Mei Ume

 New era, new energy

Orange spare ribs

When you think of dining at Four Season Hotel Trinity Square, the 2 Michelin-starred French restaurant La Dame de Pic would likely come to mind. But there is also an Asian-themed restaurant within the same space aka Mei Ume, which has somewhat of an unusual offering with both Chinese and Japanese cuisine under the same roof. This was my 5th time visiting but I headed there with an open mind as it had recruited a new head chef with the menu had a complete makeover. Head chef Peter Ho came from Mei Mei Mayfair, who also worked at Hakkasan in the past, so I was interested to see what he has done for Mei Ume.

Octopus shu mai

Scallop sashimi

Tuna and salmon rice don

Peter's signature dish is the orange spare ribs, which looked simple but a lot of effort went into it as it was slow-cooked overnight before being grilled with an inviting and refreshing sweet orange glaze. It was very comforting in taste and I very much enjoyed the nutty aftertaste. Another signature dish is a Japanese-themed grilled yellowtail collar, I found it could do with a more charred and smoky taste, and the dish was a touch overcooked. The star of the night had to be a clay pot guinea fowl cooked in Suntory whisky. The meat was as tender as you can get and the aroma of the whisky uplifted the sweetness and umami profile beautifully, it was interesting to see how Peter had blended in whisky elements into a classic Chinese-style clay pot dish. 

Tofu and crab meat soup

Clay pot guinea fowl in whisky

Grilled yellowtail collar

I found Mei Ume has changed a lot with Peter heading up the kitchen, as the cuisine had less Cantonese element with plenty of creative injections that have made Mei Ume somewhat stand out compared to many other high-end Chinese restaurants in London. I personally found the Japanese cuisine side of the menu to be weaker vs the Chinese part. While it is more expensive so I found if you want Japanese cuisine, you would be better off going to a proper Japanese restaurant instead of coming to Mei Ume. Creative Chinese cuisine is the strength of Mei Ume.

Food 3.5/5


Average cost without drinks and services:
£85

10 Trinity Square, London EC3N 4AJ

https://www.meiume.com/