The Aubrey Launches Youkoso
The Aubrey at the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park has become known as one of London’s most stylish dining rooms — a Japanese izakaya translated through maximalist interiors, cocktail theatre and an atmosphere that feels deliberately after-dark. This autumn, it opens its doors to something new: Youkoso, its first-ever guest chef series. Running from September through November, the programme celebrates women in cooking with three unique residencies that reframe what luxury dining looks like in the capital right now.
For those fluent in fashion’s codes, Youkoso carries the same energy as a capsule collaboration. The house has its signature — in The Aubrey’s case, Japanese hospitality layered with design-led maximalism — but it invites fresh voices to riff on the aesthetic. The result? Menus that feel personal, cultural and unexpected, all presented with the kind of polish that makes The Aubrey an enduring West London address.
Each guest chef will present a multi-course menu (£80 per person, including a bespoke welcome cocktail) shaped by their own story and heritage. It’s dining as narrative, much like the way a collection can be stitched with autobiography. And for men who know the value of wardrobe staples with edge, this is food that plays with classic forms before twisting them into something more characterful.
First up, on 8–9 September, are The Rangoon Sisters — Amy and Emily Chung. By day, both are doctors; by night, they’re East London’s go-to hosts for Burmese supper clubs that sell out in minutes. Their menu at The Aubrey channels memory and nostalgia: Balachuang butter served with shokupan bread, Burmese spicy fried chicken, ceviche with a Dawei edge, and a tapioca pudding in coconut milk that lands like the perfect finishing detail on an outfit — unexpected but right.
October (6–7) brings in Ana Da Costa, founder of FAT TEA. Her speciality is Macanese cuisine, a culinary style defined by layered spices and bold combinations. Expect dishes such as aubergine sambal and skewers of Capela with soy-cured yolk, served family-style. Like relaxed tailoring that invites you to play with proportion, Da Costa’s menu is about sharing, dipping, passing around the table — eating as social ritual.
The series closes on 3–4 November with Julie Lin, the Malaysian-Scottish chef whose book Sama Sama became an instant hit. Her menu draws on the idea of food as emotional trigger — a connection to memory and culture that feels at once deeply personal and widely relatable. Dishes such as Rojak (a layered Southeast Asian salad), curry leaf chicken with butter sauce and salted egg yolk, and a Sichuan peppercorn chocolate mousse are designed to surprise, disrupt, and delight.
The Aubrey’s own award-winning bar team will match each menu with cocktails inspired by the chefs’ personal histories. Think of it as styling: the drink becomes an accessory to the plate, building the look — or, in this case, the experience.
Youkoso: The Aubrey Guest Chef Series
The Rangoon Sisters — September 8–9
East London’s cult Burmese supper club duo.
Highlights: Balachuang butter with shokupan, Burmese spicy fried chicken, tapioca in coconut milk.
Ana Da Costa — October 6–7
Founder of FAT TEA, specialising in Macanese cuisine.
Highlights: Aubergine sambal, Capela skewers with soy-cured yolk, bold family-style dining.
Julie Lin — November 3–4
Malaysian-Scottish chef and author of Sama Sama.
Highlights: Rojak salad, curry leaf chicken with salted egg yolk, Sichuan peppercorn chocolate mousse.
Price: £80 per person, includes a bespoke cocktail pairing.
Explore further at The Aubrey