After graduating from University with a B.Bus in Hospitality Management and Chef Trade papers from the Australian Army Reserve, Shaun Presland began his career 26 years ago in a Traditional Ryokan in the mountains of Yamagatta, central Japan.

Shaun spent two years immersed in Japanese language, culture and cuisine, cooking in a Ryokan and learning from the locals.  He then went back to Sydney Australia and spent five years learning kaiseki cuisine, then a further five years solely dedicated to sushi.  He has worked for the Merivale Group, first establishing Sushi E, and later Ivy Teppanyaki and Sushi Choo in the Ivy complex. 

Shaun was next spotted by Nobu Matsuhisa who appointed him executive sous-chef at Nobu in the Bahamas. 

In 2008, Shaun was in the team that conceptualised a contemporary Japanese restaurant with a focus on creating a shared dining experience with first-rate dishes from sustainable produce, opening the flagship Saké Restaurant ‘The Rocks, Sydney’ in 2009 and then a further five Saké outposts on Australia’s east coast during the following eight years.

Shaun has established a strong following on the Australian dining scene earning a total of 18 coveted chef hats in the Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide since 2002 including Best Sushi Restaurant in Sydney for 2011 and 2012, Best Sydney Asian Restaurant 2014 and Best Japanese Restaurant in Australia 2015.

Now wanting to establish himself in the UK, most recently (pre CV19) Shaun created his own brand ‘Pacific’ and finished a very successful four month residency at 10 Heddon St, Mayfair, which he took over as a popup site culminating in a great London following with some incredible reviews.

Shaun has featured as a judge, celebrity chef and mentor on TV for Masterchef and Junior Masterchef in Australia. He has featured in countless newspaper, magazine and trade journal articles and has been working and travelling in New York, London and Tokyo where he won silver at the Washoku World Culinary Challenge in 2016.

He is a global ambassador for Clean Seas Hiramasa Kingfish and Stehr Group Southern Bluefin Tuna (Eyre Peninsula, SouthAustralia) featuring heavily in person on their Global (Australia, China & London) promotions and world-wide media.

Ingredients:

Tonkatsu

• 2x boneless pork loin chops (1/2 inch thick)
• 10g table salt
• 10g ground white pepper
• 30g plain flour
• 1 egg
• 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 2L (or more depending on your fry rig) for deep frying
• 1/2 small head savoy cabbage
• 1 thick long piece spring onion
• 60ml Tonkatsu sauce (shop bought)
• 1 teaspoon hot English mustard

White Dressing

• 125g white onion peeled (approx. 1/2 medium size onion)
• 310ml vegetable oil
• 110ml rice vinegar
• 1 pinch white pepper
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons hot english mustard
• 3 teaspoons white sugar
• 3 tablespoons hot water

Steamed Rice

• 3 cups short grain rice

Equipment:

• Rice cooker or saucepan with a tight-fitting lid
• Deep fryer or rig for frying
• Draining rack
• Plastic wrap / Clingfilm
• Sharp Kitchen Knife
• Mandoline (optional - nice to have but not a necessity)
• Collander with fitting bowl
• Clean chopping board