Harrods Salad Kitchen Knightsbridge
Perched up on the fourth floor of Harrods and functioning as a high-end cafe for the new Fashion Lab sits Harrods’ The Salad Kitchen. It has a very chic clean modern look with the seating verging on the severe (think Karl Lagerfeld’s kitchen) and despite its name’s promise of self-denial is pleasingly decadent enough to warrant further attention.
Baba Ghanoush
I am visiting with Fiona from London Unattached who has been invited along to review and whilst we scan the menu we nibble some rather refined Baba Ghanoush with homemade lavash flatbread (£6) whilst sinking a well made Champagne Bellini (£14) and a Twinkle (£14) (Champagne, vodka and elderflower syrup) which certainly brought a twinkle to Fiona’s eye…
Champagne Bellini and a Twinkle
For starters we shared the Loch Fyne salmon gravadlax with orange and fennel (£11).
Loch Fyne salmon gravadlax
This was a lovely dish with non-oily salmon and a perfect light dressing. The orange and fennel are classic accompaniments and this dish tasted as good as it looked. My only caveat is that surely with the citrus cure that is used to keep the non-alcohol drinking customers happy, it is more of a ceviche than a gravad lax?
Yellowfin tuna tartare
Our second starter was Yellowfin tuna tartare with avocado, crostini and wasabi (£12)- it was perfectly composed with a mild wasabi sauce not overpowering the gentle flavours and smooth texture of the fish and avocado.
The main course offer at The Salad Kitchen is a bit conceptual so concentrate! First you select your protein from a selection of seafood or meats for grilling on the smokey Japanese robata grill. To complete your plate there is a choice of either a ‘cold’ or ‘warm’ salad accompaniment-there are four or five options for each. The idea is that the salads are full of superfoods and will boost your immune system. I must admit that when I was young enough to consider shopping at Way In, The Fashion Lab’s predecessor, my idea of superfood was a Mars bar and a packet of chips…The hot salads are a bit of a misnomer as they are really rather interesting looking selections of cooked vegetables rather than a genuine ‘salade tiede’.
Black Angus beef tenderloin
Fiona chose the Black Angus beef tenderloin paired with grilled courgette, butternut squash, broccolini. sun blush tomato with coriander and lime dressing (£22). I’m not quite sure how steak fits into the healthy eating ethos of the restaurant but Fiona pushed any lingering doubts to the side and cleared her plate quite happily.
Sea scallops
My sea scallops came with roasted sweet potato, Jerusalem artichokes, shiitake mushrooms and a thyme vinaigrette (£19). The scallops were nicely seared on the outside but still firm and juicy on the inside and the salad with its subtle herby dressing was the perfect accompaniment.
Trio of flourless chocolate desserts
I felt particularly virtuous after the mains and so the Trio of flourless chocolate desserts beckoned. This was probably the weakest dish of the meal with the chocolate lacking in bitterness and the mousse being rather bland.
Meringue with passion fruit and mango
However the meringue with passion fruit and mango was perfect. The meringue was simultaneously crisp and suitably squidgy and the fruit added a veneer of healthiness to the proceedings.
If you are in Harrods and need anything from a snack to a full meal then The Salad Kitchen is a great option. It’s not cheap but the quality of the produce and cooking make it worth looking out for-and at the moment it’s not hugely busy which is a real bonus in Harrods!
Disclosure: The Hedonist was a guest of The Salad Kitchen
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