Inside Hausu’s Kitchen – Fearless Flavours & Family Roots

• Beanie Stolper: First bite, last sip, what’s the ideal start and finish order for a Hausu newbie?
  Holly-dawn Middleton-joseph: Begin with a bottle of Lambrusco with bread and pickles. Oh and a bottle of Vichy Catalan! Start with two Carlingford oysters with house-made green tabasco mignonette, the prawn toast to share, panelle, tuna crudo, and whatever pasta is on at the time! For the main, a steak with a fresh zingy salad with pickled and 30-month aged parm. Finish with my orange and saffron chocolate tart which is made from Todolí satsumas, served with a chocolate and triple sec creme pat.

  BS: Your menu reads like a passport; Cambodia, Italy, China, Trinidad. Which dish feels the most you?
  HMJ: It has to be our dad’s broth. It reminds me of my childhood and lets me weave parts of my life into the menu, which is really important to me. It’s a warm hug with specific flavours that people like to try and pick out and quiz us about. The coriander schmaltz on top is my favourite part. The coriander chicken fat is pretty genius, no?

• BS: That prawn toast is practically legend. More prawn than toast, all crunch, no grease. What’s the secret? Do you still get a thrill when one hits the pass?
  HMJ: Nearly 4,000 prawn toasts later, definitely! Whenever a perfect little prawn spear hits the pass, it still makes me proud. Shout out to Tom Middleton-Joseph for perfecting the sphere.

BS: Your crumpet with crab is a totally British/Asian fusion. Where do you start when you’re dreaming up a dish like that?
HMJ: I’d always order a crab dish when dining out. Crab on a crumpet is actually quite a classic, so I wanted to create a version that feels true to Hausu. People love it!

BS: Toasted rice ice cream with five-spice caramel is an OG on the menu and definitely a favourite of mine. What makes you keep it on the menu?
HMJ: It’s a classic from our very first pop-up. It’s a bit mind-boggling but clever, and we’re really proud of it, so it’s never leaving! People are always curious about how we make it. The flavours confuse them in the best way, because it’s unlike anything they’ve tasted before.

BS: You’re rooted in family flavours, like your dad’s lemongrass and ginger broth, but your menu is fearless. How do you balance nostalgia with experimentation?
HMJ: I think it’s more the idea of nostalgia I’ve captured. My dad’s broth is nothing like mine, I’ve adapted it over the years. That evolution itself feels nostalgic. I like to make food that reminds people of something. We recently had a strawberry eclair on the menu that tasted like childhood, with strawberry sauce influenced by the ice cream truck.

BS: You’ve worked with local producers like Toad Bakery, which I’m a big fan of. How do those connections shape the dishes you put on the menu?
HMJ: We’re all about community at Hausu, and Toad will always be our bread supplier. They’re excellent! Maybe we’ll do a collab one day?!

Photos by Beanie Stolper

BS: Asian flavours, Italian technique, Caribbean roots. What’s your secret for making such a global menu feel effortless and cohesive?
HMJ: The key is to stand firm and be bold in what you do. As a chef, part of the fun is developing menus and exploring new flavours. Balance is crucial, it keeps everything harmonious and nothing overpowering.

BS: Looking ahead, what excites you most about the next chapter for Hausu? Whether it’s dishes, collabs, or after-hours vibes, especially as the area around the station is being redeveloped.
HMJ: All of it! I feel like we’re in a really good place, especially as we opened in October 2024. There’s so much potential as we move into 2026. Christmas will be crazy but fun! Hospitality during that season isn’t for the weak! We’ve also got a few secret collabs coming up that we’re really excited about.

BS: Peckham after-hours – where do you head once service wraps?
HMJ: Montpellier! It is a classic! I went for a bougie at the carpet shop the other day! Zapura has delicious cocktails!