L'Anima

So...I travelled East. And by East, I mean Liverpool Street. You may have noticed that most of my blog posts are confined to West End establishments; it's closer to home, it's familiar and quite frankly I'm just not cool enough for the East End of London. But Liverpool Street, I can just about manage. 

My cousin and I recently sampled some exquisite dishes by L'Anima at the Taste of London Food Festival. The Burrata "Pappa Al Pomodoro" and the Fettucine with Peas, Broad Beans and Summer Black Truffle were probably my favourite dishes of the day....and there were a LOT of dishes.

Our titillating taste buds left us wanting more so we grabbed our cousins and friends and took a trip way down the Central Line to L'Anima. This award winning Italian restaurant is corporate, modern and very slick. On arrival, we were greeted by a very friendly hostess and there was live music to accompany the oh-so-fancy surroundings. Unfortunately we were seated on uncomfy plastic chairs...but as the saying goes, there's no beauty without pain...

We went straight for mains and ordered...

Linguine with Hand Picked Crab, Chilli and Lemon 

Pastachina (the Chef's mother's recipe for southern Italian lasagne)

Tortelli with Stracciatella, Ricotta and Aged Balsamic Vinegar

Buffalo Mozarella & Tomatoes 

Custom made Penne Arabiatta for my fussy friend

I ordered the restaurant's signature dish; the Black Scotch Beef Tagliata with Marrow Bone, Ovinsardo and Magliocco sauce. Maglio-what-now? I asked our waiter to explain the dish and he described it as slices of beef in a red wine jus. Perfect. And it looked delightful too. 

The dish arrived slightly after the others as I asked for my beef to be cooked medium-well. The waiter frowned disapprovingly. He also cheekily suggested that I take another photo...my friends laughed. I reddened and put my camera away. I think I'd got a bit too snap-happy at L'Anima. 

Unfortunately, I didn't like my dish. Ovinsardo is a blue cheese made from sheep's milk....and I don't eat cheese! This of course, was my own fault and I should have asked the waiter for clarification on all of the ingredients. I'm sure this dish is hugely popular amongst the diners at L'Anima but the over-powering smell of the cheese put me off my food. On a positive note, the quality of the meat, the red wine jus and the presentation were all excellent. 

My fellow diners loved their dishes bar the Tortelli which was too cheesy for my sister's liking. Nevertheless, it was cooked perfectly and the strong cheesy taste may please some more than others. 

And now for the main event; the Chocolate Dome. Our waiter suggested that I take a video but I said a couple of photos would be sufficient. I was wrong. 

The Chocolate Dome was a piece of theatre. It started off as a large round glistening mound of chocolatey goodness. Our waiter then proceeded to pour hot caramel sauce all over it at which point the Dome melted to reveal.....  

Ta Dah!

It was deliciously sweet and smooth and it may have tasted that little bit better as I was still mighty hungry after my disappointing main course. 

We had a lovely evening at L'Anima but I can't help feeling that the restaurant was a case of style over substance. The presentation was impeccable and the décor is super suave but I can only see myself returning for drinks or nibbles. 

But hey, I'd love to be proven wrong. Let me know what you think? 

Rating:       3/5 forks 

http://www.lanima.co.uk/

Kai

Michelin Star Chinese in Mayfair...

My friend recommended Kai as an end of week celebration; both of us are on the job hunt and we had earned a well deserved break from numerous applications and interviews! 

Kai is a classy Chinese establishment on South Audley Street in Mayfair and it has been rated as one of the best Chinese restaurants in London for some time. As we walked into the restaurant, we were greeted by the scent of fresh apples. There are rows upon rows of the red fruit and I presume they are strategically placed at the entrance to bring luck and good fortune to this restaurant.

The interior is elegant and tasteful and there are traditional touches such as large Buddha heads and Oriental art along the walls. The music isn't overbearing and the tables are covered with white table cloths, simple candle centrepieces and tiled square place mats.

Kai has an extensive vegetarian menu which is unusual for a Chinese restaurant. My veggie friend picked two dishes from the menu which were both lovely. I am the opposite of a vegetarian so the fact that I enjoyed these two dishes really says something!

He went for the Funghi Foursome which is described as "four varieties of organic oriental mushrooms supplied by a small farm on the south coast..."

It was beautifully presented at the table and then taken away to be sliced up by our very helpful waitress. 

He also chose the Chang Sah Chai; crispy tofu and vegetables cooked with mandarin peel, yellow bean, soy, chilli, shallots, garlic and coriander.

"Tastes like chicken!" ;)

I ordered the restaurant's most popular dish, the Roasted Chilean Seabass. It was coated with a caramelised marinade of black vinegar syrup, mustard and soy. The dish is super spicy and accompanied by chickpeas, tomatoes and edamame beans. It was absolutely spectacular and I highly recommend it to anyone that dines at Kai. The fish was succulent and flaky and the marinade had chilli citrusy tones. 

We also ordered some chilli infused rice to share. 

We skipped on dessert and our waitress gave us some sweet and nutty petit fours which were much needed after our spicy mains! 

Kai is a well established contemporary Chinese restaurant in Mayfair. It is quite expensive (£60 per head with a glass of wine) but the quality of the food and service makes it well worth a visit!

And now, for my new rating system...

5/5 forks for Kai!

http://www.kaimayfair.co.uk/kai/kaihome.html