At 31 degrees, there is no better place to dine than
Ottolenghi. The small deli counter with an add-on dining room is a pain to
book.
As usual the place was packed with people waiting at the
deli counter. We were shown to the long white communal table, almost rubbing
elbows with our neighbours. We had a bottle of Lambrusco Fernando – not the
kind of viscous, sweet Lambrusco I was hoping for. It was surprisingly dry and
thin, almost Rose like. The bread board had an excellent variety; thought the
cornbread was a bit dry and crumbly, but the rest was fine.
Yellow fin,
line-caught seared tuna with mixed sesame seeds and soy, honey, spring onion
and ginger sauce
I really enjoyed the cold deli dishes at NOPI, especially
the aubergine with yoghurt. But seeing we have secured a table, we thought we’d
concentrate more on the dishes from the kitchen. Cold food from counter we can
always get as take-out for picnics.
The tuna was beautifully seared on the rim with a sesame
crust, leaving the majority of the slice raw and sashimi-like; its rich,
luscious textures were amplified by the generous thickness of the cut. The
honey dipping sauce complimented the powerful rareness well, with a subtle,
fragrant kick from ginger and spring onion. Delicious.
Poached lobster,
green tomato and lime salsa with pickled cucumber, coriander and fried capers
The small cubes of lobster were cooked perfectly to retain
its bounce and succulence. The dish was kept light and summery with a mildly
tangy and citrusy salsa, plenty of crunch to contrast with the soft lobster.
It was hard to pick a favourite from the 3 dishes from the
kitchen, but if I had to choose one, it would be the quail. The skin was almost
covered with mustard seeds, and the mixture of popping seeds and crispy skin
gave a very interesting mouth feel. The
muscles were moist and tender, packed with gamey flavours from the little bird,
gently lifted by the citrusy fruitiness from tiny cubes rhubarb and apple. It
was simply a perfect execution of a very balanced dish.
Roast pork belly,
prawn and chilli sambal, pickled kohlrabi, nashi pear and chargrilled baby leek
The skin on the pork belly was incredibly brittle, shattered
into pieces as I pressed my knife through the slab of juicy pork. Despite the
belly, it didn’t feel greasy or heavy, the meat tasted clean with concentrated
piggy flavours. The sambal added an eastern touch with more powerful kicks,
evened out with the sweet pear sliced. I only wish there was more of it.
Strawberry Cheesecake
The food was spot on. Like NOPI, the recipes were well
thought-out and creative to add an unexpected twist. The dishes were kept light
but with plenty of flavours and textures. I am a fan of small dishes, and these
were perfectly sized to allow tasting of a few without being over-indulgent. I
didn’t think there was much ambience in the dining room at first, there was
something a tad too sterile about the shiny white table and chairs and the
minimalistic interior. As it got darker outside though, the effect of the
candles was more warming and brought a cosier vibe. I really enjoyed my
evening.
On a side note, we went to see Mr Burns at Almeida Theatre
across the road. It was an extremely odd play. I’m not going to lie – I slept
through the first act. It got better I the second act and then I was completely
lost in the third, thinking I was conned into a weird cult gathering. I
understand the underlying message around fragility of memory, but the delivery
was not my cup of tea. Marmite material.
287 Upper Street
London
N1 2TZ
N1 2TZ
Tel: 0207 288 1454
You may also like: Arabica Bar & Kitchen, Yalla Yalla, Riding House Cafe
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