Hidden in the London School of Mosaics is a culinary and cultural haven that celebrates food from many parts of the world with true authenticity.

Mother, in Mansfield Road, Gospel Oak, boasts chefs with culinary expertise in Thai, Japanese, Malaysian cuisine, to name but a few.

The captain of the ship is Chris Ilankovan, who has a background in fine art. Following his degree in painting at Wimbledon, Chris developed his love of food and community into pop-up supper clubs. This was followed by a spell of running the kitchen at the Royal College of Art.  

When an empty and derelict space next to the London School of Mosaics become available, Chris was asked by the school's owner Sylvie to bring his sense of community and culinary expertise to this space. Four years later, Mother canteen is truly thriving.

Ham & High: Russell Bentley has discovered Mother which serves authentic home cooked food from around the worldRussell Bentley has discovered Mother which serves authentic home cooked food from around the world (Image: Russell Bentley)

Whether it’s South American, European, South East Asian, Korean and East Asian or African dishes, you can find them all under this one roof. All genuine home comforts made with true detailed authenticity. Today has a specific Burmese dish, Gaeng Hang Le. that you would find in someone’s home rather than a canteen or restaurant. Chris says that it’s a way to show respect to those respective cultures and reflects the regional specificity of the dishes.

Chris employs a crew of talented chefs, among them Tan and Rhian. Tan’s background is Thai but she has a keen interest in Japanese and Korean food. Rhian from Atlanta has a family background in Creole food (hailing from New Orleans), which is again highlighted in the menu and specials. 

During Covid, Chris was keen to highlight the more complex dishes, rather than lasagnes and sandwiches, and this was again shown in the regional dishes you wouldn’t find at home.

I was impressed with Chris’s  positivity and strong vision. Moving forward he wants to develop monthly supper clubs. He will continue to highlight guest chefs and has many more ideas, so watch this brilliant space.

  • Russell Bentley is an actor and writer based in Belsize Park.