STYLE | Food
LOOK EAST The sound of gently breaking waves and seagulls calling isn’t the soundtrack you’d expect for a venue that’s caused something of a local earthquake. However, chef and owner GC Giancovich has been breaking new ground ever since he first opened the now-infamous Smoking Lobster restaurant on Ventnor Esplanade back in 2017. Combining reimagined pan-Asian cuisine and using the best of Isle of Wight produce he’s developed a menu that’s really tough to choose from (unless that is, you order it all). Choices include whole bass baked in garlic and ginger, tempura squid with sweet chilli sauce and a dessert of pandan doughnuts with passion fruit and white chocolate curd. Alongside a sister branch in Cowes, GC and sister Cinzia also launched the Island’s first izakaya bar in Ventnor’s Pier Street – The Drunken Lobster – a concept taken straight from the streets of Tokyo. Here a slimmed-down selection of tasty small plates complement wine, cocktails and a range of Japanese spirits including sake, gin, vodka and Suntory blended whisky. If East Asian drinks are new territory for you, help is it at hand, as Cinzia can provide expert recommendations, returning from 15 years in London’s hospitality scene to take up the role of ‘sake sommelier’. Smoking Lobster, Ventnor Beach Instagram @smokinglobsterventnor | 01983 855938 Smoking Lobster, Cowes Marina Instagram @smokinglobstercowes | 01983 240168 Drunken Lobster, Ventnor Town Instagram @drunkenlobsterbar smokinglobster.co.uk
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