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The Hedonist

Roka Aldwych – Review (with Bookatable)

January 8, 2016 by Adrian

Roka Aldwych (with Bookatable)          Holborn

71 Aldwych, WC2B 4HN

020 7294 7636/rokarestaurant.com/aldwych

Roka 1Xmas shopping is hell. I’m OK if I leave everything until Xmas Eve when the adrenaline rush gets me through; but if I have time and there is still some choice, then the indecision is unbearable. How am I meant to know which of  eighteen cashmere scarves to buy…? Roka interiorSo after the first-world torment of a Covent Garden December I was relieved to meet Fiona in the dark sexy space that Roka Aldwych inhabits where Bookatable, the restaurant review and booking site, had invited us to review their special early evening menu. Roka is owned by Rainer Becker, proprietor of top Knightsbridge Japanese restaurant Zuma, and in a sense this is his diffusion line with an food offer based around the Japanese ‘robata’ grill that is the central feature of the space.Roka sakeThe Bookatable special menu offer (£41-last booking at 6.30p.m.) gives you a glass of ‘bubbles’ on arrive, four set starters, a main course and a dessert. Our glass of prosecco was fine but we soon moved onto a delicious flask of sake which restores my equilibrium.Roka sashimiFirst out of the kitchen came the chef’s selection of 5 sashimi which was a little too chilled to let its flavour come through.Roka saladIceberg ‘salada no wafu’ (iceberg lettuce with a caramelised onion dressing but no wafu…) was crunchy, sweet and refreshing.Roka gyozaBlack cod, crab and crayfish gyoza (dumplings) were fat, crisp and moreish.Roka avocado makiAvocado maki rolls were tricky to pick up with chopsticks but otherwise delicious.Roka beefFiona’s beef fillet, chilli and spring onion had a caramelised and seared outside but was pink and tender on the inside.Roka black codMy black cod marinated in yuzu miso had lost some of its texture and should have been firmer-there was a problem with the timings of our mains and it had probably been sitting under a hot lamp…however the management rectified the situation by comping us another flask of sake.Roka dessert 2Fiona loved her dark chocolate & green tea pudding with crunchy jivara and pear ice cream with a matcha sauce pouring out of the hot sponge like a healthy green lava flow.Roka dessertMy peanut, vanilla and chocolate sundae with poki sticks and banana tempura was stupidly good.Roka interior 2The Bookatable deal at Roka is excellent value and really makes sense for an early evening dinner. Sometimes the service felt a bit rushed but any problems were rectified and they were under pressure to turn the tables on a busy pre-Xmas evening. The Roka group also has branches in Charlotte Street,  Canary Wharf and Mayfair.

Harrods The Salad Kitchen – Review

February 3, 2014 by Adrian Leave a Comment

Harrods Salad Kitchen        Knightsbridge

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87-135 Brompton Rd, London SW1X 7XL
020 7730 1234
www.harrods.com/content/the-store/restaurants/the-salad–kitchen/
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‎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

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

Champagne Bellini and a Twinkle

For starters we shared the Loch Fyne salmon gravadlax with orange and fennel (£11).

Loch Fyne salmon gravadlax

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Salad Kitchen Harrods on Urbanspoon

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