Eating Out

Sticky Mango

33 Coin Street, London, SE1 9NR Telephone: 0207 928 4554

I was recently due to meet up with a friend of mine for dinner near to Waterloo Station, and whilst trying to agree on somewhere to eat we realised neither of us knew of a good restaurant that we both would like despite both of us having commuted into Waterloo for many years. I am pleased to say that this dilemma will now never arise again after my visit to the wonderfully named Sticky Mango, which has been serving its eclectic interpretations on South East Asian food since 2016.

Chef and owner, Peter Lloyd, along with his partner Rosa D’Imperio, run an impressive operation with the slick service, that is warm and friendly, and the food is exceptional.

We visited early on a Friday night and it was interesting to see to whom the restaurant appealed. Next to us were a mother and her two adult daughters enjoying a family meal out, next to them a couple out for a romantic meal, and in the corner a large table of work colleagues out to wind down from the stresses of the week, and each were perfectly catered for.

The restaurant space meanders its way across 3 floors with the lower ground floor home to a stylish cocktail bar, and all floors are tastefully decorated with leather backed black seats and black tables surrounded by an abundance of orchids and bamboo. Our seats were on the top floor and our table perched under a vibrant pink cherry blossom adorning the ceiling.

As mentioned, the food is a fusion of all the best that Thai, Malaysian and Indonesian cuisine has to offer, and boy do these cuisines have lots to offer! The menu is simple with only a few sections - a small plate section, a meat, a fish, and a vegetables, rice and noodles one. Simple maybe, but packed with delights. When my wife and I visit any Asian restaurant it is always the starters that catch our eye, as there is so much variety and flavour on offer, and here our problem was more what not to order, but eventually we chose the Chicken and Shrimp Nam Rolls (£9.50), the Malaysian Chicken Curry Puffs (£9.50), the Spicy Thai Pork Ribs (£9.50), and the Black Pepper Prawns (£12.50). The pork on the ribs was tender and lived up to its title, packing a really spicy punch, and the crispy chicken and shrimp rolls were excellent and fun to eat as you wrap them in fresh crunchy gem lettuce and then dip them in nuoc cham dipping sauce which was basically a sweet, salty, fishy, umami flavoured explosion with a kick! Malaysian curries are more delicate than their Indian counterparts and the chicken curry, lovingly encased in a buttery puff pastry, was rich and creamy and perfectly flavoured. South Eastern cooking is all about taking a pot pouri of different tastes and textures and blending them into a harmonious finish, and the mixture of the ingredients of our final starter, the prawns dish, was an inspired example, as it brought together the sweetness of the pineapple, the sourness of the sauce and large slightly sweet succulent prawns.

Our choices for mains were the Miso Glazed Black Cod, pickled daikon and cucumber salad (£26.50), and the Ox Cheek Panang Curry, pineapple, kaffir lime and coconut foam (£20) accompanied by jasmine rice (£3) and wok fried tenderstem broccoli (£6.50). Miso glazed cod is a classic dish and relies on wonderfully fresh ingredients and the skill of the chef to cook the cod well. Not only were both spot on, the addition of the sharpness of the pickled daikon and cucumber took the dish to a higher level. The ox cheek curry comes in a large ceramic bowl with large pieces of ox cheek nestling in the vibrant penang curry adorned with some coconut foam. Ox cheeks are very flavoursome and have an almost jelly like texture, and were complemented well by the thick, sweet and salty Penang curry.

Having feasted royally we decided to share the signature dessert, the eponymously named Sticky Mango. The dish is served looking like a steamed bun, but once warm coconut cream was poured over it the bun melted to reveal fresh mango and mango sorbet basking on black sticky rice, the ultimate eclectic mix that shouldn’t work, but does.

Sticky Mango is a restaurant which pushes the boundaries of taste combinations, and brings together explosions of sweet, sour, salt and unami together in a way that has delighted diners for many years, and I have a feeling it will continue to do so for many years to come, so when you are in or around Waterloo try it for yourselves, as you won’t be disappointed.

www.stickymango.co.uk

Bokan

Floor 37-39, 40 Marsh Wall, London, E14 9TP Telephone: 0203 5300550

For many years I worked in Canary Wharf, from its beginnings before the Jubilee Line was fully working, when, until a few years ago the only way in or out at the weekend was a bus which took an hour to get to Bank, so it was strange, but exciting, to revisit this area to see how many new skyscrapers have sprung up and how it has grown and evolved.

One of these new buildings which has sprung up is the tallest Novotel in the world at over 127 m high, which is where you will find the restaurant and bar, Bokan, which occupies the top 3 floors.

This is not a simple hotel restaurant, it is much, much more, under the watchful eye of their executive chef, Robert Manea, previously of L’Atelier de Joel Robouchon, and who has been with Bokan since its opening in 2017. Robert’s passion is taking the freshest ingredients and creating wonderful dishes, and it is lovely to see him so hands on, showing that passion, on the floor serving, and explaining his own dishes to the diners.

On arriving at the Novotel, which is a short walk from Canary Wharf’s tube station, you are whizzed up to the 38th floor to breathtaking views of London. The 38th floor is where you find Bokan’s awardwinning bar serving locally distilled spirits, inventive cocktails and craft beers, all whilst marvelling at the views.

We arrived after dark and were treated to London by night, with the multiple red lights on the top of the buildings and cranes looking down on the London landmarks below, and I wished we had come for sunset as I can only imagine how spectacular that view would be.

The drinks pay homage to Canary Wharf’s rich history with ingredients sourced from the countries the boats from the docks Canary Wharf is built on, sailed to. On the 39th floor there is also a cosy all-weather rooftop bar and terrace, and it is either tribute to the quality of the views and drinks, or the hardiness of Londoners, that this rooftop bar was packed when we visited on a cold night in December (or could it have been the powerful heaters they have up there!).

Despite the temptation of this bar, our destination was down a flight of stairs to the restaurant on the 37th floor. The décor is modern and in keeping with its location in the docklands, being industrial in design with tastefully open metal work with bursts of copper blending with varying colours of wood and stylish leather seating. All this, alongside the floor to ceiling windows, provide the best views over London. I have been to a number of rooftop restaurants in my time which feel that their views and décor are the most important things and so lose focus on the quality of food, but I am pleased to say Bokan isn’t one of these as they really do have views to die for, but also serve great food.

The menu offers a 2 or 3 course menu (£49 or £59) where you pick from a selection of 5 choices for each course. Alternatively, you can choose the 7-course tasting experience (£99), which we opted for.

As we watched a plane glide past, starting its descent into City Airport, we started our meal with an amuse bouche, combining the classic combination of sweet and succulent cubes of beetroot with creamy cheese adorned with edible flowers. Our first course was Sweetheart Cabbage, sauerkraut and burnt mayo. Sweetheart cabbage is sweeter and more tender than ordinary cabbage, but actually gets its name as the French word for cabbage is Chou, which is also used as a pet name for a sweetheart. This cabbage swirl provided lovely texture and was covered by a sharp crisp sauerkraut accompanied by a smooth mayo and a slightly sweet vegetable broth which had been reduced down to a glaze with a hint of soy sauce. A pot pourri of flavours in every mouthful.

Our second course of Cod Cheek, ras el hanout and lemon condiment, that combined lightly battered cod cheek with a subtle mixture of Moroccan spices, was made even more special by the sharp lime jelly which was a gem.

Foie Gras is always special, and our third course of foie gras escalope with flambé mandarin and blinis, combined delicate and meaty foie gras with a light blini and a rich and warming jus. That rich foie gras flavour is enhanced by combining it with certain fruits, but for me the half flambéd mandarin accompanying the wonderful foie gras was just too dominating a flavour and slightly detracted from the dish rather than enhancing it. Our fourth dish was John Dory Cauliflower Steak & Pickles, and although John Dory is certainly an odd-looking fish, its taste is far from being that, and cauliflower is just such a tasty and versatile vegetable that the combination was a dream.

Our next course was Venison, Queen Pear and Ginger Spices, and again perfectly demonstrated the skills of the kitchen. Venison is a lean meat, and so it is easy to overcook it, and if it is even slightly overdone it becomes tough and rubbery, but here at Bokan, once I cut through the slightly crispy outer layer, it revealed a perfectly cooked medallion of venison with that lovely pink interior that was just bursting with flavour.

After a palate cleansing Quince Sorbet, our final course was the wonderfully named Mystic Fig. On arrival this looked like a large fig sitting on crumb accompanied by delicate ice cream, but when you look to cut into the fig you realise why it is mystic. Instead of cutting into fig flesh, the skin is actually chocolate, and when you break though that you find a sweet fig jam and an indulgent chocolate mousse instead. This is the perfect way to finish a wonderful meal, in special surroundings with views to rave about.

Service is attentive without being intrusive and allows the diner to feel cared for without being pressurised, and the wine list will cater for every taste and pocket.

Canary Wharf is now one of the trendiest places to live in London, and it has come a long way from when I first visited it all those years ago, and with restaurants like Bokan it is not hard to see why people want to live here.

www.bokanlondon.co.uk

Kanishka

17-19 Maddox Street, Mayfair, London, W1S 2QH Telephone: 0203 878 0978

Indian cuisine has come a long way from the old stereotype of a paisley carpet, dodgy lighting and somewhere you only went to after a few pints in the pub. There are now many top quality and Michelin rated Indian restaurants which are demolishing that old stereotype, and one chef who has been at the forefront of this is Atul Kochhar.

Atul was the first chef to be awarded a Michelin star for Indian cuisine and it is under his expert tutelage that Kanishka feeds its diners. What is wonderful here is the menu provides dishes, combinations and ingredients that you would not expect at an Indian restaurant and makes them very ‘Indian’.

Kanishka is in the heart of Mayfair just off Regent’s Street so is easily accessible, and is a breath of fresh air as there isn’t a carpet in sight, let alone a paisley one! The décor here is a mixture of blacks, whites and turquoises along with many mirrors which gives an art deco feel, especially around the bar, and is bold without being stark. But what is exceptional about Kanishka is not the décor it’s the food. One thing you can guarantee from Atul Kochhar is the uniqueness of the dishes and here he has taken the largely unexplored cuisine of the Seven Sisters region of India, along with influences from Nepal, China and Bangladesh and combined them to produce spectacularly tasty dishes.

Dinners have either a number of tasting menus to choose from, with the highlight being the Kanishka Tasting Menu (£110) which consists of 7 courses, showcasing many of the dishes on the à la carte menu, or selecting from the à la carte menu itself which we chose from.

The selection of starters contain many things which you wouldn’t expect in an Indian restaurant, including Scallops (£26) or Iberican Pork Presa (£24) and my wife opted for another, the Soft-Shell Crab, passion fruit, papaya and mango, peanuts and gundruk chutney with baby octopus (£22), and I couldn’t help selecting an Atul favourite, namely the Atul’s Chicken Tikka Pie (£21). Crab is a delicate flavour and here the spices that accompanied it did just that, accompanied it, and were subtle rather than overpowering, and this went well with the sourness of the gundrunk chutney and the sweetness of the papaya and mango. The Atul Chicken Tikka Pie is a diner’s favourite in all of his restaurants and it is not hard to see why. The light puff pastry encases the moist and slightly spicy chicken tikka, that sits upon a slightly sharp mixed berry compote, and the only way to describe it is ’a must order’.

As with the starters, the main dishes are full of unexpected ingredients for an Indian restaurant, including offerings of Venison and Goat, but we went for the Butter Chicken (£32), the King Prawns (£41) and the Biryani (£36) along with a Roti (£5), a Paratha (£5) and Steamed Rice (£5). Butter chicken must have succulent chicken smothered in a rich and creamy sauce and here the tandoor-roasted chicken tikka is surrounded by a wonderfully indulgent sauce which was eagerly soaked up by the fluffy rice. The biryani had been cooked with a pastry lid, as it should, and this enhanced the flavour of the fragrant cumin rice and succulent oven baked lamb. To describe the king prawns as large would be an understatement, they are enormous, and were butterflied and char-cooked to extract the maximum flavour out of them. My paratha was light and flaky, and was the perfect to mop up the rich butter chicken sauce.

The desserts selection is again eclectic and varied, and I selected the Dark Chocolate Sphere (£12) and my wife the Peanut Butter Parfait (£12). The dark chocolate sphere was melted by the hot caramel sauce to expose a smooth orange chocolate cream and walnut crumble. Chocolate and orange are a classic combination and go well with the caramel, although be warned, it is only for those with a sweet tooth. The parfait was incorrectly spelt as it should be pronounced perfect, and is a must for those who love peanuts.

Kanishka has an extensive wine list to accompany the culinary delights all starting at £35, but for whisky lovers they also have over 50 to choose from with many rare single malts available from all over the world.

Kanishaka offers Indian food, but not as we used to know it, as this food is sophisticated and brimming with exciting and extravagant flavour combinations.

www.kanishkarestaurant.co.uk

Block Soho

2 St Anne’s Court, London, W1F 0AZ Telephone: 0203 376 9999

Soho is a mecca for foodies and party goers alike, and is blessed with many restaurants and bars, so any new comer to this party has a lot of to live up to. With this in mind, I was interested to see what newbie Block Soho had to offer these diners, and what I found was very positive.

The restaurant is located a stone’s throw from Tottenham Court Road tube station in an alleyway just off Dean Street, and when we came in from the cold we were greeted by a contemporary metal, wood and tiling décor with airducts snaking their way along the ceiling, that wouldn’t be out of place in New York.

In Soho you usually sit too close to your fellow diners, but at Block Soho the dining room is larger so diners get much more space to enjoy their meals, and this space has been cleverly decorated with booths and large sharing tables, so this extra space is there without the feeling that you are eating in a large hallway. The booth we were shown to had a generous seat which was overlooked by a metal overhead luggage rack which wouldn’t have been out of place in an old UK railway carriage.

At the centre of the restaurant is the open kitchen where whilst you are waiting for your food you can watch the skilful chefs literally ‘slaving over hot coals’ as this is how the meat and fish are cooked. The other distinguishing factor of Block Soho is their unstinting commitment to quality sourcing the ingredients for their dishes. The meat comes from Huntsham Court Farm which has been providing top quality beef, pork and lamb for hundreds of years, and is then matured in Block Soho’s Himalayan salt chamber, and the fish from Newlyn Fish market in Cornwall is freshly caught and delivered daily. It is this provenance of the ingredients on top of the skill of the chefs using the hot coals that takes the food at Block Soho above other steak and seafood restaurants.

Block Soho is not just a restaurant, it is also a bar, and this bar provides all the usual spirits, but its speciality is its bourbon whisky collection. The collection is eye catching, over 320 no less. and the large bar is dominated by bottle after bottle of wonderfully named Bourbons, and Block Soho’s desire is to have the largest collection of bourbon whisky in the world, and from the number of bottles here, I can see it won’t be long before they achieve this. The bar also serves Block Bites that accompany your drinks, and so in the ‘spirit’ of trying everything my wife selected the Prawn Popcorn with Harissa mayonnaise (£10) and I the Beef Brisket Croquettes with BBQ mustard (£8). The portions are generous, and the hearty prawns are ably supported by the spicy mayonnaise, but the croquettes are the star, with the brisket slow cooked perfectly so the meat is rich and succulent and offset by the sweetness of the BBQ mustard, all wrapped up in large crunchy balls.

Our starters continued our meat and fish divide, with my wife choosing the English Shellfish Cocktail, with prawns and crayfish (£17) and I the Smoked Pulled Pork, sourdough toast, apple gravy (£10). The cocktail was packed with vibrant prawns and crayfish all freshly caught that day with a light and creamy sauce. My pulled pork gave off a wonderful aroma, and the pork’s juices were absorbed by the sourdough, and there are few better combinations than pork and apple.

For mains there is a large selection of choices with meats and seafood aplenty, and there are even meat free choices for vegetarians and vegans, but I was here to taste the steaks and so I selected a large Rib Eye Steak (£46) with a green peppercorn sauce (£3) and skin-on truffle fries (£6), and my wife a half rack of Baby Back Pork Ribs (£16) and Rainbow Truffle Oil Slaw (£16). I am unsure of the size of table, let alone size of plate needed for a full rack of ribs as the half rack was enormous and the meat just fell off the bone and was basted in an indulgently rich and sweet BBQ sauce. The rainbow slaw was vibrant and crunchy, but unfortunately had a little too much truffle oil for me which slightly detracted from the freshness of the raw vegetables. Rib eye is, for me, one of the finest and tenderest cuts of beef, with plenty of marbling which are the deposits of fat that add so much flavour and moisture to the steak. Quality produce demands to be cooked well, and the treatment of my steak was exceptional. The use of the hot coals gave it a slight crisp outer layer, but when cut into, it was moist and succulent. The green pepper sauce was creamy and had just enough pepperiness needed to add to the taste sensations, and the truffle fries with parmesan shavings are a must.

Having gorged ourselves on the first few courses my wife admitted defeat and chose an after-dinner cocktail instead of a dessert, whereas I went for the Dark Chocolate Tart, honeycomb crackling (£9). This tart is a chocoholics dream and is so rich and totally indulgent that it should come with a health warning!

This newcomer to the Soho scene heralds all that is good about British produce. It takes the best Britain has to offer and cooks it in such a way that it allows all their natural flavours to burst through. Let the taste do the talking.

www.blocksoho.com