Hakkasan Hanway ling ling lounge

Hakkasan is deliberately deceptive,  hidden off the side streets of Hanway place, you enter this unassuming oriental Jewel with its It's beautiful, lavish yet understated interiors. 

 It has a magical ambience, wood panelling embellished in gold, carved oriental timber screens, hues of blue and mood lighting that transports you to another world. 

The welcome cocktail hits the spot and prepares you for the culinary experience that awaits.

If Sunday's were made for DimSum then this is were you should be heading, top notch food that speaks for itself from the Crispy duck salad with pomegranate, scallop shumai, dumplings, crispy puffs and golden turnip and crab meat roll , but each morsel of food well balanced and packed with flavour.  Washed down with Louis roderer champagne 

The mains of stir fry rib eye of beef cooked in Merlot was rich and had a certain level of depth, a slightly underwhelming xo seafood dish with sweet corn, green-beans, and squid did little to excite my palette. Followed by more champers. 

This steamed rice and garlic asparagus went down a treat. 

The dessert of macaroons and a chocolate bomb each had their own merits however the suggested paired cocktails tasted like something out of a medicine chest.

'Cocktails trying too hard hard to be a dessert wine' 

Overall great ambience, food, service and fantastic fizz  left me making another booking for a group of friends

Sunday's just got better thanks to Hakkasan, get booking 

Whilst it appears expensive for 3 people, the drinks alone justify the bill. 

Off to Roka for post lunch cocktails...

Sushi Samba London

Media hype or truly a great place to dine.

Having seen the pictures, queues to get in and hearing about the waiting list for tables, I decided to go check this place out for myself.

Perched on the 38/39th floor of the Heron tower this bar/restaurant has some of Londons greatest views. The interiors and washrooms are slightly tired if somewhat underwhelming. Bright orange seating, suspended lights, a tacky tree that lights up all a bit kitsch. 

Thankfully I am here for the food and boy oh boy was it great. 

Plate after plate of deliciousness, friendly efficient service. Peruvian, Brazilian, Japanese inspired dishes that leave you wanting more.

From its SALT AND PEPPER SQUID dry miso, shichimi, sea salt, crispy garlic, smoked soy to the unusual quirky & the surprising little dish MAE TERRA tiny seasonal vegetables, tofu, truffle, beetroot, yuzu, sesame @£15 the food was definitely hitting the spot. 

Washed down with a bottle of proseccco at a decent @£39 we continue on the culinary journey. 

The ceviche NIKKEI salmon, tamarind, sesame, seaweed, macadamia @£14 was an orgasmic explosion of flavour. 

My vegetarian companions were not disappointed with the amazing selection, veg tempura @£11, veg taquitos @£10, MUSHROOM TOBANYAKI poached egg, japanese mushrooms, garlic chip @£16, the Egg plant with mustard Miso @£8 per portion was yummy, we had two. The veggie maki roll @£7  was crunchy and packed with contrasting flavours. 

Roll on the Sushi, a great selection that is out of this world,  SÃO PAULO scallop, masago, red onion, tuna, salmon, shrimp, white fish, avocado, truffle, hatcho miso soy, chive oil @£16. TOKYO SKY TREE spicy bigeye tuna, tempura crunch, lotus root, aji panca, spicy mayo  @£14 TIGER MAKI takuwan, wasabi tobiko, crab meat, tempura prawn, tiger prawn, wasabi mayo, beetroot yogurt, unagi tare 16.00and my least favourite the Negi Toro @£16 

Completely stuffed we still manage to find room for a dessert. With such exciting names you would struggle to say no. 

PASSION FRUIT CAKE green tea and white chocolate ganache, raspberry sorbet, coconut tuile, fresh raspberries, passion fruit @£10

WITH LOVE FROM RIO valhrhona macaé 'pure brazil' dark chocolate ganache, coffee mousse, tonka bean ice cream, caramelised macadamia @£12

ORGANIC RED CHOCOLATE CHILI PEPPERS peruvian chili mousse, red pepper tuile, raspberry-red pepper sorbet, chocolate crumble @£11,50

CHOCOLATE BANANA CAKE maple butter, plantain chip, vanilla rum ice cream @£10

Coffee, service, drinks and water for 5 £317,81 

The verdict 

The food and service is top notch, great ambience but definitely ready for a refit. 

Toilets look like the belong in a Shoreditch retro bar, dark poky and not fitting with the glamour and sophistication of the place

Duplex Bar and Restaurant Lisbon

Duplex restaurant in Lisbon can only be described as a hidden gem headed up by Nuno Bergonse. This restaurant is tucked away above its sexy cocktail bar which doesn't get going till about 11pm. 

Serving a plethora of seafood dishes , Asian inspired and modern European food, you will be spoilt for choice. Whilst not cheap, the quality of the food, the gastronomic  experience, expert plating and bold flavours speak for themselves. 

My starter of scallops with cococunut and hazelnut crumble was out of this world at €8 a bargain 

For mains I opted for the Codfish with miso, sweet potato and padron peppers €18 another very fresh and well seasoned dish 

We also tried the Duck leg with berries, pistachios and Porto wine... It was yummy, great comfort food with sharp sweet flavours €21

Grilled octopus with a vegetable fricasse and red greats was another crowd pleaser €19

The Wild boar risotto with a mushroom and azorean cheese also come highly recommended €19

The ramen of vegetable mix and marinated tofu whilst well presented, failed to deliver, its portion slightly on the stingy side €15

Desserts were an assortment of cakes, we opted to try the amarula cheesecake with coffee and lime €5and the mile-feuille with honey custard, camomile and pear sorbet €5 

Next time you in Lisbon seek out this hidden gem. 

1200 371, R. Nova do Carvalho 58, 1200-017 Lisboa, Portugal

Booking is recommended tel:+351915162808

100 Manieras Lisbon Portugal

 This quaint little venue with a fabtastic tasting menu sits within lisbons foodie quarter. Set up by one of Portugal's most renowned chefs ljubomir  Stanisic.  Each course is a bit of theatre on a plate.

Beautifully presented and paired with wines every plate apart from the palette refresher of rosemary and celery,  had my taste buds going crazy. 

We started with the complimentary cod on the line, cod turned Chinese cracker, thin crispy and flavoursome complemented by the coriander aioli and red pepper dipping sauce. Paired with a very drinkable red Visintino 

Next up was Fresh blood , this beetroot carpaccio with I goat cheese and sprinkles of salad was a good introduction to our trio of starters 

(Kids like us)The Lamb tartar left me wanting more, fresh lamb, quails egg subtly flavoured and accompanied by crisp bread.. Yummy

Next up was the course I was dreading the most, as I often find mackerel overpowering and very fishy "The Big Mack",  but a pleasant surprise awaited,  Delicate Mackeral  Sarma with caviar and a mackerel soup air left me wanting more. Paired with a heady white PoloLobo 

In Crab We Crust - Half a soft shell crab with Asian salad whilst very small, packed a punch with its flavoursome tempura batter

The Water boys this seabass dish with its exciting flavour combinations of burnt cauliflower purée , cuttlefish ink rocks, sea air, cucumber, fennel and a seafood crispy went down a treat 

Time for a quick palette cleanser, bring out Rosemary and the celery. This sorbet made of you guessed it rosemary and celery was slightly overpowering for most of us. 

The last of our taster mains and by far my favourite "The Landmark" Succulent pigeon with pork crackling , rocha pear purée, potato in safflower, a potato foam and béarnaise sauce paired by a rich, robust Castello de Alba

After these amazing mains we started to feel a bit of "Schizophrenia" Foie gras ice cream  with a mushroom crumble, interesting texture and flavour combination

Next up was the " Acapella Carrot" carrot served 3 ways, carrot bebinca, ice cream and syrup. This dessert reminded me of carrot halwa with cardamon. It's was the perfect ending to a great evening washed down with a glass of Fita Preta 

Cost:€70 for set Menu, €35 for wine flight

Water €3 Service recommend 10-12%

Overall friendly efficient, unhurried service, generous wine pours and fantastic food. A great culinary experience of seasonal produce gives this place a well deserved 5 stars

I would recommend booking in advance to avoid disappointment as seating is limited in this popular restaurant 

R. do Teixeira 35, 1200-459 Lisboa, Portugal

Tel: 00351910307575 booking by phone only 

mailto:info@restaurante100maneiras.com

Cote St Pauls

I recently had the pleasure of organising a friends birthday party at this city venue. This themed event required seating and catering for 25 very fussy guest, some with food allergies and a few  fellow foodies who have high expectations. 

Unlike other chains, Cote prides itself on serving high quality food that's reasonably priced. 

Having had a great selection of food, we were further spoilt for choice when it came to choosing our drinks, from its sparkling wines to the great champagnes and wines on offer. 

"Avoid the house stuff and you won't go wrong"

Every menu choice was consistent in presentation, quality of produce and taste I am reliably informed. My seabass was perfectly cooked, the salmon starter fresh with just the right amount of dill to bring out its subtle flavour.  

Each dessert held its own, from a decadent chocolate mousse, creamy creme brûlée to the humble berries with cream, every palate was pleasured.

The private room and great service offered to us was amazing. Friendly staff led by the amazing events manager Frankie Skelt . This amazing team ensured everything ran like clock work. Faultless, enthusiastic service.

If you looking for a great venue that's reasonably priced without compromising on quality, gives these guys a shout. 

http://www.cote-events.co.uk/

tel: 02072364388

events@cote-restaurants.co.uk

Sheraton Park Lane Hotel London

Expecting to be treated to a fine dining experience associated with a  5 star hotel, we were in for a very uncomfortable surprise. 

The Palm court restaurant is currently being renovated so you are forced to eat dinner in the lounge. This would not have been a problem had we been forewarned or had there been proper chairs and a dining table. 

All 9 of us hobbled around a coffee table waiting in anticipation of our respective orders. A good 1hr45 minutes later the dishes start to arrive, mains followed by the side salads and finally the sweet potato fries. 

The braised lamb shoulder turned out to be a stew which left 8 of us looking at each other in shock, whilst disappointing, it tasted ok. 

The chicken salad was underwhelming, it lacked any seasoning or dressing.

The quinoa salad whilst nicely presented failed to hit the spot, It was flavourless and remained half uneaten.  

For dessert we opted to go elsewhere as we couldn't bear the thought of waiting another hour or having yet another underwhelming experience. 

The only decent thing was the wine, whilst a bit on the expensive side it numbed the pain. 

Service was slow and unenthusiastic. Will I be going back not at this point, maybe after the relaunch if these minor details are addressed.