opening sequences of an Indiana Jones film. The concept here is that dishes are served when ready, so dishes continually arrive throughout the meal, therefore ensuring that the food is fresh, and also encouraging sharing amongst the table. The menu is extensive, covering dishes from many regions, but the link is always the attention to detail, and the rich and exotic flavours, that moves through Sushi & Sashimi and starters, via salads and soup, to Seafood and Meats (with the accompanying vegetables, noodles and rice), to mouth- watering desserts, which are all made on the premises. With such a selection choosing is almost impossible, so I was grateful for the sanctuary of a tasting menu which seemed to cover all the bases, and so Helen and I opted for this at £48 a person. In the spirit of not making choices, we also opted to add wine pairings, which for £26 was great value. This difficult decision was accompanied by plenty of poppadums with a delightfully spicy tomato sauce which I am pleased to say was refilled regularly, as I just love the crunch which always sets me up perfectly for the rest of my meal! Our first set of dishes included Salmon Sashimi, warm Crunchy Rice, Chipotle Emulsion and spring onion along with Spicy Tuna Roll. The smooth salmon was surrounded by the warm crisp rice bound with just the right amount of vinegar, accompanied by an emulsion sensitively adding heat from the chipotle emulsion (literally
6
American In Britain
meaning“smoked chilli”), and the spicy Tuna Roll which again had enough spice to add flavour and zing without being overpowering. These starters were ably accompanied by a glass of Vaporetto NV Prosecco from Venezia, Italy, which takes its name from the ‘Little Steamer’ boats that used to run up and down the canals. Its soft pear and floral flavours with a refreshing sparkle always start a meal well. The Asian tour of food continued with the next course as we moved from the Japanese/ Mexican combination, to India and Thailand, as we were served Spiced Chicken Samosas and Charred Chilli Rubbed Beef Skewer with a Thai basil dipping sauce, accompanied by a French Sauvignon Blanc. I am not usually a fan of samosas as they can be too greasy for my taste, but these were crispy and light. From the moment I looked at the menu I was looking forward to the main course, as the combinations on offer, if done well, really excited me. The first dish was Cod with Malaysian Chilli sauce, Thai basil and celery. Malaysian curries are rich in turmeric and use coconut milk and chilli peppers, and this richness complemented the slightly salty and flaky cod perfectly. The second dish was a Chargrilled Chicken with Kumquat Lemongrass dressing which moved us over to Vietnam, where Kumquat juice is used. The common error with chargrilling is that to get that crispy outer layer, the chef over cooks it and the inner part is dry and chewy. Here, the
inside of the chicken was moist and succulent, and the chargrill contrasted the sweet Kumquat dressing, living up to my initial expectations. These two dishes were accompanied by Ginger fried rice and Helen and I opted to add a Pad Thai (as it’s our favourite) which was rich with prawns. A real treat, and all washed down with a 2013 Australian Shiraz. Having travelled around most of the Asian subcontinent, for dessert we ventured back to two countries we had visited before, Thailand and India, where we were treated to desserts I just loved. The first offering was from India in the guise of an Ovaltine Kulfi with Caramelised Banana and spiced milk chocolate sauce. Kulfi’s have similarities to ice cream in appearance and taste, but they are denser and creamier, and here it was like eating a rich and velvety milk chocolate fudge bar, and I can’t think of many better things. This strong and rich taste was juxtaposed with the other dessert, namely Thai Jewels and Fruits with crushed coconut ice, as this, although creamy, was lighter and icily refreshing. Again the wine selection of a Sauternes matched the dishes well. In the heart of London there is now a place to just grab a few dishes in a relaxed atmosphere or alternatively travel the culinary trail through Asia with a larger meal. Either way, you won’t be disappointed, and may well start yearning to visit those market stalls for yourself.