Given that Wednesday is the new Friday, Nobu Shoreditch has launched Wagyu Whisky Wednesdays, a menu of original cocktails inspired by Japan, alongside premium Japanese beers, gins and whiskies accompanied by a plethora of nibbles featuring the finest Wagyu beef, all enjoyed in this capacious subterranean restaurant and bar. The Drinks The Lychee & Elderflower Martini is a seriously refreshing dose of delicious; light and fruity, delicately flavoured and dangerously drinkable, it packs a subtle punch. For a seriously boozy hit though, you can’t go wrong with the Chita Whisky Sidecar, a take on the classic favourite featuring delicious Japanese Whisky. Almost too potent for a Wednesday. The Food The food is the star of the show. Cooked fresh to order in front of your eyes on the terrace, with the soundtrack of a live DJ in the background, it's the perfect way to get over the hump of the week. The Wagyu is clearly as pampered in death as it inevitably was in life. The Rock Shrimp in a crisp tempura scattered with shiitake mushrooms, on a bed of yuzu-dressed greens and drizzled in the most sublime creamy, spicy sauce, was fantastic. Sticky Umami chicken wings featured a spicy ‘dragon’ sauce with a decent kick. The Wagyu gyoza were two perfectly crisp parcels, stuffed with sweet melt-in-the- mouth beef, accompanied with yet another sauce that had every last drop mopped up. Wagyu gyoza was an intriguing take on a classic; presented three ways with a trio of different finishes and flavours dabbed on top. The verdict
We can't think of a better way to while away a Wednesday than a delicious spread accompanied with a pair of perfect cocktails. The Details The menu is currently ongoing so get date in your diary. Available at Nobu Shoreditch, 0-50 Willow St, London EC2A 4BH. Tel: 020 7683 1200. www.nobyhotelshoreditch.com/nobu-restaurant-bar Our experience overall Food and drink: ★★★★ Ambience: ★★★★ Staff attentiveness/friendliness: ★★★ Laurel Waldron *During my visit I was hosted by the team at Nobu Shoreditch. All opinions are my own.
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With the smorgasbord that is Camden Lock market, you'd be forgiven for thinking NW1 was saturated for good food, but there's one restaurant you need on your radar. Asian restaurant Inamo has migrated north and added a new location at Mornington Crescent to its portfolio already including Soho and Covent Garden. Influenced by the flavours and dishes of Japan, China, Korea, Thailand and beyond, the food is great, but that isn't the best part of it... THE VIBE The chain is passionate about creating a point of difference delivering an experience for the diner that brings a sense of fun to add to the flavour, and so with the help of sister company Ordamo, they were the first to launch an interactive ordering system. Trust me, it's fun. Through an overhead projector, diners can set the table ambience by changing the background, see an illustrated food and drink menu on the table, check out what's going on in the kitchen via Chef Cam and play games while they wait. Not just for kids - we were a bit gutted that our food arrived so quickly, to be honest. THE FOOD
About the food; it's tough to choose - it was all delicious. Fresh, sharp flavour pairings, seriously moreish sauces - your eyes WILL be bigger than your stomach. Though the extensive sushi offering looked pretty divine, we went for a selection of Asian tapas. The chicken satay was succulent and juicy, with a fantastically fresh peanut sauce (sounds obvious but I've tried some really bad ones that tasted like they came from a can). We tried the beef tataki on the waitress' recommendation, a classic Japanese dish of rare British rib-eye steeped in ginger and ponzu sauce - so melt-in-the-mouth delicious we easily could have devoured two! The pork Char Sui Buns were perfectly fluffy, while the sticky Korean Chicken Wings in a tangy sauce came sprinkled with dessicated coconut - a tasty touch that added an extra layer of flavour. I'm a big fan of the Chicken Karaage, marinated in ginger, garlic, soy fried & served with teriyaki. In fact, the only thing that didn't work for me was the Baby Crispy Seaweed, baby tiger prawns and squids in Japanese tempura that had a little too much batter and not much flavour. Make sure you hit up the cocktail list as well; I can heartily recommend the Lychee Martini - Absolut vodka shaken with fresh lime juice, lychee liqueur & juice. There's also a rather lovely looking terrace to enjoy on a lovely summer's day. THE VERDICT For delicious, fuss-free Asian cuisine, Inamo's the one. Food and drink: ★★★★★ Ambience: ★★★★★ Staff attentiveness/friendliness: ★★★★★ Laurel Waldron While I used to be an East Finchley resident, it takes a lot to drag me up north these days, but the sound of Tootoomoo was just too tempting to resist. With four locations in Highgate, Whetstone, Islington and Crouch End, the pan-Asian restaurant fuses Malaysian, Chinese, Japanese, Thai and Vietnamese influences to create a menu packed with mouthwatering dishes, combining a pinch of the ancient with modern cooking techniques from executive chef Ricky Pang. THE VIBE Modern, chic, but full of character. The Crouch End branch has red walls scribbled with quirky words, gorgeous tiled sections and plenty of greenery. It was empty when we arrived at 7pm, but within about 15 minutes the place was buzzing - we’d clearly hit their golden hour. with a menu of light bites and tapas-style small dishes, it attracted a crowd of locals popping in for a quick bite, groups on a post-Christmas catch up and even the odd date night couple. THE FOOD Tootoomoo boasts a very impressive tasting menu, with the Explorer (for 2 people, 6 dishes for £30) and Discovery (for 4,10 dishes for £50) both very cost effective options. We went for the former, choosing three dishes from the small Plates or Sushi sections and three from Sashimi, Salads, Tempura, Grill or Wok. Sampling the former, we started with some juicy plump chicken gyoza in an incredibly moreish black rice vinaigrette and perfectly crispy shichimi Japanese pepper and sweet chilli squid. The duck and watermelon salad is highly recommended, refreshingly summery and definitely one I shall try and recreate at home. The salmon sashimi was properly melt in the mouth and came with a fresh homemade wasabi, a pleasant - if fiery - change to the green sludge usually accompanying shop bought sushi. The Pad Thai was perfection and their satay chicken hands down some of the best I’ve ever tasted. Being January we stuck to mocktails, sampling the Virgin Orchid, the delicious combo of cranberry, apple and lychee, though it’s worth noting that if your postcode falls under one of their delivery areas they can deliver cocktails to your door… THE VERDICT For fast, fresh, affordable pan-Asian cuisine - you can’t beat it. I admit, I’m a bit gutted they aren’t south of the river. For the rest of January, you can also satisfy your cravings with a ‘£5 from 5pm menu’, saving up to 50%, available exclusively from 5pm – 6:30pm, Monday – Friday, so now there’s no excuse not to try it.
Gilgamesh is offering guests throughout December a special set menu with authentic Asian dishes with seasonal ingredients.
Starters include tantalising roasted scallop and avocado roll with tobiko, monkfish tempura accompanied by a fish and citrus ponzu sauce as well as crispy black cod drenched in a rich mango sauce balanced with citrus dressed broccoli. Diners can then decide between slow roasted short rib of beef with bulgogi sauce and the signature steamed Chilean seabass with hijiki in a ginger and spring onion soy broth. Both main courses are complemented by sticky or jasmine rice, chopped Asian salad with goma and kizami wasabi dressing and a fragrant side of wok-fried lotus root, lily bulb asparagus and tofu. To follow, there is white chocolate and mint mousse with cranberry cake on offer in addition to toasted coconut panna cotta with candied water chestnuts and Thai basil. Pavels Baranovs has taken over the helm of Gilgamesh creating food that is not only beautifully presented, but also full of flavour. He is maintaining high standards for loyal customers whilst at the same time introducing twists on classic dishes. The Christmas set menu is £55 and the vegetarian set menu £45. Visit www.gilgameshbar.com for more information about the venue and menus. Gilgamesh Stables Market Chalk Farm Road London NW1 8AH A.A. Miln |
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Bon Appetit!There's nothing more delicious in life than indulging in a sensational meal. |