The Cinnamon Club Celebrates 15 Years of Indian Fine Dining in Westminster

Name: The Cinnamon Club

Where: The Old Westminster Library, 30-32 Great Smith Street, London, SW1P 3BU, http://cinnamonclub.com/

Cost: Starters range from £7.50 to £24, mains from £16 to £35, and desserts from £6.50 to £8.50. We opted for the 8-course tasting menu at £85 per person. 

About: The Cinnamon Club first launched at the grade II listed former Westminster Library in 2001. For this 15th anniversary year, the restaurant has had a £1m refit, with a new menu for both the restaurant and the bar. It is known for imaginative, upmarket modern Indian cooking with an emphasis on fish and game. Vivek Singh is the Executive Chef of the Cinnamon group, and the current Head Chef at The Cinnamon Club is Rakesh Nair.

The main dining room is one of the more distinctive restaurant venues in London. Walls are lined with the original books of the former library. With characterful parquet floors, grey leather seats and white linen tablecloths, in a room buzzing with journalists and politicians from the Houses of Parliament next door, there is an interesting atmosphere to the place, unlike any other restaurant I have been to in London.

What We Ate: We opted for the 8-course tasting menu, which started with a carpaccio of home cured Shetland salmon and green pea chutney. The salmon was lightly cured, halfway between a salmon sashimi and smoked salmon, and was served with a jalmori (a spiced puffed rice snack from Bengal) and dainty cubes of spiced potato.

The Kerala-style seafood bisque flamed with brandy had a concentrated, spicy tomato stock with prawns, squid, aubergine and potato. It was presented with a separate chilled wafer of crispy lotus root and a crab salad. The combination of hot and chilled, smooth and crunchy was well conceived, although I found the chilli heat a little out of balance.

Next was a tandoori breast of Anjou squab pigeon, pumpkin chutney and peanut. Served with a delicious raita infused with smoked paprika, and an emerald-green coriander chutney, the pigeon was tender, medium rare and delicately gamey. My only quibble with this dish was its presentation which I felt was somewhat uninspiring.

The smoked Herdwick lamb escalope came with a galouti kebab mille feuille. Galouti kebabs hail from Uttar Pradesh in Northern India, and combine minced lamb, ginger and spices. The dish had a base of lamb mince, topped with filo pastry spiked with cumin, then lamb escalope, all topped with a paprika raita and finally the galouti kebab. With a garnish of mango puree and pickled onions, fresh and chutneyed coriander, this was an excellent lamb dish in three different textures, with crunchy vegetables. I enjoyed it very much, and although I really enjoyed the cumin-flavoured pastry, it was decidedly one, rather than one-thousand sheets thick.

After a refreshing green apple sorbet, we moved on to the tandoori wild Spencer Gulf king prawns. Spencer Gulf prawns come from Australia, and are said to be among the finest in the world. Marinated in red chilli powder, the prawns were meaty and well-seasoned, served on a creamy bed of coconut and ginger sauce, with stir-fried cabbage and kale.

The main event was roast loin of Oisin red deer with black stone flower and onion reduction. Oisin literally means young deer or fawn, and black stone flower is a fungus commonly used as a spice in India. The Cinnamon Club has a reputation for serving top quality game, and the fawn did not disappoint - tender, pink and succulent, it was very well made and the spice of the black stone flower was a first taste for me of the condiment.

Pre-dessert was carrot halwa spring roll in filo pastry, with clove ice cream, cashew nut, and a few swirls of caramel. The clove ice cream was intensely aromatic and heady with the warm spice, and the combination of clove and sweet carrot was a delight.

Dessert proper was green cardamom brulée with rose petal and pistachio biscotti. This was a very familiar French dessert enlivened by some typically subcontinental spices.

What We Drank: The wine list is extensive, and focuses on classic French and European wines, although there is broad representation from across the full range of New World wines. The entry level white is a Vin de Pays d’Oc (£25), while for reds it is an Italian Nero d'Avola at £26.

In the relaunched Cinnamon Club, the Negronis change with the seasons. As well as the obligatory gin and Campari, in the autumn they used Darjeeling tea, in the winter (when I visited) they used chestnut liqueur, and in spring it will change again.

We started with a couple of pre-dinner drinks in the bar. The Seasonal Negroni (£10.50) combined chestnut liqueur with gin and Campari. A glass of Franciacorta Brut DOCG, from Contadi Castaldi (£8.90) had fine bubbles, elegant structure and refreshing acidity.  

To accompany our tasting menu, we shared a bottle of Cuvée Marie Louise, Domaine de Gravennes, from the Southern Rhone (£53). A classic blend of Grenache, Mourvedre and Syrah, this had plenty of damson and black cherry fruit, a hint of cracked pepper, and some very nice tannins - more than a match for the heat of the dishes.

With dessert, we had a glass of Saussignac, Vendage d'Autrefois, Gascony 2012, (£7 per glass). This had lovely honeyed fruit, with enough bracing acidity and depth of green fruit flavour to stop it from being cloying.   

Likes: The venue is charming, characterful and unusual. I particularly enjoyed the lamb three ways, the Spencer Gulf king prawn and the loin of baby red deer. The cocktails and the wine list are well thought out, and the sommelier's suggestion for our visit was spot on. 

Dislikes: I always feel that in any tasting menu, one of the first offerings should be a wow dish. For me, fortunately if somewhat belatedly, the level of interest and the wow-factor peaked halfway through the menu. 

Verdict: For modern Indian fine-dining in a stunning setting next to Westminster Abbey, The Cinnamon Club continues to be one of London’s best options. Recommended.

Sushi Making Masterclass at Ichi Sushi & Sashimi Bar

Located at the swish Park Plaza Westminster Bridge Hotel, Ichi Sushi & Sashimi Bar is an elegant and contemporary Japanese eatery headed by sushi chef Sadayuki Okamoto. Trained in Tokyo, Okamoto-san has had an impressive career over the last thirty years cooking the food of his homeland at some of London's top restaurants including The Four Seasons, The Ivy and The Savoy.

Okamoto-san has now decided to share some of his experiences with other Japanese food enthusiasts by hosting a series of Sushi and Sashimi Master Classes on the first Saturday of each month. Priced from a very reasonable £30 per person, the classes will run from midday to 2pm and will have a maximum of 10 participants.

I was fortunate to be invited to Ichi Sushi & Sashimi Bar recently to meet Okamoto-san, attend one of his classes and try some new dishes from his menu. The event was also hosted by the delightful Tom Harrow, the Wine Chap, who presented us with an in-depth tasting of different Japanese sakes matched to each individual dish.

We started by rolling 3 sushi rolls - Kappamaki, a kind of Hosomaki (thin cylindrical sushi) filled with cucumber. This is a simple but rather important sushi on any Japanese meal as it is traditionally consumed to clear the palate between eating raw fish and other kinds of food.

The Kappamaki was followed by Temakizushi - hand rolled sushi (conical sushi). One of the most popular types of sushi, and great to be served at intimate sushi parties with friends as each person can choose and rolls their own temaki. We rolled ours with raw salmon, avocado and spring onions. 

We also rolled Dragon Sushi - an inside-out sushi topped with a layer of thin slices of salmon (avocado can also be used), pressed down over the roll to resemble the skin of a snake or dragon and filled with asparagus. This is a beautiful sushi made it extra special by Okamoto-san's blowtorching of the top layer of salmon.

As a welcoming drink and to accompany our sushi, we had a glass of sparkling Junmai Nigori "Sawa Sawa".  A deliciously lively, sparkling cloudy sake which undergoes a secondary fermentation in the bottle just like Champagne.

We were then seated for dinner and served a platter from the Chef's Specials - Seared Tuna Jalapeno @ £7 - this was a refreshing and beautifully presented dish of seared slices of fatty tuna over a zingy jalapeno chilli dressing served with mizuna (crunchy Japanese green salad leaves) with a yuzu and mango vinaigrette.

A platter of sashimi followed - thick slices of salmon, tuna and yellow tail. The fish were very tender and fresh and beautifully presented. All fish served at Ichi Sushi & Sashimi Bar are purchased from Atariya, the most reputable (and also most expensive) Japanese fishmongers in London.

The nigiri sushi were next - 5 pieces containing ikura (salmon roe), salmon, tuna yellow tail and prawn. The rice was perfectly cooked and seasoned and tasted delicious. Okamoto-san uses the highly prized Koshihikari rice from Japan, the rolls royce of all Japanese rice grown primarily for the home market. In my opinion the taste and quality of the rice makes his sushi outstandingly good.

The California sushi platter (or inside out sushi) containing 6 pieces of spicy tuna or crab were also delicious. A similar "Ichi Combination" can be purchased from the a la carte menu at £40 and contains 6 pieces of sashimi, 5 pieces of nigiri and 6 pieces of California roll.

We also got to try a couple of rolls from the Chef's Special Menu - Soft Shell Crab (5 pieces) @ £10 and Prawn Tempura (6 pieces) @ £9, and a piece of grilled Black Cod which were all magnificent. 

Ichi Sashimi & Sushi Bar also has a respectable list of sakes some of which we got to try on a tutored tasting by Tom Harrow, the Wine Chap. Some of my favourites were the Uragasanryu Koka Honjozo (125ml @ £12.50), a very elegant honjozo with pear on the nose and ripe, fruity pear on the palate and the Choryo Futaho, Tokubetsu Junmai (125ml @ £12.50), an aged sake with a full bodied flavour and notes of sour cherry and wood on the palate and hints of caramel and honey on the nose. 

All Sushi Masterclasses at £30 will include a welcoming glass of Choryo Sawasawa sparkling sake, a 1/2 bottle of water and an additional glass of sake with the meal. An additional flight of sakes can also be purchased to accompany all dishes in the masterclass for an extra £20.

Chef Okamoto-san will demonstrate a selection of sushi dishes and guests will create Avocado & cucumber roll, Blow-touched salmon dragon roll and Tuna belly roll. Participants will then sit down to eat the rolls they have made and share a platter of sashimi salmon, tuna and yellow tail. The meal will end with a light dessert taken from the Ichi Menu. At £30, I believe this to be very good value.

Readers of The London Foodie have been offered a 10% discount on the first two classes in April 7th and May 5th. To book, please visit: www.ichisushi.co.uk or call 0207 620 7373 or email Jose Zhang direct : jzhang@pphe.com, and if you do get to attend, please let me know how you get on.

London Restaurant Reviews - Quilon

Fine Dining Indian Restaurant in Central London

Why is good, authentic Indian food so difficult to find in the UK? A few years ago I was lucky enough to spend a couple of weeks in Goa and had the most fantastic food there. It was fresh, beautifully spiced and flavoursome. It gave a glimpse of what Indian cuisine could deliver but also made me realise what a pale imitation is so much of the food we get in Indian restaurants across London. 

Since that trip to Goa, I have never found a restaurant back home that has lived up to the memory of those wonderful meals. It is not for the want of trying, and I have been looking ever since...

Quilon, on Buckingham Gate, serves South West Coastal Indian dishes made by head chef Sriram Vishwanathan Aylur. Sriram describes his food as progressive, and having looked at my lunch menu, I could see what he meant judging by the unorthodox ingredients in his cooking (black cod comes to mind!). He gained the restaurant its first Michelin Star in 2008, which he has retained to this day.

The restaurant's decor appears somewhat at odds with its elevated culinary status. Something of an '80s throw-back, the combination of salmon coloured furniture, with cobalt blue plant pots sticking out from the mirrors, and rattan chairs, made it look sadly like a Travelodge breakfast room.

With gaze averted, we started on the intriguing menu with gusto. Mini poppadoms were brought to our table with chutneys of tomato and coconut. Lightly spiced, these were sweet and appetising, making me rather hungry.

Next, Dr G and I shared a medley of starters including a "vegetarian fried cake" of lotus stem and soya bean served with a mango and plum sauce, and "slow roasted lamb shank" which was particularly good, and flavoured with fennel and mint. There were also "crab cakes" with curry leaves, ginger, and green chillies and a "grilled scallop" with small pieces of mango and chilli. I enjoyed all of these appetizers, and was pleased with the vibrant, fresh flavours of each dish.

As a palate cleanser, we were then served a hot, slightly spiced "tomato consommé". It was full of flavour, but I found it incongruous - neither refreshing nor cleansing.

For my main dish I had to go for the "Baked Black Cod" @ £12. As a South Pacific fish, this could hardly be described as indigenous. Black cod is more commonly associated with Japan, where it is hugely popular baked with white miso. Sriram's version had a similar texture - milky and creamy, but tasted deliciously different with the various Indian spices. I really enjoyed this dish.

Another excellent main was the "Prawns Byadgi". This was a massive, succulent prawn, beautifully grilled, and flavoured with the intriguing sweetness of the byadgi chilli.

We also ordered a Mangalorean chicken curry "Kori Gassi" @ £15. This was a sensational curry, and one I don't remember having tried before. Made with a coconut milk base, the curry contained a myriad of spices including coriander, fenugreek and cumin, and also a slight tamarind sourness which balanced the richness of the coconut.

One of the best dishes was the "Crispy Okra" @ £8. The okra had been thinly sliced, battered and deep-fried. It was delicious and a great accompaniment to the fish and chicken dishes.

The "Curry Leaf and Lentil Rice" @ £3 tasted fresh and had hints of coriander and coconut.

The wine menu is a cut above any other Indian restaurant I have visited, and it is no surprise that it received a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence in 2009. Prices reflect this with the least expensive bottles starting from £21. On our visit Dr G and I went for a 2009 Sula Chenin Blanc from Nashik @ £30. An Indian wine, it had delicious floral aromas and plenty of fruit and acidity to stand up to the dishes we ate. Many of the wines are sold in half-bottles at no extra cost (£30 for a full bottle, £15 for a half bottle), encouraging diners to try different wines with each course. This is commendable.

Quilon offers a 3-course set lunch menu for £24 (available all week except Saturday), and impressive 5 or 8-course beer and food matching menus for £65 and £85 respectively. Looking at the 8-course menu, I was struck by the quality and range of beers including some of my favourites like the Belgian Chimay Red (paired with the black cod), the Alsatian Kasteel Cru Rose and the Greenwich Meantime Pale Ale (no Cobra anywhere to be seen!).

For pudding, Dr G and I had a selection of their desserts including a Goan speciality of Portuguese origins called "Bibinca and Dodhol". Bibinca was a layered-crepe style cake made of coconut milk, nutmeg and flour served with Dodhol (a sweet made from palm jaggery and cashew nuts) and vanilla ice cream.

Cost: The London Foodie was a guest of Quilon. I estimate that a 3-course meal would cost around £35-£40 per person excluding drinks which I believe to be good value for food of this quality. The lunch menu is also good value at £24.

Likes: delicious, fresh, exciting Indian food with an outstanding list of wines and beers. Black cod, 5 and 8-course beer and food matching menus, central location, excellent and friendly service.

Dislikes: the decor leaves something to be desired in a restaurant of this calibre. A refurb is long overdue.

Verdict: Quilon is outstandingly good. Few Indian restaurants have impressed me as highly and I cannot wait to return. Very highly recommended.