Restaurant Review: East Street

Pan-Asian fusion is a term which penetrates with a deep sense of reluctance. How does the latest attempt pan out? This is my review of the new East Street in Fitzrovia for Scout London.

Effectively bunging a number of eastern Asian cuisines onto one menu, it’s easy to see why East Street has come in for some criticism amongst bloggers who’d rather not have the best part of a continent amalgamated into one confused being.

Perhaps this is a particularly Londony point of view. After all, we’re spoilt by having authentic versions of virtually every cuisine imaginable on our collective doorsteps. East Street comes from the owners of popular Northern chain Tampopo (yep, they obviously saw the film) but an attempt to open a branch in Fulham recently was less successful. All credit to their tenacity, as they’ve reworked the concept to return with a new venue, a new name and new decor in a bid to earn some London love. The menu, however, has not changed one iota.

Restaurant Review: Funky Asia

Here's a restaurant review originally written for www.londonist.com. Follow Londonist on Twitter to keep up with their daily posts on all things London.



As enticing names for new restaurants go, Funky Asia doesn’t really cut the wasabi. An assortment of bulbous, garishly coloured lamps which hang in the window don’t help much either. To the passer-by, they scream of gay disco rather than contemporary cuisine. But, hey, they are pretty funky.

The Shoreditch Standard™ mix of eclectic chairs, worn tables and shabby chic appendages offers a surprisingly welcome change once inside. If you squint, you could even believe that those pesky lights weren’t there at all. A soundtrack that spans Michael Jackson, The Bee Gees and Justin Timberlake ensures that the funk is not lost.

Restaurant Review: Mushu

A new spot to sate those West End dumpling cravings. Go on, you know you have them. Admit it. This is a review originally written for Blue Tomato magazine.

Expectations
Mushu bills itself as a Japanese izakaya restaurant. This word is formed of the Japanese “i” meaning to sit and “sakaya” meaning sake shop – the result being a drinks bar where substantial food is also served. A little like Japanese Dim Sum, then. Or oriental tapas. Whatever we call it, it’s a concept which we wholeheartedly approve of, and one which would make a genuinely interesting addition to London’s dining scene.

Experience
Welcomed into Mushu at the hands of the owners, shown to our seats and chatted to, there’s a skill to making people feel quite so at home in such exotic environments, but Mushu have it down to a fine art. At first glance, the extensive menu littered with Japanese terms, could be intimidating, but the ability to order lots of small dishes takes the pressure off.

Restaurant Review: Champor Champor

Here's a slice of unashamed Asian fusion in the form of a review of Champor Champor at London Bridge, written for my Sou th London Press column.

Dubbed as serving creative Malay-Asian cuisine, Champor Champor sounds very much like a fusion food restaurant that doesn’t want to called as such. This is understandable given the bad rap the dreaded f-word has had of late, but visiting with an open mind and off the back of having heard good things about the venture, I’m not perturbed by a bit of boundary crossing.

Perseverance is needed to get through the ever-so-slightly unnerving railway tunnels that connect Tooley Street with the dull backstreets behind Guy’s hospital where Champor Champor sits. The reward of the trek comes as the door to the restaurant opens and you are hit by an intoxicating blend of incense, bright red walls, candles, draped fabric and all manner of exotic wooden masks and sculptures. The room isn’t large, with just 38 covers, but feels even more intimate for the many alcoves and tucked away tables. The over-riding atmosphere is one of decadent eccentricity that merges the luxury of fine-dining with the fun and friendliness of the owners’ experimentation.