Kitchen Table

A proper kitchen counter experience

Kitchen Table

I have been to Kitchen Table 3 times now. The first time was in 2013, it had no Michelin star then. The second time, it held 1 Michelin star. And my third and most recent visit, it now has 2 Michelin stars. The tasting menu only kitchen counter experience has changed a lot since my first visit back in 2013. I still recalled the menu cost less than £70 back in the days when it was first launched and now is £150. However, this is in-line with the London fine dining standard these days and the ingredients that chef-owner James used in the menu are special, and it is still one of the most unique and special restaurant concepts in London. The counter dining, 10 plus courses experience in the mood of modern European cuisine is the type of food I really treasured. For my third visit, I opted the menu upgrade, which extended the menu into 14 courses, 4 hours long dinner.

The Laughing Heart

Modern British food with an Asian touch

Lost soul in a fish bowl

I got to admit, TV cook shows do have an impact on me. When I noticed Tom Anglesea, head chef of The Laughing Heart has won Great British Menu 2019. I immediately started to do some research on The Laughing Heart. The East London restaurant is in the trendy neighbourhood of Hackney. It is as much as a wine bar as a restaurant, at day time, The Laughing Heart also acts as a wine retailer too. The restaurant menu itself has a range of small to big plates, and are ideal for sharing. Like most modern European restaurants, dishes come in no order and are served up as soon as it's ready from the kitchen. Judging from the menu, it is mostly British with a hint of an Asian twist.

The Game Bird

Game champion

Game time

Game season is finally here, but the problem is that not many restaurants in London can actually pull off top-class game dishes. There is the legendary Rule in Covent Garden, as well as the one Michelin starred pub The Harwood Arms in Fulham, but surely there are more hidden gems in London? Located in the posh area of Mayfair, The Game Bird is a stylish hotel restaurant inside the luxury 5 stars The Stafford Hotel. The restaurant is headed up by Jozef Rogulski, who has experience in some of the highest regarded restaurants in the UK. The menu, as the name suggested, features seasonal game dishes, as well as some classic British delights, such as pies and beef wellington. 

Norma

The taste of Mediterranean

Orange, rosemary, red prawns

Ben Tish has been a busy man lately, since leaving the Salt Yard Group, he has joined The Stafford London Hotel as food director and has helped shape its flagship restaurant The Game Bird as one of the finest hotel restaurants in London. He has also launched Norma, an Italian inspired restaurant in Fitzrovia. With his experience from Salt Yard Group, I was really sure the food standard at Norma would be pretty solid. Looking at the menu, it looks fairly similar to Veneta, his old restaurant that champions Venetian cuisine with a strong focus on raw seafood and Italian small plates. Norma's menu is fairly big and is ideal for sharing, with dishes ranging from snacks, raw seafood, starters, pasta, mains, and desserts.

Neptune

Soulless Hotel dining

Raw oysters

Kimpton Fitzroy London is a really posh and fancy 5 stars hotel next to Russell Square. A luxury hotel deserves a top restaurant and Neptune is the answer to that. The stylish and classy dining room, along with an oyster bar has money signs written all over it. However, the price is actually pretty reasonable for a 5 stars hotel. Most starters are around the £10 mark, with all the mains cost under £25, apart from the steaks. The chef behind Neptune is Brett Redman, who is also behind the casual Japanese yakitori joint Jidori and British restaurant Elliot's Cafe. Therefore, the expectation for Neptune was rather high for me as I had a really enjoyable meal at Elliot's Cafe in the past.