Chef Profile: Nicol D'Chanel at Aldeli

Your Name: Nicol D'Chanel

Current Restaurant: Aldeli

Home Town: Liverpool

Work Experience (where and how did you learn your trade, who did you train under?)

At 17 years old I enrolled at the Adelphi Hotel in Liverpool on a youth training scheme where one day a week I would travel to Crewe catering college. At the Adelphi I worked and trained under Kieran Martins who some oldies may remember staring on one of the first fly on the wall documentaries on BBc one 'The Hotel'. I then happily stayed at the Adelphi for the next ten years.

Tell us about your current menu.
Our dream is to be different. Whilst there is something on the menu for everyone, there are certain dishes it would be hard to find outside of New York. To maintain the highest of standards in the food we prepare We import many of our delicatessen cooked meats and sausages, including our famed peppered beef pastrami from Germany, to ensure an authentic taste in every mouthful.

Our food is made fresh to order and Wherever possible home made from our extensive range of Covent Garden certified soups, to coleslaw sides, our light pizza dough and assorted scones and jams (to name a few!). However our salt beef sandwiches are possibly what gets us most excited....the beef brisket is pickled for almost three long weeks and then slowly home cooked for that sensational, melt in the mouth experience which lends itself so brilliantly with our caraway seeded rye bread, authentic pickles & sauerkraut.....not forgetting the creamed horseradish!

With generous portions but easy on the bill, we aim to satisfy your bellies and your pockets! You certainly won't be going home hungry! We're a taste of New York without the airline ticket!

What is your favourite dish on your menu and why?
Without a doubt that would have to be our 8oz Ranch Burger....8 meaty ounces of British beef burger, melted Swiss cheese, fiery jalapeños and every sauce you can imagine. Burgerlicious.

What inspires you?

Having spent my cheffing career in a kitchen underground, since joining the Aldeli team nearly a year and half ago, where everything and everyone is on show, I am inspired by the people I meet. Many of our customers and also members of staff are from a wide range of cultures from all over the world, and this is what making great food is about. Taking a little special something here and there to make it different and your own.

Which is your favourite restaurant? (not your own)
That would have to be Castro's, the best South American restaurant in Liverpool. I go there for the most amazing 5 kilo beef swinging skewers.

Big brother or question time: Ashamed to admit big brother!

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Posted: Tuesday 6th August 2013
ID: 10215 - 1027