Temper City

Mexican City 2.0

Smoked beef rib

I am a massive fan of Neil Rankin, from the days when he was at Smokehouse, to Temper Soho and now Temper City. I dined at Temper City last year when it was all about the Indian style BBQ, the impactful aroma and spices of the style were somewhat unusual but personally, I always preferred Temper Soho with its Mexican style BBQ. One year on, Temper City followed the formula of what made Temper Soho so successful and completely revamped its menu. The starters are focusing in Mexican street food items such as tacos and tostadas, and mains are all about big cuts of meats and fish cooked on a BBQ. 

Sabor

The best Spanish restaurant in London?

Fresh whole palometa

I got nothing but love for Spanish cuisine, in fact, I think it is the best cuisine in the world. Fresh, flavorsome and full of diversity, hence it is mostly the reason why Spain has always been my top travel destination for holiday. These days, there are plenty of decent Spanish restaurants in London, from the Michelin starred Barrafina to the tapas heaven Jose. Sabor is the new kid on the block, opened by ex Barrafina's head chef Nieves Barragan and has already created a massive storm and becoming one of the hottest London restaurants opening this year. Sabor contains two floors, with the downstairs area is for walk-in only while the upstairs restaurant space "Asador" is bookable with a more extended menu with some big sharing dishes.

Park Chinois

The symbol of Chinese fine dining in London

Park Carbonara, Inaniwa Udon, Sea Urchin, 65˚Organic Egg and Guanciale

There are not that many fine dining Chinese restaurants in London and a good one is even rarer. Located in the luxury area of Mayfair, Park Chinois is a contemporary fine dining Chinese restaurant and it has prestige written all over it. The decor is inspired by the 30s era of Shanghai which had deep influences by both the British and the French empires, a time when the rich and lavish lifestyle of the high society has transformed into Park Chinois. Together with the classy live music and the well-dressed front of house staff, Park Chinois won't look out of place in a Bond's movie. The a la carte menu is heavily focusing in Cantonese cuisine, with a touch of western twist and plenty of luxury ingredients, such as wagyu beef and caviar.

Hutong

Sky high Chinese fine dining

Sautéed cuttlefish with gong vegetable, enoki mushroom and Sichuan chilli

Located in the tallest building in London, Hutong is a fine dining Chinese food sitting close to the top of the building. Hutong is part of the Aqua Restaurant Group, which owned a collection of high-end restaurants back in Hong Kong. Hutong branded itself as a fine dining Chinese restaurant specializing in Northern Chinese cuisine, after checking the menu, however, most dishes appear to be from the Canton and Sichuan region. In my typical fashion, I visited Hutong for its more affordable lunch menu at £35, before deciding if it is worth the dosh to revisit again for its more expensive a la carte menu, with some dishes costing around the £40 mark.