Chef Scott Hallsworth has brought Joe’s Oriental Diner back to London, opening the restaurant at 1 Ramsden Road in Balham.
The new neighbourhood restaurant occupies the former home of Hallsworth’s Freak Scene and marks the return of a concept he first introduced on the King’s Road in 2015.
Joe’s Oriental Diner originally operated from the small site where Hallsworth’s Kurobuta had begun two years earlier, with the restaurant built around Southeast Asian-inspired sharing plates and an informal approach to dining.
The revived Balham restaurant retains that format, drawing inspiration from the diners, bars, street food stalls and late-night restaurants of Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and other parts of Southeast Asia.
The menu combines spicy, sweet, sour and smoky flavours through dishes designed for sharing.
Dishes include tuna sashimi with pomelo, hot miso, pickled chillies and yuzu soy, alongside rare Thai beef salad with roasted peanuts and Burford Brown egg relish.
Jungle curry of quail with sticky rice and lettuce cups and Singapore chilli crab wonton bombs also feature.
The menu draws on Hallsworth’s more than 35 years working in professional kitchens.
His career includes seven years with Nobu, where he progressed to Head Chef at Nobu London before developing his own restaurant concepts.
Joe’s Oriental Diner has been positioned as an informal neighbourhood restaurant, combining its sharing menu with cocktails, beer and a concise wine and sake selection.
The return of the concept brings Hallsworth back to the style of the original King’s Road restaurant, focusing on bold flavours and accessible dining without the formality associated with fine dining.
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