Profile

Kurt Zdesar

Chef, Founder & Owner
Chotto Matte

Founder and Owner of Chotto Matte, Kurt Zdesar is an Australian born chef and restaurateur with over 30 years’ experience in the global hospitality industry. Working his way up from kitchens to front of house and to management, Kurt has a holistic understanding of the hospitality industry. Kurt has spearheaded many pioneering concepts within the sector with almost a decade as European Director at Nobu, where he established their first European restaurant in London which received a Michelin Star within 10 months of opening; the UK's first Michelin Star for Asian cuisine. He consulted for Alan Yau on the launch of Hakassan, helping to establish London's second Asian restaurant to receive a Michelin Star. In 2005, Kurt founded global dim sum chain Ping Pong, launching the business as a highly successful global brand, with a growing revenue from zero to £15m per annum within 2 years. Selling his stake in Ping Pong, Zdesar then continued as a restaurant consultant and concept developer, where he used his industry knowledge and experience to build further fine dining restaurants including Mews of Mayfair (London), Les Bains Douches (Paris) and Block 338 (Bahrain). Continuing his trajectory of developing successful culinary concepts, Kurt launched NZR Restaurant Group, founding Black Roe in Mayfair and Fucina in Marylebone. Kurt identified a gap in the market for premium Nikkei cuisine and launched Chotto Matte (Frith Street Soho) in 2013. This marked London’s debut restaurant solely dedicated to the marriage of Japanese techniques and Peruvian flavours whilst committed to using non-GMO, pesticide and hormone-free ingredients, ensuring high quality fine dining whilst honoring the brand’s dedication to sustainability. Chotto Matte has secured its position as one of the top trailblazing restaurants in the city with Kurt behind the curation of every aspect from menu creation to music programming, to the bespoke design, working with long-time collaborator Andy Martin of Superfutures for each Chotto Matte site. Carefully selecting each site, these highly crafted spaces are designed to reflect the culture of each city in which they are located, working with individual craftsmen and global artists to bring the restaurant to life. Outposts include London’s Soho and Marylebone in Europe, San Francisco, Miami and Toronto in North America and Doha in the Middle East. Kurt is currently focusing on the continued international expansion of Chotto Matte with further confirmed sites in Manchester, Tbilisi, Riyadh and Dubai. Chotto Matte Ltd is part of Noble Restaurant Group, a restaurant company that owns and operates other well-known brands Alley Cats Pizza, Steak and Company, Angus Steakhouse, Ochre, and Muriel's Kitchen.