There's nothing quite like dining at your favourite restaurant. The fine wine, signature dishes and of course being waited on. As we are now spending more time eating out and more of us are taking a discerning interest in food and drink, there has never been a better opportunity to top up our knowledge on food, restaurants and our favourite chefs.

If you've ever wondered what top chefs are really like in person or what culinary delights your city's best restaurant serves then you'll be pleased to hear we have top chef Jun Tanaka from Market Kitchen and Saturday Kitchen here to answer all your fine dining queries.

Jun Tanaka is one of the many chefs that will be at this year's Taste Festivals taking place in Edinburgh, Leeds, London, Bath and Birmingham from 29th of May to the 13th of July. The Taste Festivals are the ultimate event for all lovers of fine food and drink. It gives food fanatics the opportunity to enjoy tasty treats prepared by the best chefs in the country whilst savouring the summer sunshine.

As this is a live webchat you'll be able to submit all your culinary questions to food critic Nigel Barden who will quiz our special guests on your behalf. Expect to hear some exclusive expert advice on dining in style as well as what to look forward to at the upcoming Taste Festivals. So if you fancy yourself as a bit of a wine connoisseur or believe you have impeccable taste why not log-on to our webchat and put your taste buds to the test?

Jun Tanaka joins us live online on Tuesday 10th June at 3:45pm to discuss fine dining.

For more information and tickets visit www.channel4.com/taste

H: Nigel Barden, host
J: Jun Tanaka, chef

H: Hello and welcome I'm delighted that you can join us on the Food and Drink Show, I'm Nigel Barden and there's nothing as we all know, quite like dining at your favourite restaurant, and at the moment there are lots of buzz words in the culinary word – prominence, traceability, market gardens, town gardens – whatever it is that we need to know – about where food is from, traceability, it's just that we want to know where our grub is in, what the seasonality of it is all about and basically whose cooking it and where, and I think there's never been a better time than now, because food and drink is such an interesting topic, it's so well covered on TV, in radio and in magazines, and we're very lucky that we can access some great chefs from around the world. I've got someone alongside me, Jun Tanaka, how about this for an exotic background – his parents are Japanese, he was born in New York but he grew up in London. You can find him on Market Kitchen and also Saturday Kitchen, and also cooking of course at Pearl on High Holborn which is a great restaurant in the Pearl Assurance building, and he's a fantastic and very talented chef. Good afternoon to you Jun

J: Good afternoon

H: Taste of London is coming up, but also we've already had Leeds and Edinburgh, and we've got Bath and Birmingham as well. It's going to be a great big summer of culinary love, and for you. What do you like most about going to the Taste events and plugging them?

J: I mean Taste for me has to be one of the highlights of the year, it really is. Not only is it like an opportunity to sort of taste all the different restaurants that you haven't managed to have time to go to, it's a great place for us as chefs. I mean we like to gossip and to catch up with friends that you haven't see for a while, and you know it's – Taste of London is a real reflection on the diversity of food that you can find in London, you know and for the first time this year we have Taste of China which is – I think – is it 4 or 5 restaurants?

H: Actually 5

J: 5

H: 40 restaurants by the way, 40 different restaurants in total available at Taste of London

J: I know. You can taste – well if you've got the appetite, you can – you know you can try you know 40 different restaurants all in one afternoon, and you know what else do you want, you know?

H: There's a crown system where you can operate where you can go and graze happily round all these places. I mean most of them will have 3 different dishes at least. Do you know what you're going to be putting on at this stage?

J: I do – so every restaurant has 3 signature dishes from the restaurant and then we sort of do, sort of a smaller version of it and I've got a spicy tuna with like a pepper and tomato salad, very fresh, great for the summer. And I'm going to do a cured beef fillet with beetroot – love beetroot, and some horseradish. And for desert I'm going to do a white chocolate and passion fruit mousse. But the funny thing is, like this morning, doing the ordering for all that food and it's just a scary amount of food that we're preparing, and the funny thing is talking to the other chefs it's almost like trying to outdo each other in the quantity of food that we're ordering and preparing, and you know over the 4 days it works out something like 79,000 portions which is you know - that's a huge amount of food, it really is. But it's exciting and you know everyone's definitely looking forward to it.

H: I bet they sell out really quickly which is great, because you need to know roughly the numbers.  Because that's the difficult thing, when you get in there you don't know which – at all these different restaurants people are going to pile into, so it's difficult – and also bearing in mind a lot of it's outdoors, you're in marquees you've got mobile kitchens. I mean it must be pretty stressful?

J: It is but it's good fun and exciting at the same time. And the funny thing is when you come up with the menus – the menus have to be planned probably you know a month in advance and depending on what the weather is like will really reflect on how many dishes that you sell. Obviously last year it was pouring down with rain for four days and you know I think one of the deserts we decided to do was strawberries – strawberry and champagne jelly and it was pouring down with rain.  Now if it was sunny that would have flown out, but because it was pouring down with rain for four days we didn't sell a lot of it, so it's quite funny to kind of try to decide, you know depending on the weather what you should kind of serve

H: That's the only, actually the only time Taste in all its history that I've ever know you get any rain because normally it's glorious weather so fingers crossed on that stake.  Anyway, let's have a look at what we might expect at Taste of Festivals

Video Footage

H: Welcome back. You see there you go, there's lots to do, live kitchens, there's tastings, there's not only of wines and beers but also vodkas and cocktails, it's a whole element – it's a big family day out, in fact 3 or 4 days depending on the length of the show in particular question, of the particular question, of the show that's going to be coming up throughout this summer.  As I say we've already had Edinburgh and Leeds, and then we've got London and we have got Birmingham as well, so lots to do and see. We've got a question here from Bethany saying "Jun I'm going to Taste of London this year, I'm really excited, I've been there before – your dishes sounds marvellous, are there any other particular restaurateurs you'll be checking out while you're there?"

J: There's so many.  I'm really excited about a place called Arbutus which is one of my favourite restaurants in London to eat, I think it is the first year that he's going to be doing it and I think that, you know I mean I've eaten in his restaurant probably 5, 6 times and it's incredible the food that he does, and Benares, he's always there, I mean he's been there for –

H: That's Alter Shah isn't it –

J: Yes and you know it's always, you know exciting to see what he does. And you know there's so many places and when I see the list of restaurants, I mean there's so many places that I want to try, and the funny thing is in actually deciding on where you want to go because you know you can't try all of them because you know you'll be too full and actually sort of prioritising and say ok today I want to try these restaurants and then sort of – because you know that you can only sort of eat a certain amount of food, you know but it's going to be a good –

H: Pace yourself.  This is a live show, so do contact us, we'll be delighted with that. Jun's with us here, I'm Nigel Barden and either of us can answer questions, we're both lucky that we've lost our Taste Of virginity many times over, fantastic festivals and they really do show the diversity of produce and cuisine that's available in Britain. I mean that's one of the best things I think about, that's reflected by the Taste of is that the whole range of cuisines from all over the worlds, so not only just in London but basically all over Britain is that now we're so lucky. Maybe even one of the best things about being an empire means that we've brought cuisines and people back to show us how to do them. 

J: Yes absolutely you know 20 years ago when I started cooking, if you wanted to work in the top restaurants or dine in the top restaurants they were predominantly French and now you know you look at what's available and you've got top Indian restaurants, Chinese and just the whole sort of culture and different cuisines has been taken up an incredible level

H: What about - I know you specialise at Pearl in French influence food, what about yourself, what about other influences for you, other chefs and also some of your favourite styles of dining and grub from around the world?

J: I think that you know with anything, when you do it for – you know I've been cooking for 20 years, you know you always dine out and read books and sort of travel to get inspiration, and it's always – you can't stay, you have to always progress and you know you do take influences from you know, the leading chefs, obviously you have Heston in this country, Heston Blumenthal and he leads the way in cutting edge modern British cookery, and you know they are very influential in what the other chefs do and you can see that, and you need those kind of figures that are kind of influenced and sort of inspire at the same time

H: You've worked at, I mean La Gavroche, Michel Roux has been at Taste of London before, I mean and great chefs and also Marco Pierre White of course, I first came across him when he was at Box Tree in Yorkshire, I was a wine merchant up there, but I know you've worked with him at Harveys in Wandsworth at his own restaurant, Marco Pierre White, and the Oak Room at Le Meriden in Piccadilly as well – must have been amazing times?

J: It was and that was the time when he was in the kitchen, and you know people love stories don't they, and you know after working for him for a couple of years you've got plenty of stories, so it's – I felt you know really privileged to have worked there when he was actually in the kitchen, and you know I can't say that I actually enjoyed every day working there, well to be honest with you I used to wake up in the morning and dread going in to work, but looking back with hindsight I could say I enjoyed it

H: Yes. Was it a pretty tough brigade kitchen regime?

J: Yes it was. It wasn't – I wouldn't' say regime in terms of, you know Le Gavroche – amazing, I mean it's an institution, amazing place, but the way they cook everything, but the way you act in the kitchen and the way that everything is sort of – regimented in the kitchen is very professional. Marco's – I'm not saying it's not professional but it's – it's very much, as long as the food is absolutely perfect, everything else sort of doesn't matter so much

H: I can imagine.  I've got a question here from Charlotte from Croydon – "Jun as you cook for a living, do you find that you never want to cook at home or are you quite happy to do so?"

J: I never cook at home.  To be honest with you I can't remember the last thing I cooked at home, and if you open my fridge it's kind of whether I have – I've got long life milk because it always goes off if I get fresh milk.  And then occasionally I'll have some butter in there, don't know for what, and a bottle of water and that's about it. And also I keep coffee in the fridge because it seems to keep fresh longer. And that's it

H: Yes yes. I can imagine. I mean it's such a vocational business, how you juggle it with family and everything, I mean you'll be very focused – I love the fact that you took a decade to go round some of the best restaurants and particularly work with some of the best chefs you've identified as the form of your apprenticeship

J: Yes I mean when I started out, when I decided to take up cookery and for 10 years I worked for other chefs, I just wanted to work in the best places, you know and literally it was from door to door thinking ok where are the best restaurants and I want to work in them. And you know I was lucky enough to be able to do that. I feel really fortunate actually

H: And what advice would you give to anyone who wanted to go into business, say you were a teenager, you've seen all the people on TV, read in the magazines but the reality's quite different – what advice would you give to an aspiring young chef?

J: To an inspiring young chef?

H: Yes to an aspiring rather than inspiring them. Perspiring, yes!

J: It really is, I mean these days like you were saying, I mean TV is huge on TV now and all that side of TV and the books and that is a miniscule part of what we do and really as a job it's not that glamorous, and you know the day to day work, it really is, it can be monotonous and it is really hard and it's not all kind of glamorous at all, in no respect, and as long as, I think the most important thing is to have passion in food. Now if you're really passionate about food and about produce, then you've got sort of, it's almost like ammunition to be able to put up with the monotony, which it can be monotonous, and you know the hard, the long hours and you know you're going to get a few bollockings along the way as well, and I think you need that sort of passion in food to help you sort of get through all of that, and if you have that and you truly want to do it, then possibly you might be able to get through. But it is a hard – it's a hard industry. It really is

H: Bit of discipline in life, you see, you heard it from Jun Tanaka! View.co.uk, foodie website, "what's the one ingredient or utensil that every chef should have Jun Tanaka, in the kitchen?"

J: That's a hard one

H: It is tough, yes

J: Utensil – I mean to be honest with you I'm not that much of a gadget person anyway, especially I mean in the kitchen or at home to be honest with you. So in terms of –

H: What about an ingredient then? Something you're using all the time you think, maybe your favourite herb of the moment or something like that?

J: I think – that's a really – that's one of those difficult –

H: Do you ever use sorrel for instance as a matter of interest? I only say that because at the moment it's a really good seasonal, -

J: Yes

H: I made it with some potatoes recently and suddenly it became another dish and it's a thing we have around you know, it's a herby veg and we do, but you know we're a bit – we're a bit disciplined in our approach, we could be a bit more adventurous I think

J: Yes definitely. I think – woodland sorrel I use which has got a really nice, tangy lemony flavour and they look great on a plate as well. Yes I mean when it comes to actually food – ingredients that you can do without – it's more kind of store cupboard ingredients really, because ultimately when it comes to fresh produce it changes along the seasons, so at the moment if you're saying right now, it would have to be morels, you know your Jersey Royals, you know wild asparagus is in at the moment, you have fresh peas and broad beans, you have cherries just starting, gooseberries, and I think when it comes – it is very much based on seasonality

H: I'm doing a lot of winkles at the moment, that's a fine gastro part –

J: Is it?

H: Yes I think they're great but not a lot of people – there are billions off the British shore and no one eats them and yet they're really good value

J: I've never put them on a menu

H: Oh they're really tasty I think – we export most of ours. James from Wimbledon – "big fan of fine wine Jun and I know you've got a fantastic selection at Pearl" which you have – what's that system you use there?

J: It's called a Cruvinet system

H: Cruvinet - 60 odd wines by the glass or even more

J: Yes. 52 wines by the glass and you know once you open it – it sounds a bit boring but it kind of pressurises it with nitrogen which prevents it from turning basically

H: Well again and if you get the opportunity to get away from your Taste of London, I know we've got again wine tastings going on throughout the festival and I know Lauren Perrier are doing champagnes, good champagne but also the story behind it, it's really fascinating this champagne, how they protect the name of champagne ruthlessly because it's all about quality, wanting to make sure that it only comes from that part of France, around Epernay and Reims and what have you, but again what's great about the Taste Festivals is that you've got a small acreage you've got this whole range you can eat your way round the world. 

J: Yes and also you know they do the wines in small portions as well and again it's so you don't have to drink an entire glass of one particular wine and you can have small tasters, and before every taste I tell all my guys who are there, you can drink but pace yourselves because by the end of it you know if you go around it can get quite a lot so –

H: Yes I know absolutely take your time, particularly if it's sunny and get some shade.  Fooddiary.com – that's foodari.com, "traditionally white wine would be served in a larger glass, and red in the smaller one. Has this practice changed because quite often it is the reverse?"

J: I'm not too sure about that

H: I would say the reverse actually, there you go but actually it tends to be the red wine in the larger glasses, so it has more room to breathe

J: Yes I've never – it's a new one on me

H: Tell you what, again just tasting and drinking out of your comfort zone, maybe people should – I think I mean white wine with cheese, things that they wouldn't – red wine with fish, like a Beaujolais or a red Sansair or something with fish, and again at Pearl you – do you, is that something you encourage people, you've got these wine flights that now people have that they can taste their way around the wine world that was in 5 or 6 glasses?

J: Yes, it's – I mean we have, the great thing about having the Cruvinet system where you can taste individual glasses is we have so many different wines that we can match with the food, so you can literally we can tailor make each wine for each dish and that gives us a real sort of flexibility and you know we try to sort of encourage the diners to sort of experiment you know, because it's like anything, I think people like to play it safe, even myself, you know when you go out to eat, you have your favourites. Doesn't even have to be wine, it could be just going out to a Chinese restaurant, and you always tend to go for something that you already know rather than try to sort of experiment, so you need someone to sort of push you along or guide you and say why don't you try this? And I think Taste is one of those great places where you'll be able to do that, you know because you're, you know, it's just availability of different sort of wines that you can taste, and the food as well

H: And talking about wines as we have been I'm delighted to say that British Airways are the main sponsors for Taste of London this year, and we were lucky enough to catch up with their chief wine buyer

Video footage

Now tell us briefly about the taste bud experience, that changes with altitude doesn't it?

It's not so much the altitude as the dehydrative effect of the aircraft environment. You'll be aware that when you fly you start to dry out, your face gets dry, your nose gets dry, your mouth gets dry, and this has the effect of slightly flattening the aromas and the flavours, but I'm still convinced that the best wine at ground level will be the best wine at 35,000 feet

H: I think hopefully that's answered your question James from Wimbledon, because you're a big fan of fine wine, will Taste Festival, Taste of offer something for you, yes it will indeed so – and not just on the drink side, but again a couple of chefs who you might want to flag up who you see as up and coming ones who you think I'll go and taste their food, they're going to be the stars of the future, or anywhere that you've eaten at recently that you were really blown away by?

J: It would have to be – I mean up and coming, he's already established chef, I mean Aiden Burn at the Grill, I think it's the first year he's going to do it

H: At?

J: The Grill, the Dorchester

H: Yes

J: And I'll be there straight away, and one of my favourite restaurants actually in London is Le Cirque, which is Pascal Aussignac's restaurant, but it's the sister – or brother – of Club Gascon

H: Yes

J: And I've been there 4 or 5 times this year, it's fantastic, so I'll be there. And yes I mean there is, literally so many places that you know – it's on my list

H: Yes, good well that's plenty to – and what I think is really interesting at the moment is that this grazing aspect of dining is that people have small plates and eat their way round, it's more like a Tapas style, and again I think that's reflected in the Taste festivals that you can do that, you can have small dishes and really do eat your way round the world and I just think that's a really exciting way of doing it and it's great that chefs have got behind these festivals so much, I'm delighted – it's always a pleasure to be with you

J: Thank you

H: Jun Tanaka, Market Kitchen, Saturday Kitchen and of course at Pearl when he gets time to go behind the stoves, it's a great restaurant on High Holborn and of course the Pearl Assurance building was where it was originally at and it's fantastic.  And a million pearls as well –

J: I've counted them

H: Yes well apparently – were hand threaded to make up the interior. Thanks very much Jun Tanaka, it's been a joy to spend time with him as ever, and thanks for joining us. Remember that this year's Taste festivals have taken place already in Edinburgh and Leeds and coming up they're in London, Bath and Birmingham and they're running until the 13th July. The Taste Festivals are the ultimate event for all we fooders, foodies, lovers of fine food and drink, and if you want more information or you want to find out about ticket sales do go to www.channel4.com/taste. Thanks very much and enjoy a Taste-filled summer coming up. Cheers, bye