so please do not think you are being ignored if you have not heard from me for some time. I really appreciate receiving your feedback on what I write or your review suggestions, so please keep them coming. If you would like to get in touch about anything related to this site, you can e-mail me at luizhara(AT)hotmail(DOT)com.
Or If you would like to learn more about my food, wine and travel experiences, you can also:
Follow me on Instagram on @thelondonfoodie
Twitter @thelondonfoodie
Or Like my Facebook Page "The London Foodie"
Blowing My Own Trumpet
The London Foodie was listed by some top UK media:
The Best UK Websites for Booking a Restaurant by The Daily Mail, see feature here.
The Best UK Websites for Booking a Restaurant |
The 50 Best UK Food Websites (Category - Blogs) and in a Feature on My Favourite Solo Supper by The Independent - see these features here and here.
This One's For Me - Chefs and Food Bloggers Reveal Their Favourite Solo Suppers & The 50 Best UK Food Websites |
Interviewed by Mise en Place Catering and Hospitality Recruitment for their 'Eat My Words' column - you can read the interview here.
Featured in an article by The Daily Mail regarding Le Cordon Bleu London in November 2012, you can view it here.
The London Foodie was listed as one of the Best London Blogs of 2012 by Hotel Club.com
Featured in the D&D London Magazine - Artful Diner Lunch: The London Foodie
The 101 best things to do in London: Luiz Hara’s top 5 (Time Out London)
Luiz Hara of The London Foodie gives us his top tips for pancake day! (Time Out London)
Recommended my 5 Secret London Spots for Time Out London
Listed in Top 10 UK Food Blogs by VOUCHERCODES
Featured in Time Out London (Grazing Asia)
Revista Gula, Brazil's most popular gastronomic magazine, sent Fernanda Meneguetti to participate at one of our London Cooking Club events "Thai by David Thompson". Fernanda wrote a two-page article about it which was featured in the magazine's 2010 Christmas edition - Sociedade Gastronomica: "Cooking Club is new gastronomic sensation in London, thanks to a Brazilian who opens his house and kitchen to readers of his blog".
The London Foodie was featured among "The Influencer 10: Dining Blogs Men Should Follow" by Ask Men UK.
The London Foodie was interviewed by Cris Flores, presenter of "Passaporte Hoje em Dia" of the Brazilian channel "TV Record" in London, and had the pleasure of introducing her to one of my favourite London Supper Clubs - Fernandez and Leluu. The feature was called "A Gastronomia de Londres" and was organised by Mitsi Goulias, the PR manager for Visit Britain in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The programme was aired in Brazil in October 10 and you can watch it below in Portuguese.
Interviews and Further Publications
Expatfinder.com – Listen to a Londoner (interview by “Little London Observationist”)
On the London Food Trail...
By Shiva Kumar Thekkepat of "Friday Magazine" (July 10)
Londres Gourmet
By Xavier Bartaburu of Brazilian food magazine "Gosto" (July 10)
Viagens Gastronomicas
By Teresa Frederico of Portuguese Magazine "Rotas & Destinos" (September 10)
Some Guests of Honour
By Fernandez and Leluu Supper Club (October 10)
The Influencer 10: Dining Blogs Men Should Follow (November 10)
By Ask Men UK
Sociedade Gastronomica: "Cooking Club is new gastronomic sensation in London, thanks to a Brazilian who opens his house and kitchen to readers of his blog" (December 10)
By Brazilian magazine "Revista Gula"