Da Terra

 4 hands dinner

Moqueca

I was super gutted when Greenhouse was shut down for good in early 2020, as chef Alex Dilling's cooking has to be one of the finest in London, I have eaten at Greenhouse when it was headed up by Antonin Bonnet and Arnaud Bignon, and I got to say Alex's offering is far better than both. When I discovered he is doing a one-off dinner with chef Rafael Cagali at Da Terra, I wasted no time to book a table. Da Terra has long been high on my visit list, headed up by Rafael who worked with some top the greatest chefs in the world such as Martin Berasategui and Simon Rogan, Latin style creative fine dining is rare in the UK so I was eager to see what Rafael got in store for the dinner. The meal came in a tasting menu format, with 5 dishes from each chef.

Canapes

Caviar, crab, ginger

 

Carabineros, olive, datterini

 

Andignac foie gras

 

with five spices, quince

 

Clam chowder, cockles, razor clams

I noticed some dishes came from Alex's Greenhouse days, the clam chowder served with silky soft potatoes with crokes and razorclams, it tasted as good as it looked with some bold seafood umami taste, it was less refined vs The Greenhouse version but that is understandable for a one off dinner. The Landes chicken was stunning, stuffed with cep and foie, beautifully crafted with a lovely sweet and saoury aroma. The chicken was super tender and smooth, it was not just the best dish of the evening for me, it was the best chicken dish I have encountered in London, ever. Rafael's cooking was also outstanding, the showstopper moqueca had a rich, creamy, yet fresh shellfish flavour, the sauce from the stew was served on a piece of finely cooked halibut, the seasoning was perfect, can't fault the dish at all.

Chefs at work!

Duck tortellini, cured duck, whey, watercress

 

Wild halibit, palm, cassava

 

Landes chicken

 

Champagne, yogurt, lemongrass

 

Sorrel, blackberries, vinegar

The special 4 hands dinner at Da Terra reminded me how great Alex is as a chef, he is up there with the very best in the UK for sure. It was also great to experience Raferal's very interesting Latin takes on fine dining, based on what I have encountered, I would love to return to Da Terra to sample its true offering. All in all, the special one-off 4 hands dinner was truly wonderful and I am looking forward to sampling both chefs' cooking again in the near future.

Food 4/5


Average cost without drinks and services:
£140

8 Patriot Square, London E2 9NF

https://daterra.co.uk/

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Behind

Seafood modern counter dining

Oyster taco, gentleman’s relish

Kitchen table/counter dining as a concept is somewhat a rising trend in the UK, great if you are a serious foodie wanting to be up close to witnessing all the dishes preparing in front of you. I personally enjoy such a concept so when I hear there is a new counter dining restaurant launching with a focus on seafood, I have added to my to-visit list right away. With 18 seats only surrounding the open kitchen. The chef behind it is Andy Beynon, the former development chef for Jason Atherton. So on paper, you just know the cooking would be of good quality. Behind only serves a tasting menu, which contains 8 courses, and every dish is served by a chef, along with a sommelier who takes care of the drinks. All the table service are done by the chefs too.

Native Lobster muffin

Mushroom ‘tea and toast’

 

Crab, jelly, plum, cardamom

 

Roasted Hake, cockles, sherry

The tasting kicked off with some canapes sizes dishes, the Cornish blue lobster muffin was the best of the lot, I enjoyed the yuzu dressing which really uplifted the natural sweetness of the fresh lobster. The mushroom course contained no seafood but was solid, the hen of the wood mushroom had a lovely chewy texture with just the right tone of earthiness, the thin layer of parmesan crisp act at a great combination with its bold salty umami taste, it was a classic flavour done in a modern and clever way. The roasted Hake dish was the highlight of the evening, the fish was cooked perfectly, very moist and finely seasoned. It came with a sherry sauce that offered a soft dry and sweet taste, which uplifted the savouriness of the whole dish, it was wonderful.

Chefs at work

Guinea Fowl, Pumpkin and seed

 

Clementine

 

Chocolate, salted pine and ricotta

Behind as a concept really tick for me, the food was great and the experience itself was fun as I always enjoy engaging with the chefs. I visited when the restaurant was only 2 weeks old so for sure it was far from perfect, I found a shell in my crab course, and some chefs are better than others when it comes to communicating with diners, but nothing major. I think the concept does works and for 68 pounds to have a proper fine dining level meal with some great quality seafood ingredients used, it is a pretty decent value as far as London standard goes. Behind opened at perhaps the worst time with COVID 19 really has an impact on the restaurant industry, but once that is all behind us, I can see it does really well and I wish Andy and team all the best.

Food 3.5/5

What I paid:
£125 with wine

Average cost without drinks and services:
£68

20 Sidworth St, Hackney, London E8 3SD

https://www.behindrestaurant.co.uk/

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Blue Jasmine

 Contemporary Southeast Asian cuisine

Carabineros prawn in royal supreme stock and corn noodle

While I was planning my trip to New Forest, I was out of idea where to find a decent place to eat while I was stopping by at Southampton. Southampton is not known for its high-quality restaurant offering and I was struggling to find anything after extended research online. In the end, I discovered a Pan Asian restaurant called Blue Jasmine. It is a new restaurant which only just launched in early January, and turned out it is headed by an ex-head chef of Duddell's, which is a personal favorite restaurant of mine. Given the pedigree of the chef, I was pretty sure Blue Jasmine standard wouldn't be bad at all. Looking at the menu, it contains elements of Cantonese, Thai and Malaysian cuisine. The decor is very modern and almost as an exclusive club feel to it, located by the waterfront with a beautiful view of the sea.

Grilled Chilean sea bass with pomegranate glaze

Spicy rendang chicken with smoked onion and pink peppercorn

Sarawak black pepper roasted duck and pancake

As I attended as a large group, I got the chance to sample most of the dishes from the a la carte menu. The Carabineros prawn was an impressive beast with its sweet melting taste but I felt it was a touch overcooked, the shellfish stock was intense, loaded with the essence of the sea which could rival any high-level French kitchen. The grilled Chilean sea bass was hard to fault, the fish was so flaky and smooth, well seasoned, and cooked to the perfect level. The pomegranate glaze added a touch of sweet and fruity taste that offset the richness of the fish, with the ginger crumble added a refreshing sharpness which enhanced the sweetness of the fish even further. The stone-grilled Percik chicken was the best dish of the lot, it had a small hint of smoky aroma with mellow creamy spicy taste, served in a curry sauce that carried so much depth of spices and umami taste but yet felt so refreshing at the same time. That dish alone with a bowl of rice would already make it a memorable meal.

Hampshire pork belly with orange and white chocolate

Stone-grilled Percik chicken with milk biscuit

Hampshire rib eye beef with black garlic and Sha Cha sauce

In the end, I tasted more than 20 dishes and was struggling to get home. Overall I really enjoy the bold, fresh, and aromatic taste of what Blue Jasmine got in store. It is fair to say the spices level has been toned down to suit more western palate, and the presentation of the dishes for sure has a western fine dining element which you can debate that is not authentic SouthEast Asain cooking at all. However, this doesn't really matter as taste-wise it was generally excellent, and while not every single of the dishes I have tasted hit the high mark, the concept and the execution of the cooking was nothing to sniff at. I would be more than happy to return in the near future when I ever visit Southampton again, as that kind of modern SouthEast Asian food is not even possible to find in London.

Food 3.5/5


Average cost without drinks and services:
£90

Unit 3-4 Alexandra Wharf, Maritime Walk, Ocean Way, Southampton SO14 3QS

https://www.bluejasmine.co.uk/

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Daffodil Mulligan

New age Irish cuisine

Hannan’s Sugar Pit Pork Rainbow Chard, Gochujang

Irish chef Richard Corrigan is one of the most respected chefs in the UK, so when he teamed up with 2 other fellow Irish to launch Daffodil Mulligan in Old Street, it was a big deal. Interestingly enough, before Daffodil Mulligan was launched back in 2019, there was another Irish restaurant in its place but lasted just over a year. When COVID-19 came around, I was wondering if Daffodil Mulligan would suffer the same faith. Thankfully, it has since reopened with an Irish theme menu that has plenty of international flavours infusion. The menu has a large selection of small plates that aim for sharing and many of the mains are cooked in its in-house wood oven or open fire grill.

Pig Cheek, Tamarind & Brown Crab

Beef Tartare & Oyster Cream

Cured salmon, mustard

I picked a few small plates to kick off my meal, the beef tartar arrived in a fashionable style within two oyster shells, along with an oyster cream for dipping. The tartar was disappointed, it was very chewy with some trace of tissue still remained. The pig cheek arrived in a skewer format, with a spicy crab sauce. The sauce was rich with a mixture of sweet and spicy taste which worked well with the moist pig cheek. One of the mains I had was the in-season roasted grouse, the gamey taste was strong but that's how I like it, the meat was tender, well seasoned and the barley absorbed all the lovely meat taste. The showstopper 800kg wing ribs were also pretty decent, nice meaty taste with just the right level of smoky tone. However, there are so many steak joints that can do an even better job and most likely at a lower price.

Chargrilled Octopus Grains & Pomegranate

Hannan’s Beef Rib

Cheesecake

If you haven't been told is an Irish themed restaurant, you will never think it is in a million years, the cooking was very international and modern, which I found it a little confusing. I sample about 12 dishes across its menu and I would say some were great, but also some very average and overpriced dishes. Within Shoreditch, there are so many excellent restaurants and Daffodil Mulligan is some way off to that high standard for me.

Food 2.5/5


Average cost without drinks and services:
£50


70-74 City Rd, Old Street, London EC1Y 2BJ

https://www.daffodilmulligan.com/

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Orient

 King of China Town

Steam crab with rice wine and egg white

Small businesses in China Town are suffering, the damage from COVID 19 was heartbreaking and who knows when China Town can get back to where it was. For many restaurants in China Town, forget about making a profit, surviving is a massive challenge in itself. So I feel to support it, why not go there and enjoy a few meals. I went to the Orient on 2 occasions, one for dim sum, one for a proper dinner treat. I have eaten at Orient a few times before and I found it is the best Cantonese restaurant in China Town, and my latest 2 visits proven to me why once again.

Rice roll with fry donut

Scallop dumpling

Clay pot rice with ribs and chicken feets

Seafood dumpling in soup

For dim sum, all the steam dumpling based dim sum was done particularly well. The scallop dumpling was steamed just to the right level, good ratio of filling, and the skin. The rice pot of pork ribs and chicken feet was also very comforting, the ribs were moist and had a good depth of black bean taste without overpowering. For my dinner visit, I went all out and had a whole crab and a lobster. The crab was steamed in egg white and rice wine, it created such an inviting floral aroma. Cracking the crab was a mission but the outcome was so rewarding, the meat was so sweet and the rice wine really uplifted the umami note. Mixing the rich creamy brown crab meat with the egg white created a fine harmony of flavour too. The pork belly cooked with preserved vegetables in a clay pot was another winner, the port had a melting texture cover with sweet vegetable stock, this is classic Cantonese at its best.

Wok fry soy beef noodles

Empire poached chicken

Clay pot pork belly with preserved vegetables

Stir fry lobster with ginger and spring onions

Both my lunch and dinner visit was fabulous, but I do think the food offering at dinner edge out the dim sum. The classic Cantonese dishes had a touch of refinement and all done head and shoulder above its peer in China Town. The service, strangely is also very good, very friendly which the same cant be said for many other restaurants in the area. For great quality upmarket classic Cantonese cooking, Orient is the one in China Town. For budget and quick eat, go to Cafe TPT. Head to Four Seasons for roasted meat and Joy King Lau for comforting Cantonese cooking.

Food 3.5/5

What I paid:
£30 (lunch)

£44 (dinner)

Average cost without drinks and services:
£25

15 Wardour St, West End, London W1D 6PH

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The Ritz London

Classic hotel fine dining charm

Langoustine, Á La Nage and Bronze Fennel

Ritz is surely the most classy and elegant hotel in London. Since it was first opened in 1906, it has since become the venue for the rich and famous. It is highly popular with royal families, celebrities and wealthy tourists. You will be mistaken if you are in France if you take a step into its stunning dining room. The Louis XVI style decor makes you feel like you are in a royal palace than in a restaurant. In charge of the Michelin 1 starred restaurant is chef John Williams, he has modernized Ritz's Haute cuisine offering while still maintain the traditional charm. You will see classic sharing dishes such as the pressed duck and beef wellington, and John is especially renowned for his seafood cooking. To fully experience what Ritz is all about, I opted for the 8-course epicurean menu.

The Ritz

Canapes

Native lobster, tomato, basil

Crab, Granny Smith Apple and Avocado

Egg custard, truffle, parmesan

The first course of native lobster was fabulous, the light tomato and basil consomme delivered such a refreshing and sweet taste to the lobster, it was a faultless dish. The egg custard had a tofu-like texture, very smooth and creamy, the combination of truffle and parmesan add a delightful rich savouriness to the dish, truly wonderful. The langoustine was another top-level dish, cooked to perfection, the double cream and shellfish stock created such a luxurious sauce that I got nothing but love for it. The main of grouse was not as strong as the seafood dishes, while it was cooked to the perfect temperature and well seasoned, I found the juniper balance was a bit off which really overpowered the whole dish. It was still an enjoyable dish but fall a little short if I compare it to other dishes on the menu.

Grouse, Celeriac, Walnut

Cheese tart, fig

Coconut meringue, mango, lime

Salted caramel parfait, fudge

P4

Going to the Ritz has been on my to-do list for a long time so I am glad I finally got the chance, and it fully matched my expectation. The service was world-class, the decor was stunning, and as for the food, I think it somewhat falls between 1 to 2 stars level. The seafood cooking at The Ritz can easily rival other 2 stars restaurant in London. If you do wish to dine at the Ritz, putting on a jacket and tie is a must for gentlemen, but it is well worth the effort. 

Food 4/5

What I paid:
£183 with wine

Average cost without drinks and services:
£120

150 Piccadilly, St. James's, London W1J 9BR

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