Abajo by Humo

Fusion counter dining  

Tuna, smoked artichoke, Amalfi lemon

I always love a good counter dining experience, watching chefs at work, turning out small plates, and having them explain what they are doing is an eye-opener. Abajo is somewhat taking it to the next level. It is hidden downstairs of another restaurant called Humo, and it focuses on European and Asian fusion in a tasting menu format over 5 steps, with each step containing a few dishes which you would end up eating over 12 dishes. It is headed up by Italian chef Giacomo Tranquilli who also worked at La Dam de Pic London in the past.

Aged otoro, pesto and elderflower tosazu salad

White aspagrus and langoustine

Red prawn spaghetti in gazpacho

The first course for sure had an element of Japanese with a dry-aged tuna served with a seaweed pesto, it had a sweet melting texture and tasted really refreshing which worked great as an opener for the tasting menu. The real stand-out dish was the red mullet tempura, the fish was cooked to perfection, silky smooth and creamy with a lovely natural seafood sweetness. The lamb saddle on the other hand was wrapped with an eel emulison which sounded strange, but gosh it worked exceptionally well, as the bold and smoky taste of the eel worked like a magic seasoning to bring out the umami taste of the lamb further. The lamb itself was super tender, I could easily have a few more plates of those.

Red mullet, courgette, flower sea fennel

Atlantic cacciucco

Lamb shoulder gyoza

Lamb saddle wrapped with smoked eel

Chantilly, cocoa tuille, coffee

I have yet to encounter anything like what Abajo has showcased, mixing Western and Asian elements is never easy and I felt Abajo has done a pretty remarkable job considering it is a very young restaurant. The creativity didn't over the taste, and somehow most of the dishes worked really well. I would love to come back in the near future to see how it progresses as the whole Abajo concept is unique and interesting. 

Food 4/5


Average cost without drinks and services:
£130


12 St George St, London W1S 2FB

https://humolondon.com/