One Canada Square – More for Penguins

There is no need for good restaurants in Canary Wharf really, no food enthusiast would come all the way to one of the most soulless parts of the city for something they could find even better elsewhere. So despite Tom Aiken setting up shop and Goodman branching out here, nobody cared. One Canada Square caught my eye though, mainly because it’s in the lobby of where I am working at the moment, but also because the kitchen is headed by an ex-Ivy chef.

Apparently the restaurant has taken up 5000 square feet of the lobby – it must be a freaking massive kitchen. Ana and I were led through the after-work crowd at the bar to a modest dining room. David Collins studio might have done great work at Zedel and The Wolseley to create the ambience of classic grandeur, not here though – still very aware that I was sitting at a corner of an office lobby.

Wine list on an IPad. My view is that I have survived 20 odd years of reading a wine list on printed pages, where I do not need to scroll frantically to compare tasting notes between bottles. In case it’s not obvious, images of the bottles do not help me choosing my wine. I would not, and do not, pick the prettiest looking bottle. And of course they didn’t have one IPad for each table, which is why our server kept hurrying us for a decision. Unless I am ordering straight from the tablet, in that case spare me the 12.5% service, save the technology for your internal operations.

Anyway, rant over. Our bread bucket was served with two types of butter. I thought the one with chopped spring onions and a tinkle of orange twang was quite special.

Steak tartare, hen’s yolk

You see, it’s never predictable with Ana. After her disappointment with the steak tartare being removed from the menu at Hoi-Polloi in the Ace Hotel, I called to make sure it was on the menu before meeting up. And guess what, she went for something else. I’ll have it then.

I’m often wary of egg shells touching my food. We all know where eggs come from and we have all seen the odd brown smear every now and then on the shells we buy from the shops… I could only assume the kitchen had thorough washed and scrubbed the shell before placing it on my raw beef. Shudder.

It was a good tartare. The roughly chopped ruby beef was smooth with some chew and well-seasoned with measured acidity. Compared to the luxurious version at Brasserie Chavot, this one still has some mileage to go; the beef was not as gamey, flavours not as balanced, yolk not as fragrant… that said, this will do.

Venison carpaccio, crispy artichoke, rosemary, truffle

The sheets of venison were very meek in flavours despite the sealed edges; it lacked the gamey notes and bloody rawness. While the velvety textures drew out the nutty aroma of parmesan, the smoothness was somewhat spoilt by the harsh crisp from the artichoke. The deep fried vegetable was glistening in its oils, which meant the delicate succulence was replaced by a mouthful of unpleasant grease. I wasn’t sure about the combination of rosemary and truffle either, the two dominating essences had a clash and was thrown off-balance. Quite chaotic.

Scallop & shrimp burger, kimchee, fries

You know when you see something on the menu and you brain goes “Oh dear…” Then your dining partner orders it “Sh*t…” And your dining partner happens to be Ana “The crisis begins…” I mean, I know we are living in an era where burger patties are made with super high quality beef from little cows with name tags, but what exactly is one trying to achieve by mashing up perfectly good bouncy scallops and shaping them into a patty?

Shrimp burgers, or more often prawn cakes, I can understand, because the chopped prawns turn into a thick gelatinous paste with a playful, springy texture. But this mammoth of patty was dense with too much flour, and more annoyingly masked the delicate sweetness of scallops and whatever shellfish hiding in there. Not to mention its unappetizing ugliness. Clashed like a car crash with the lanky bun, lack of accompaniments and obstinate pile ‘kimchee’.

Umm… she ate some fries.

Crab ravioli, leeks, samphire, shellfish sauce

So I had the Medlar’s crab raviolo in mind when I ordered this. The top sheet of pasta was just marginally undercooked and it had dried out to leave a slightly plasticky mouthfeel, but all okay when soaked in the frothy broth. It was excitingly packed with heaps of shredded crab meat, which was unfortunately lacking moistness; it didn’t have the sweet shellfish juice that holds the meat together. The sauce wasn’t concentrated enough to bring the flavours back either, and all in all a very disappointingly bland dish. 

One would have thought being next to Billingsgate, One Canada Square would nail the seafood / fish section with minimum effort. Sadly it felt as though the kitchen doesn’t really know what to do with it, hence the half-hearted effort and poor execution throughout. The entire restaurant was awkward; located at an obscure corner of an office tower lobby, waiting staff with a quizzical smirk when they couldn’t remember which wine you ordered, managers that avoided any kind of eye contact, and finally a crowd that didn’t visit for the food. Enough said.

The bill came to £90 for two - 2 courses with a glass of wine and coffee each – including a 30% off introductory offer. I could eat so much better with that price tag. 

One Canada Square

1 Canada Square

Canary Wharf

E14 5AB

Tel: 0207 559 5199

You may also like: Tramshed, Iberica Canary Wharf, Beagle

On the Bab – Korean Street Food hits Shoreditch

Shoreditch is dominated by Vietnamese restaurants in terms of Asian cuisine, but Korean is slowly but surely getting their claws into the area. Jubo launched its first restaurant in The Bedroom Bar a few months ago, and now On the Bab has picked a less discrete spot near Hoxton Square on Old Street.

On the Bab sells Korean Street food. The cute little restaurant sits less than 30 and tables are quite close together with about 6 bar seats. Mister and I made it to their soft launch, which meant we got 50% off the entire food bill. It also meant we had to queue for 20mins before we were seated, and that we were entitled to go crazy with the ordering. Luckily portions were quite small so it was great for sharing and trying different things.

Kimchi

Kimchi is one of those foods that grow on people. It really grew on me when I began surviving on it in my uni days. There is something moreish about the slightly spicy preserved vegetables that had soaked up all the tangy juices but retaining that crunch. At £2 a pop it’s leaning on the expensive side, considering it’s very much supermarket stuff and some restaurants serve them for free.

Pa Jeon Spring onion & Seafood pancake

Another typical Korean dish, but also one that is rarely done well – too much batter, too little seasoning. I can’t say On the Bab does it particularly well either; there wasn’t enough seafood to give it the chew and flavours, even with the watery soy-based dip. On the plus side, the textures of the pancake was great, crispy and delicate on the outside, soft and doughy on the inside.  Should have gone for the kimchi pancake though.

Japchae glass noodles with vegetables

I am a massive of Korean vermicelli, being a tad thicker and a tad bouncier than the usual ones. These were well-made, al dante with a touch of sesame oil mixed with thinly sliced veg. The mouthfeel was spot on, but the portion was tiny and it would have been even better with sweetened eggs.

Yangyum Chicken Korean fried chicken with crushed peanuts, sweet spicy sauce

The chicken retained its ultra crispiness despite the blanket of more-sweet-than-spicy sauce. The pieces of chicken thigh were freshly fried, and the viscous glaze clung well onto the brittle shell. It reminded me of the buttermilk fried chicken at Upstairs @ Ten Bells, but better. The peanuts, however, were just halved and half-heartedly sprinkled on the chicken, not crushed and roasted to bring out the aroma.

On the Buns – spicy pork

These were possibly the highlights of the evening. Like Yum Bun, the fluffy steamed buns were amply stuffed with thin slices of pork belly, plenty of fresh crunchy veg and a generous squirt of that delicious sweet and spicy sauce. The simple fussless combination was a winner, and I have no doubt the bulgogi beef version was just as good.

This was going for 6.50 without the discount, which just re-iterates how ridiculous Flesh & Buns is charging for a sub-standard equivalent.

Bibimbap rice and various vegetables mixed with gochujang with bulgogi beef

And the visit wouldn’t be right without checking out their bibimbap. Personally I prefer the dolsot bibimbap with the rice served in a hot stone pot with raw beef and sesame oil, but barbeque strips of beef in a metallic bowl would do too. It’s pretty standard stuff here, except it is missing the raw egg yolk! Roar. That’s like having a hot dog without onions, a burger without cheese or eggs benedict without the hollandaise sauce! Not right.

Kimchi Bokeun Bab Korean style kimchi bacon paella with fried egg on top

This was another winner. Paella was merely referring to mixed fried rice with the chili pepper paste, which was moist and tasty on its own. Then Mister broke the egg to mix the yolk with the rice, which really lifted the rice with the subtle heat and made it even more delicious. 

I don’t think On the Bab serves the best Korean in town, but on the street food front, it hits the spot. Some dishes could have been better in terms of seasoning, but it’s no worse than some of the more acclaimed Korean restaurants in Central London. With the 50% discount we ended up with a £25 bill, that’s 3 small dishes and 3 mains for 2 people – I think it was just right for a very hungry couple that had a pretty darn stressful day. I’d come back for more without the discount.

On the Bab

305 Old Street

London

EC1V 9LA

No reservation – walk in only

You may also like: Kimchee, Hoi-Polloi, Song Que

NOPI - The Golden Touch

I tried getting a table at Nopi when it first opened its doors, but then somehow it fell off my eat list... until I see Yotam Ottolenghi sampling all the Mediterranean goodies on TV again. 

The restaurant was beautiful. There was an air of elegance and class with the tasteful touches of brass and the long marble bar with a ceiling of shiny wine glasses; yet it doesn't lose its laid-back, easygoing feel, which is even more prominent in the basement with its large communal table, watching the chefs at work. We stuck to the ground floor - better for our girlie catch up.

Seeing it's it's officially winter and a very gloomy Sunday, we thought we'd start with some cocktails to cheer ourselves up. Denice went for the slightly sparkly Saffron Chase and I had the Pineapple & Sage Martini, made with roasted pineapple puree - delightful.

Burrata, Miyagawa, coriander seeds, white balsamic

Um, did I mention my addiction to burrata? I know I know, it's been an awful lot of these sacks of white creamy stuff I have been eating lately. 

The toasted coriander seeds were crispy and its nuttiness paired beautifully with the stretchy mozzarella, together with the plump juicy segments of mandarin that gave a it zesty zing. This burrata dish is very different to the version by Union Street Cafe; the recipe and combination of flavours were equally good, however I thought the actual burrata cheese itself was more luscious with a richer milkiness at USC. 

Roasted aubergine, feta pickled cucumber, pumpkin seeds

One of the signature items at Ottolenghi's eateries. The thick discs of aubergine were soft and succulent, with a generous sprinkle of pepperberry for a distinctive aroma, and pumpkin seeds for some bite. I wasn't a fan of the pickled cucumber, thought its acidity dominated the rest of the ingredients.

Courgette and manouri fritters, cardamom yoghurt

The cardamom is very pronounced in the fritters even without the yoghurt, but it was mild exotic spiciness, nothing too intrusive. The filling of thinly sliced courgette mixed with greek cheese was moist with gentle crunchiness from the veg. Despite being deep fried, it felt light and healthy.

Grilled quail, black pepper caramel, turnip tops, pickled daikon

The quail may look burnt, but it's the black pepper caramel; there was no unpleasant charcoal bitterness, just subtle sweetness that glazed the skin. The bird was young and tender, simply grilled and lightly seasoned to allow the flavour of the quail through.  

Sticky rice, brown coconut jam, caramelised banana

This was a slight variant of the Thai sticky rice dessert. The small cube was dense, sticky rice was faintly sweet, dusted with a thin layer of raw sugar; I added the peanut brittle and a drizzle of warm coconut milk with the warm banana, it was just right.

The food at Nopi was delicious; vibrant, fresh and bold. Familiar modern European dishes were given a remake with the addition of Middle Eastern / Asian ingredients and spices, injecting them with surprises and twists, as well as the Ottolenghi touch. I got chatting with a couple of the staff on my way out, apparently the savoury cheese cake is unmissable. Noted - I am coming back for more.

Nopi

21-22 Warwick Street

London

W1B 5NE

Tel: 0207 494 9584

You may also like: Kopapa, Dehesa, Social Eating House, Riding House Cafe

The Right Spot on Union Street Cafe

Even though Gordon Ramsay was joking about David Beckham being his sous-chef at his newest London restaurant, a small part of me was still hoping to run into DB on the evening.

We were seated in the mezzanine area where a window allows a good peek into the kitchen. The dining room has an urban, arty feel to it with the bare walls and exposed ceilings. The tables are very well spaced with random modern art pieces here and there, as if they just half-converted a warehouse. Cool vibe.

Our server was incredibly charming, he knew the menu inside-out, back-to-front; patiently and passionately explained each item. Based on his recommendations, we went for 3 starters to share followed by a main each. All with some gorgeous lambrusco rosso.

Burrata d'Andria, zucca, orange & vino rosso

I had my eye this long before I made the reservation; those who know me well would know my addiction to this stretchy, luscious mozzarella.

The cheese was beautifully fresh and milky. I like a touch of honey on my burrata, and the sweetness came from this smooth pumpkin mash in this ensemble, adding more substance to support the meltingly rich cheese, together with the light drizzle of orange juice that kept the dish vibrant and zesty. Loved it - simply delicious. 

Ovoli crudi, parmigiano vacche rosse & lemon

Okay, so it's raw slices of mushroom with parmesan and a squeeze of lemon juice - my little brain could not quite work out how this could possibly be tasty on the plate.  And my taste buds must have missed something too. The crunchy fungi had very little flavours to them, perhaps the flaky parmesan just dominated because even the lemon citrus went unnoticed. The combination just didn't work for me; a little too dry, a little too raw and a little to basic - credit to our server for selling it so well nonetheless.

Tagliolini rabbit & caciocavallo

After brief, very brief considerations for Mr Tofu, the boys decided to order the one pasta dish with rabbit. Well... if only little Tofu would taste as good.

Tagliolini is the finest cut of flat pasta, which was cooked to perfect bounciness with a good chew. The rabbit meat was succulent and tender, slightly shredded to better match its mouthfeel to the thin tagliolini. Caciocavallo is smooth semi-hard cheese with a subtly sweet taste to it, the gentle touch made the pasta dish more dimensional without weighting it down.

Guazzetto di scorfano, clams, mussels & fregola

(I may have forgotten to snap a pic of my main...)

I thought about going for the ox cheeks, but I still think my ox cheek recipe is pretty damn awesome already. So instead I opted for this fish stew.

Definitely one of the better fish stews I have had; the broth was savoury and balanced. It was concentrated enough with all the shell fish goodness, but not to the point of overkill. The large cubes of white fish were slithery and soft, morsels in mussels and clams were plump and creamy, together with plenty of chewy fregola, it was a delicious stew.

Polpo, braised borlotti & Calabrian 'nduja

The chunky tubes of octopus was delightful, full of bounce and carefully seasoned to bring out its delicate flavours. The bed of softly cooked borlotti (a type of kidney beans) was creamy and gently sweet, mixed in with the slightly fiery 'nduja salami paste, which complimented the springy octopus very well. 

Guancia di bue, polenta, gorgonzola & muscat grapes

The ox cheeks were cooked to the point of disintegration, barely holding in shape. Although it was a very lean cut of meat, the textures werent' grainy as the muscles fell apart into shreds, holding more of the thick gravy in between. Still, I can't say it beats my recipe:)

The fried polenta stole the show for me, the crispy exterior and soft velvety centre was fantastic; interestingly it reminded me of McD's hash browns, but in a good way, I mean a very good way.

Zucchini fritte

We had some fried courgettes on the side. Perhaps the veg was sliced too thinly so it was a lot of batter and not much courgette. I think Granger & Co in Notting Hill does it better.

Given we started dinner at 10, it was way past midnight by the time we finished our mains, we passed on desserts. I will come back to check it out on my next visit though.

Think I have always been quite harsh with Chef Ramsay's establishments. It's definitely not personal, as I adore and am still addicted to Chef's TV shows. Perhaps it's just his newer restaurants that, in my humble opinion, are lacking in surprises and the modern touch. Union Street Cafe, on the other hand,  really delivered.

It's Italian, and Italian is all about top quality produce and fresh (and unheard of) ingredients, be it seemingly poisonous mushrooms, ridiculously looking cheese or unpronounceable pasta. And these are all on the menu. So simply and perfectly cooked to bring out the best of the ingredients - Chef Davide Degiovanni nailed it. 

Union Street Cafe

47-51 Great Suffolk Street

London

SE1 0BS

Tel: 0207 592 7977

You may also like: Zucca, Bocca di Lupo, Jose

Hoi-Polloi - The Many... Glitches

Taking over the Crowne Plaza spot on Shoreditch Highstreet, the very trendy Ace Hotel from New York blended in with the East London scene instantly. Since I haven't got round to hitting the much talked about Bistrotheque or Shrimpy's, so I was genuinely excited about checking out Hoi-Polloi to see what the fuss is about.

The ambience was great - gentle mellow lighting oozes the chillax vibe, with a touch of Scandinavian simplicity and spaciousness. Love the setting - Ana was very proud of her choice of restaurant too. We started with some average bread and a carafe of Bordeaux Superieur, something easy.

Thousand layer potatoes, anchovy cream

The way our server sold this to me, was that it was like deep fried mini dauphinoise potatoes. So I was expecting thin slices of grainy potatoes sandwiched with layers of cream and maybe a touch of stretchy cheese. Dauphinoise my foot. These were rectangular hash browns. At least the outer case was super duper crispy and the potato was ultra soft and fluffy. Anchovy cream could have been stronger to make this dish a tad more exciting though. 

Braised celeriac, celery, cobnuts

As soon as we were seated, Ana announced she was having the steak tartare, which was the main reason she chose the restaurant in the first place. Well, lo and behold - our server told us the steak tartare was removed from the menu on the day. I mean, really? I think it's personal.

This really distressed Ana, despite best efforts from our server... he recommended the delicious "leek & liver", to which Ana winced; the very moreish "puffy scratching", at which she frowned; finally the unique horseradish soup, and Ana was simply uninterested. Finally she settled for this braised celeriac dish, purely by the process of elimination.

And boy this was a poor dish. It looks like an accident, and certainly tasted like one. It's rabbits' food - raw strips of celery and cubes and unseasoned celeriac... like it's still being prepped.

And really they could have done a bit more. When asked how our starters were, we clearly pointed out it was a very disappointing dish, bland and awkward as if it was unwanted bits of leftover garnish piled together. Our server nodded and mumbled a "really? Sorry..." and scurried off. If you're not interested in the answer, don't ask.

Pressed lamb, jerusalem artichoke, radish, Madeira

I had very little confidence left after our starters. I haven't been too impressed so far. Luckily my main turned out well - almost like a cooked version of the much desired tartare. The lamb was slow-cooked to delicate tenderness with subtle bits of fat to give it more tang. I can't say it was the most exciting lamb dish, but it was a good ensemble.

Wild mushroom, artichoke, potato dumplings

Ana got drawn to the artichoke and decided to go vegetarian this evening. The fungi fragrance and flavours were very pronounced, though nothing particularly interesting worth writing home about. I thought the gnocchi were slightly overcooked to my liking, but Ana found it okay. Again, a bit dull.

Lemon curd, meringue, blackcurrant sorbet

Something was very odd about the meringue - it was chewy and stuck to the roof of my mouth. Apart from that, the plate delivered what it said in the description. Nothing more, nothing less.

It's safe to say that I didn't enjoy my meal as much as I anticipated. Maybe the steak tartare would have helped, but who knows? Just in general, the food wasn't exciting enough. It would have been okay if the menu was simple but the kitchen was delivering perfection, but that's not the case either. 

That said, I wouldn't rule it off just yet, it's still in its early days. Plus I still think it's a great place to sit around for a few drinks with some munchies. But the restaurant definitely needs to work on the recipes and tighten up on the execution. After all, a pretty face doesn't last forever.

Hoi-Polloi

100 Shoreditch Highstreet

E1 6JQ

Tel: 0208 880 6100

You may also like: Beagle, Dabbous, St John Bread & Wine

Casa Malevo - Keep to Asado

I had to come up with an option B for Mister's birthday. Though there are various Argentinian restaurants around town, I needed one that looked the part but not too pretentious to the point of trying too hard.

Casa Malevo fits the bill; Mayfair location in the heart of Connaught village, prime imported steaks on the menu headed by a chef with El Bulli on his CV, all set in a warm, homely country-house ambience. Having been to the more casual sister restaurant, Zoilo, and loved the Asado flank steak, I thought this couldn't go wrong. We started off with a carafe of light and easy-drinking Finca la Linda.

Classic Empanadas - Hand cut beef, potatoes & olives 

Mister ordered one out of curiosity. These pastries were stuffed with plenty of beef in a piping hot thick, rich gravy. Personally I'm not a fan of pastry-based dishes, but MIster didn't fault it.

Grilled scallops with cauliflower, caramelised pork belly & chorizo 

Mister was tossing up between this and the chorizo - decided to keep it light with the scallops. 

Everything was done well - the scallops were plump and sweet with a creamy centre, the pork belly had an indulgent layer of gelatinous lard, brought together with a tangy bite from the chorizo jus. BUT. Things were lacking in surprise and flavours were quite subdued and so it was quite a forgettable dish.

Had the great morcilla been on the menu, I would have recommended that instead. 

Mollejas al verdeo - Grilled sweetbreads with onions & lemon 

I heard great things about this, so despite sweetbreads not being a usual choice, I gave it a go. And I'm so glad I did. 

The sweetbread was lightly grilled to give it a delicate, slightly crispy shell with gently charred edges. The texture was divine, wobbly and lusciously creamy and it just dissolved away in mouth. It was almost like bone marrow, but marginally firmer and much less greasy, none of the expected pungency from offal and glands. The crunch from diced onions and mild lemony acidity lifted the weight from the dish - beautiful creation. 

We were then recommended a delicious fuller-bodied Decero to go with our mains.

Asado - slow grilled flank steak & bone marrow sauce 

I remember the Asado dish back at Zoilo being absolutely brilliant. And this did not disappoint - somehow it was even better. The incredibly sexy ruby shade on the steak shouts perfect medium rare, as requested. All the juices and flavours were packed in the muscles, released with every chew. 

The bone marrow sauce was as good as it sounds, rich enough to max out the bovine goodness from the meat, but not too heavy to kill the meat. Absolutely gorgeous. 

Bife ancho - Rib eye 

Unfortunately my rib-eye was nowhere as good. The steak was sweating quite a bit when it arrived and juices were pouring out as I sank my knife into the meat. Hmm... I would say it was cooked to medium rather than medium rare. No I did not send it back because Mister's Asado was cooked to the kind of perfection that would invoke jealousy. I wasn't going to have him wait for my second attempt. Plus it wasn't miles off the mark. 

Therefore it was no surprise that my slab was steak wasn't terrific. I was expecting intense concentrated beefy flavours... sadly it was all fairly weak and somewhat diluted. The meat itself was no longer succulent as most of the juices had sweated onto the plate, though the fattier bites were still quite enjoyable. Having heard such wonderful things about Argentine steaks, I was quite disappointed, both with the slip in execution and quality of meat.   

Papas fritas "Provenzal" & Roasted flat mushrooms

The chips were sprinkled with garlic and parsley, perfectly crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. The mushrooms were slightly under-seasoned and mildly watery, but overall okay.

We finished off with the creme brulee & banana split ice cream - it was as good as I remembered it to be at Zoilo.

I'm almost obliged to say Casa Malevo was great, seeing I did choose it for Mister's birthday. Truth is it was a bit of a gamble, going for the posher version of Zoilo. The good news is Mister enjoyed his steak and I loved my sweetbread starter, the not-so-good news is his mediocre starter and my steak failed. The team of staff made up for a fair bit what was lacking on the plates. Our wine recommendations were good, Roberto made sure we cleared our plates and our server was as charming as it gets. Overall I was pretty happy but I'm more likely to return to Zoilo than to Casa Malevo purely because I prefer a more modern menu. 

Casa Malevo 

23 Connaught Street 

London 

W2 2AY 

Tel: 0207 402 1988 

You may also like: Flat Iron, Little Social, Rhodes W1

Flesh & Buns - Street gone Posh

The Taiwanese modernised the traditional steam buns into Chinese burgers by stuffing them with various types of slowcooked meats. Somewhere along the line, a Chinese restauranteur in NYC put a Japanese spin (and name) on these gua bao buns and now these Hirata buns have taken the town by storm.

I wanted to try Flesh & Buns few months ago; the buns have generated some noise, but not as much as their S'More dessert. But for obscure reasons, venturing all the way to Covent Garden for some steamed buns takes much more motivation than anticipated. So we kept deferring it, until the opportunity presented itself.

Chicken Yakitori Shichimi pepper

Rarely can chicken skewers go wrong and these stuck to the original recipe, pieces of chicken thigh were tender and well-seasoned.

Fried Squid Japanese pepper, lime

These were hard as opposed to crispy, you know, the kind of rigidity that grazes the roof of one's mouth with an offensive mouthfeel. And there was a lot more batter than squid - When you're charging £8 a pop, at least let me taste the freaking squid! It was just bits and bobs of over-seasoned frozen rubber from a deep fryer.

Oysters jalapeno dressing

The oysters may look like they are swimming in their own sea sick, but trust, these were the best of the evening. There was nothing jalapeno about the dressing, instead it was refreshing with a healthy dose of coriander, which complimented the minerality of the slightly creamy sac from the oyster and its gently crunchy edge. 

Pig Bones sweet and spicy miso

It's ribs. Um... this wasn't particularly memorable but I do recall the ribs being tender and flavoursome. Not to the point that the meat fell off the bone, just that I managed fine with chopsticks. 

Softshell Crab jalapeno mayo

The batter for the softshell crab was better than the squid, a bit greasy, but better. It did feel like I was just eating batter though... again at £9, it's not unreasonable to have higher expectations.

Crispy Duck Leg sour plum soy, beetroot pickle

They ran out of piglet belly! Sigh... disappointment does not even begin to describe how I felt... instincts said duck would be the next best thing.

First of all, the buns. The buns were generally good; arrived steaming hot, feathery fluffily soft and pillowy. Great when they were fresh and hot. But as the buns cool, they became more moist and denser with a slightly plasticky exterior. I only noticed because we were served all 3 servings of buns with the duck. The other two mains followed about 10mins later.

The duck, well the photo says it all really, unappetising. Sauce was weak too, a more viscous sauce would have held better in the bun. Although a bowl of leaves and some pickles were served to add some crunch, the whole thing was still pretty flat. Maybe I was after some crushed nuts and chopped spring onion to add more dimension...

Flat Iron Steak bbq sauce, red onion pickles

Grilled to a medium rare, as requested - It was a great piece of beef on its own. When it went in the cold bun, though, together with the diluted bbq sauce and the overly sour pickles. the meat lost its magic. Perhaps the acidity killed the meaty flavours, or the texture of medium rare steak clashed with the cooled bun, I can't put a finger on it, but it felt as if the combination ruined a good steak.

Why don't they have slow-cooked meat on the menu? Braised ox cheek / brisket and pulled pork would be wonderful with these buns...

Salmon Teriyaki lemon, sea salt, pickled cucumber

This could be one of the more unpalatable things I have ever eaten in a restaurant. The salmon was severely overcooked to a dry, mushy texture, amplifying its tin food-like fishiness in flavour. Regardless of the amount of sugary, watery teriyaki sauce one drowns the cold piece of fish, it was still very much a cold cat-food sandwich. Downright unpleasant.

S'More marshmallows, biscuits, green tea chocolate

One of the most talked about dessert in town. The massive clay pot of fire created great theatricals. As instructed, I slowly roasted my slab of marshmallows over the fire for a few minutes, then sandwiched it between the two biscuit thins with the sheet of green tea chocolate melting away in the middle. 

The gooey centre, velvety chocolate and brittle biscuits work beautifully together. It was, however, insanely sweet, even by my standard.  Good fun nevertheless.

Kinako Donut black sugar custard

The donut didn't have the fun factor, but I preferred it to the S'More. The plump ball was airy with a crispy shell, oozing aromatic custard filling with vanilla seeds. Simply nice.

Quite a few things didn't click with me at Flesh & Buns. The most obvious is that the prices are leaning on the extortionate side. Yum Buns on Old Street offers 2 buns for £6.50, with 50% bigger buns. fresh off the steamer, stuffed with various fillings; F&B is charging 3 times the price, not to mention the £2.50 extra buns, plus service. Yes I know this is a restaurant and blah blah blah, but hey, hirata buns are street food. Period. There is nothing gourmet or premium in the ingredients either.

More importantly, the quality of food is sub-par. When the highlight of the evening was the one item that does not require cooking, it says a lot about the kitchen. I won't repeat what I have already written above, but in summary, a lazy, thoughtless menu executed by a sloppy kitchen with average quality ingredients, made only presentable with a lot of gimmicks.

On a positive note, the lycee and pomegranate martini was lovely.

Flesh & Buns

41 Earlham Street

London

WC2H 9LX

Tel: 0207 632 9500

You may also like: Bone Daddies, Kirazu, Kopapa