#IbizaSabor18 – Discovering the Unique Flavours of Ibiza and the Balearic Islands

The Spanish island of Ibiza is one of the few places in the world that needs little introduction – its renowned clubbing scene, gorgeous sandy beaches and breathtaking sunsets have been attracting large crowds for decades.

But scratch a little deeper, and you will find that Ibiza has more to offer than its clubbing scene and perfect beaches – Ibiza and indeed the Balearic Archipelago, which include Mallorca (the largest of the islands), Formentera and Menorca, have a fascinating history and unique local cuisine very much worth exploring.

And there is no better place to learn about the archipelago’s cuisine and local ingredients than during the #IbizaSabor Festival taking place between early April and late May each year. The festival involves many of the islands major restaurants (this year 54 restaurants took part) and local food and wine producers who offer special festival menus, host workshops, cookery demos, and tastings using native Balearic ingredients.

#IbizaSabor is a great opportunity for visitors to seek out and try a number of traditional Ibizan dishes and produce. To find out more about the festival, 2019 dates and the participating restaurants, check out their website here - http://www.ibizasabor.es/en/.

I went to Ibiza to attend the Mediterranean Gastronomy Forum (#IbizaSabor18), one of the main activities of the festival, with a group of international journalists and bloggers at the invitation of the Ibizan Tourism Board. The London Foodie however maintains complete editorial control over the content published on the site as always.

The Gorgeous Ibiza Old Town

The Ibizan Tourism Board handpicked a number of outstanding restaurants for us to visit during our stay; I will be writing more about them, including my top 5 restaurant recommendations in a separate feature in the following weeks. So as you plan your trip to Ibiza, bookmark this page and the one that is to follow for my top foodie recommendations on the island.

Balearic Cuisine, Produce and Dishes

Unsurprisingly, fish and seafood play a major role in Balearic gastronomy, as do pork and various types of game including mutton and sheep. Due to the lack of cattle, beef is not widely available in the archipelago.

Sustainability - All Ibizan fish are labelled Peix Nostrum to certify they are Ibizan local fish

In Ibiza, excellent quality extra-virgin olive oil, dried almonds and honey are produced, as well as liquors such as the popular ‘Hierbas Ibicencas’ which we had a go at making ourselves (more on this later), sheep and goat cheeses, and their much loved ‘sobrassada’ a lightly spicy, cured and soft pork sausage (akin to an Italian Ndjua), that is very much at the heart of Balearic cooking.

Delicious Sobrassada, the star of Balearic cooking

Balearic dishes are hearty and generous, for example ‘Bullit de Peix’ is a magnificent local fish stew made with different types of fish and seafood, tomatoes, onions and potatoes cooked in a flavoursome stock heavily scented with saffron. 

The beauty of bullit de peix is that the leftover, concentrated stock is also used to cook rice and make a 2nd dish called ‘Arroz a Banda’, which is served after the stew. I enjoyed both dishes immensely, and found a good recipe for them here - http://www.ibizafoodie.com/en/home-2/recipe-the-bullit-de-peix-at-cana-sofia/.

‘Arroz a Banda’ by José Ferrer from S’Espartar

Café Caleta is ubiquitous in Ibiza –traditionally made with burnt wheat as coffee was a scarce and highly prized commodity. Today it is prepared with coffee beans, spices including cinnamon and cloves, lemon, sugar and plenty of brandy. It is a warming and strong coffee that you are likely to experience at the end of many a meal on the island.

Greixonera (a local bread and butter pudding made with 'ensaimada' breakfast bread) and Flaó (an open goat cheese, hierba buena and aniseed tart) are two of the most traditional and popular of Ibizan desserts I got to try on this visit, and I discuss both in more detail in the sections below.

Noteworthy also was discovering Ibizan wines – the island has a number of vineyards including the pioneer Sa Cova, Can Maymó that makes red wines steeped in thyme, Can Rich an organic winery that combines both Ibizan and French grapes, and Ibizkus, a boutique vineyard that uses the Monastrell grape, one of the traditional Ibizan varietals.

Ibizan local varieties are Monastrell and Garnacha grapes for red wines, while the most important variety for white wine is Malvasia. Ibizan wines are made and produced in the areas of San Mateu, Buscastell, and Sant Josep - they are medium to full-bodied, complex and well-structured. Vins de la Terra is the geographic indication that collects all wine production in Ibiza according to EU regulation. When visiting Ibiza, try to order these local wines, they are of excellent quality and comparable to other top Spanish labels.

III Mediterranean Gastronomy Forum - #IbizaSabor18

One of the highlight activities of the two-month long #IbizaSabor Festival is the Mediterranean Gastronomy Forum. In its third year, #IbizaSabor2018 was a great event that brought together some of the biggest names of Spanish cooking from the Balearic Islands and beyond as well as local food and wine producers.

This year’s forum had particular focus on the sustainability and biodiversity of the Balearic sea through gastronomy and the pioneering female chefs of the region. Of the various cookery demos that took place throughout the day, Silvia Anglada’s of Es Tast de na Silvia restaurant really brought home the subject matters of this year’s forum.

A pioneering female chef from Menorca, her doughnut of Picarel (a local fish) was served with a delectable beetroot marmalade, with every part of the fish being used to create the final dish including the bones.

Noteworthy was also Chef Cristian Periscal’s ravioli of squid and sobrassada sausage in a jet black sauce made from the seafood’s own ink. I enjoyed the mix of two of the region’s main staples – Balearic seafood and sobrassada (pork) and the gorgeous presentation of the dish.

We also had the opportunity to learn about one of the island’s famous dishes ‘Guisat de Peix’ -  similar in style to a ‘Bullit de Peix’ as discussed earlier, both are local, hearty fish stews, with Chefs Carles Cardona from Atzaro Beach Cala Nova and Carmen Tur from Pescados Algar.

We attended an epic 12-course lunch with dishes supplied by 12 different restaurants and food associations – each dish highlighted native Balearic ingredients used in traditional or reinterpreted recipes.

Sobrassada croquettes with Ibizan honey by Javier Cardona from Formentera Restaurant

There were so many favourites – Paul Barba’s of Can Domo (one of my top restaurant recommendations on the island) was a delicious dish of lamb gizzards with squid and fish skin soufflé potatoes.

Maki sushi by Moises Machado from Can a Soffia was an intricate rice roll with Can Rich vermouth, orange sobrassada, medlars, Ibizan carob teriyaki and amberjack – I loved the use of Ibizan flavours in such a novel way.

Another magnificent rice dish was prepared by Emilio Benitez from the Fishermen’s Guild of Ibiza – this had Picarel fish and cauliflower and tasted delicious.

We ended the meal with ‘Greixonera’ by Claudio Vidal of Es Rebost de Can Prats – Greixonera is a traditional dessert much like a British bread and butter pudding but made with day old ‘ensaimada’, a local breakfast pastry. The Greixonera was dense but creamy served with a lightly bitter sugar caramel. I found a good recipe for Greixonera here - http://www.ibizafoodie.com/en/home-2/the-greixonera-recipe/.

Besides the informative chef demos and tasting lunch, the Mediterranean Gastronomic Forum was a good opportunity to meet local food and wine producers. Most Ibizan wine makers had their own stands at the conference including Can Rich.

Discovering about Ibizan wines was one of the most interesting aspects of #IbizaSabor18

One of the outstanding wines I was lucky enough to try on more than one occasion during my visit was Can Rich’s Ereso – an organic wine made from the Malvasia grape, it was full bodied and with great complexity – an ideal wine to go with the robust seafood and rice dishes we enjoyed in Ibiza and I highly recommend it.

The wonderful Eresa wine, 100% Malvasia grape by Can Rich

Law Gin was founded by friends Wolfgang, Luna and Alexander in 2013. They distill their gin using 100% botanicals from Ibiza Island, with some unusual additions including padron peppers and prickly pear. The gin is highly aromatic but refreshing and makes for a perfect gin & tonic. If you are a G&T fan, look out for Law Gin in your next trip to Ibiza.

Antonio Adelino and Catalina Ribas Torres, 87 and 82 years old, started making fishing pots soon after retiring. They were one of the many local producers at the forum. They have 7 children and 11 grandchildren, and have been married for 63 years.

The Mediterranean Gastronomic Forum takes place annually; it is an all day, free event open to everyone, professionals or food enthusiasts. If you are travelling to Ibiza between April and May, the forum is a great opportunity to learn about the local cuisine, food and wine produce with some of the biggest names in the industry. For more information, visit their website here - http://www.ibizasabor.es/en/

#IbizaSabor Festival – Workshops and Cookery Demos 

In addition to the network of restaurants in the region offering special menus and the Mediterranean Gastronomic Forum, the festival also offers a number of workshops and cookery demos that are open to the public.

Flaó is one of the most traditional of Balearic desserts, particularly in Ibiza where historical records show it being made since the 13th century. Flaó is an open tart made with a filling of fresh goat and/or sheep cheese, eggs, sugar, orange peel, aniseed and Herba Buena (similar to peppermint but more aromatic) in a shortcrust pastry casing laced with lard.

We had a Flaó recipe demo at Can Berri Vell Restaurant, where we learnt about this exotic tart. The prominent flavours of Flaó are goat and sheep cheese, Herba Buena and aniseed - it is aromatic, sweet and savoury and certainly different from any other cheesecake I have eaten before. I loved it.

I found a great traditional recipe here if you would like to try it for yourself at home - http://www.eladerezo.com/recetas/flao-tarta-de-queso-tipica-de-ibiza.html - I certainly will.

Another interesting demo was at Can Muson – this is an organic vegetable, herb and animal farm created by Maria Mari only ten years ago with the aim of promoting healthy eating and for the kids of Ibiza.

The farm has grown substantially over the last 10 years much to Mrs Mari’s surprise and now has a cafeteria, fruit and veg shop, fields and playground for children. Can Muson also hosts classes on organic farming as well as guided visits which includes a brunch menu using ingredients grown in the farm for €12pp.

After a quick visit to the vegetable fields and animals, we got to make our own Hierbas Ibicencas – a liqueur made in Ibiza with different herbs and botanicals that grow around the island. Usually drunk as a digestif after lunch or dinner, Hierbas Ibicencas is one of the most quintessential of Ibizan products.

At Can Muson, we used 21 types of herbs all grown on the farm including juniper, lemon verbena, Hierba Buena, chamomile and lavender to name just a few. To the herbs we added a local aniseed liqueur, similar to Pernod, and were told to wait until Christmas when it would be ready to consume.

Hierba Buena - incredibly aromatic, similar to mint but richer

Where to Eat in Ibiza – My Top Restaurant Recommendations

If you are planning a visit to Ibiza and would like recommendations for the top restaurants on the island, keep your eyes peeled for my next Ibizan blog post in the coming week. Bookmark this page and the ones to follow for your Ibizan foodie guide.

Disclaimer

I went to Ibiza at the invitation of the Ibizan Tourism Board to attend #IbizaSabor2018. The London Foodie however maintains full editorial control over the content published on the site as always.

Travel Essentials

For everything Ibiza, visit:
http://ibiza.travel/en/

Ibiza Sabor Festival
http://www.ibizasabor.es/en/

To read about Ibizan ingredients, dishes and local restaurant reviews (by a local foodie), visit:
http://www.ibizafoodie.com/en/

Can Berri Vell Restaurant 
http://www.canberrivell.es/

Can Musón Organic Farm
http://ibizacanmuson.com/

Cinnamon Kitchen – Vivek Singh Spicing Things Up at Battersea Power Station

Name: Cinnamon Kitchen Battersea

Where: Battersea Power Station, 4 Arches Lane, SW11 8AB, http://www.cinnamon-kitchen.com/battersea/

Cost: A 3-course meal here will cost on average £45pp excluding drinks or service. Starters cost from £6.50 to £17.50, mains are priced from £14 to £29 while desserts from £2 to £8.

About: Readers of The London Foodie will know that we are fans of Vivek Singh’s vibrant Indian cooking – I have written about his restaurants on a number of occasions – his small-eats, casual Cinnamon Bazaar (reviewed here), or the flagship, more upmarket Cinnamon Club (reviewed here), and more recently at Taste of London when I had a most fantastic Chaat at the Cinnamon Kitchen stand (see here).

For the best Indian cooking at @tasteoflondon head to @chefviveksingh of @cinnamonrestaurants - I had a number of Indian dishes that got me scraping my plates: . My top recommendation is his Chamiya’s Chaat, this was heavenly - a mix of sweet, spicy, salt and sour flavours - with cured watermelon, pomegranate seeds, spicy coriander chutney, yoghurt, chickpeas and herbs, among other things - it was fresh and so good, a personal favourite. . Coorgi Double Cooked Pork Belly - was very tender and served with Kokum berries and curried yoghurt. . Kolkata Open Blue Cobia - grilled white Black King fish fillets, was buttery and dense, with a super zingy mustard and coconut curry sauce. . Lamb Galouti Kebab - lamb patty over a fried roti served with pomegranate seeds, yoghurt and spicy coriander chutney. . @chefviveksingh’s cooking was vibrant, fresh and full of flavour - his signature dishes at Taste are some of the best of the festival, but hurry it all ends tomorrow! 😩 . 🇮🇳 🍛🇮🇳🍛🇮🇳🍛🇮🇳🍛🇮🇳🍛🇮🇳🍛🇮🇳🍛

A post shared by Luiz Hara (@thelondonfoodie) on Jun 16, 2018 at 10:14am PDT

Following his 10th anniversary at Cinnamon Kitchen Devonshire Square, I was intrigued to hear of Vivek Singh’s new venture South of the River. Cinnamon Kitchen Battersea is part of the multi-million regeneration project of the Grade-II listed Battersea Power Station (so long overdue).

Situated in Circus Village West, Cinnamon Kitchen Battersea has a minimalist industrial décor with railway arch façade, exposed brick walls and an expansive open-plan kitchen.

It is a large restaurant, modern and sleek, serving Vivek’s contemporary Indian dishes paired with cocktails by mixologist Tony Conigliaro of 69 Colebrooke Row, one of my favourite cocktail bars in London, also reviewed here. And so we headed south to check it out.

What We Ate: The menu is divided into Appetisers, which include a section on Grills, then Mains, Sides, Breads and Desserts. The recommendation is of 2 appetisers/grills plus a main dish and a dessert per person.

Vivek Singh - working through the food orders at Cinnamon Kitchen Battersea

With that in mind, we kicked off with banana leaf wrapped sea bass with chilli, tomato and kokum crust (£9) from the Grill section – not much of a looker, what it lacked in presentation, it more than made up in flavour – spicy, well seasoned and fresh. Served with a mildly curried sour cream and a carrot and chilli cream, this was a good start to the meal.

The Keema Litti rustic lamb dough ball with anchovy chutney (£6.75), also from the Grill section, was intensely flavoursome wrapped around freshly-baked pastry and served with a vibrant mint and anchovy sauce.

Bombay street food (Vada Pao) – was a toasted bun (Pão is bread in Portuguese) with a chickpea burger (Vada) and coriander cream, tapioca cake and chilli paneer - this looked like cubes of prime beef, but slicing into it revealed the creamy white, surprisingly firm flesh of the curd cheese (£8.50).

Wild African prawn (£17.50), came with a coriander and garlic crust, it was butterflied but cleverly served in its own shell – it was wonderfully aromatic and succulent from having been grilled in the shell, and easy to eat without any of hassle factor.

For mains, we went for the clove smoked lamb rump (£24), served with fennel and nutmeg sauce and saffron rice. The lamb was tender and medium rare as requested, the spice level was just right - rich, exotic and warming without blowing your head off, and with some delicious cardamom and clove spices.

King prawns in Bengali turmeric curry (£25), came with a deliciously rich ghee rice and spinach poriyal. We enjoyed this but felt it was a weaker option compared to the lamb or the magnificent African grilled prawn.

Despite being on the Sides section, the biryani was a main course in its own right and we could not resist but order it – Lucknow-Style Chicken Biryani (£15) with a Burhani Raita was one of the highlights of our meal - flavoured with lemon and cumin, the rice was perfectly cooked and the chicken meltingly tender.

With our biryani and mains we ordered a delectable Dal Trio (£7) of - yellow, black lentils and chickpeas.

The Peshwari naan (£5.50) was freshly made, it was rich with sweet sultana, burnt coconut and ghee flavours.

For dessert, the Himalayan Queen (£7.50) was a trio of pistachio kulfi, mango and thandai ice cream covered with spiced meringue and flamed with rum.

Finished off at the table, this was Vivek’s Indian reinterpretation of the 70s classic Baked Alaska.

Lassi panna cotta (£6.50) came with a mango mint salad, fresh mango and mango purée, crisp dehydrated raspberries and edible nasturtium flowers, it was fresh and a light dessert to end a fabulous meal.

What We Drank: All cocktails, created by award-winning mixologist Tony Conigliaro specifically for the Cinnamon Kitchen Battersea, are priced between £9 and £12.50.

Coconut Kir was a refreshing cocktail with champagne, toasted coconut, coconut liqueur, and Wyborowa vodka (£12.50). Equally good, if somewhat stronger, was the Assam Manhattan (£8.50) made with black assam infused buffalo gin, vermouth, maraschino, black cardamom - spicy and delicious.

Entry-level wines, both priced at £22.50 from El Muro, Carinena, Spain, were a Macabeo White and a Tempranillo/Garnacha red. We shared a bottle of Sangiovese 2013 from Fico Grande Romagna DOC £30 that worked well with most of the dishes we tried on the evening, particularly the lamb ones.

Likes: the Lucknow-Style Chicken Biryani, the Wild African Prawn and the Peshwari Naan, as well as the cocktails were the highlight of our visit. The food was well seasoned, vibrant and fresh and I could not fault it.

Dislikes: it is nearly impossible to find a suitable/free parking space anywhere near the restaurant.

Verdict: Vivek Singh’s Indian cooking is full of flavour, zingy and fresh. His latest venture, Cinnamon Kitchen Battersea is a very welcome addition to the regeneration of the Power Plant and elevates Battersea’s restaurant scene as a whole. Highly recommended.

Kaema Sutra - Whetting My Appetite for Sri Lankan Flavours and Sunnier Days at the Shangri-La Hotel

Words and Photography by Margot Carone and Luiz Hara

Name: Kaema Sutra Restaurant at Shangri-La Colombo

Where: Shangri-La Hotel Colombo, 1 Galle Face, Colombo 2, Sri Lanka 
http://www.shangri-la.com/colombo/shangrila/dining/restaurants/kaema-sutra/

About: I recently embarked on a Sri Lankan journey that whetted my appetite for the taste and flavours of this country – right here in the heart of London. The Shangri-La Hotel at the Shard brought to the capital celebrity Chef Dharshan Munidasa who runs the fine dining restaurant Kaema Sutra in the group’s newly opened, sister property in Colombo.

A self-taught chef - something he is very proud of – Munidasa has managed to place two of his restaurants amongst the best 50 in Asia. Born in Tokyo to a Japanese mother and a Sri Lankan father, he fell in love with food watching his parents cook. He embraces the traditions of Sri Lankan cuisine and gives them Japanese sensitivity and elegance, he explains. He is mindful of the ingredients used in his kitchens – sustainability plays a central role in his dishes. One of his restaurants, Ministry of Crab, one of the most coveted (and dear) tables in Colombo, uses 100% locally sourced ingredients.

What We Ate: After champagne, chilled, whole King coconuts were brought to our table - a great, and delightful surprise. Native to Sri Lanka, King coconuts are bright yellow in colour and have plenty of refreshing water.

We kicked off with Spicy Ali Geta Pera salad, a tapas-style avocado filled with a preparation of Seeni-sambol (a sweet and lightly sour relish made with dried bonito flakes and seaweed). This was great - creamy, tangy, spicy, and bursting with umami.

Then came the beautiful Egg Hopper a la minute, “a bowl-shaped rice flour crepe that is crusty on the edge and soft in the middle”, a popular Sri Lankan breakfast or tea-time dish. The curries were brought at the same time, along with a Rustic coconut roti. “The way to eat a Hopper is using your hands”, advised the nice gentleman sitting opposite me, who I later found out was Sri Lanka’s Deputy High Commissioner.

I couldn’t have asked for a better person to teach me Sri Lankan dinner table etiquette - he also suggested I added the beautiful fresh water prawn curry, with its rich and creamy gravy, to the eggs. It was the first curry I tried that evening. The prawn was meaty and juicy; the gravy had a hint of kaffir lime that brought a refreshing yet peppery flavour to the dish. I was very lucky to be seated with guests who were too polite to go for a second helping. I took my chance in a flash. The prawns were too good to be left in the plate.

Next up were the dry chicken curry, made from diced, skinless dark meat and the tuna Ambulthiyal, a sashimi-grade tuna from the Indian Ocean cut into cubes and cooked a la minute with a tangy garcinia (a tropical fruit that can be used  like tamarind). We wanted to love both dishes, but in our opinion they were a tad dry and lacked some needed flavour oomph.

Better though was the Crab Kottu, a traditional Sri Lankan dish considered by many to be the ultimate comfort food of the land. This was a delicious stir-fry of crabmeat, shredded roti, vegetables, chillies and curry leaves that got me scraping my plate.

Kaema Sutra’s signature dessert – What the Hopper – is Munidasa’s sweet take on the savoury version. Described as a crunchy Pani Appa, it was a crepe filled with whipped curd, topped with fresh strawberries and drizzled with pure palm treacle. This was light as a feather and well balanced (not too sweet).

As someone who likes to travel and experience different cuisines in their original setting, I imagine all these dishes would have that tropical je ne sais quoi if I were sitting on one of Sri Lanka’s paradise beaches, or at the Shangri-La Colombo. The crafted dishes of Chef Dharshan Munidasa, however, gave me a taster of Sri Lankan flavours, of sunnier days and warmer climates, they made me want to pack my bags and head to this fascinating island.

If you are planning to visit Sri Lanka, the newly opened Shangri-La Colombo is the top luxury hotel in the country. Kaema Sutra Restaurant, serves fine dining Sri Lankan cuisine and is on the fourth floor of the hotel – to find out more about Shangri-La Colombo and Kaema Sutra restaurant, visit their website here.

Baozi Inn: Affordable and Delicious Northern Chinese Street Food and Small Eats in London’s Soho

Name: Baozi Inn 

Where: 24 Romilly Street, London W1D 5AH, https://baoziinn.com/

Cost: There is an excellent value set lunch at £8.90 of meat or vegetable main course + two cold dishes from the chef's selection of the day + a bowl of jiaozi dumplings in broth.  

Alternatively, choose grilled lobster + beer at £18.90, with choice of Asian bottled beer (Tsingtao 1903, Sapporo or Chang) or draft beer (Franziskaner, Dutch Hertog Jan or Leffe Blonde). The selection of beers is impressive.

About: Opened in March 2018 on the site of the former Bar Shan, this is the third Baozi branch in London opened by restaurateur Shao Wei. Baozi Inn’s sister restaurants include Baiwei (reviewed here) and Bar Shu, the group’s flagship at the busy corner between Frith and Romilly Streets (reviewed here).

Baozi Inn was named after the Cantonese baozi dumpling, filled with pork or vegetable, the name also refers to the communal canteens that were introduced during the time of Chairman Mao.


Baozi Inn specializes in the eponymous dumplings, and Northern Chinese street food with a smattering of Sichuanese and Shanghainese dishes like barbecued skewers, Dan Dan noodles and Kao Fu. The offering is generally of small eats intended to be shared and served with beer, although there is a very extensive menu of fine wines and spirits.

The restaurant also offers an all-day Cantonese dim sum menu with Sichuanese and Hunanese influences which I am hoping to try in my next visit. Baozi Inn is in the heart of Soho between Old Compton Street and Shaftesbury Avenue, and being originally a Georgian townhouse, has an intricate layout with many adjoining rooms.  The restaurant is set over three floors within the building.

What We Ate: We started with a selection of cold dishes. Sichuanese ginger juice spinach (£4.50), served with goji berries and soybeans was refreshing and well seasoned with a great depth of flavour.

Kao Fu (marinated wheat gluten with peanuts and black fungus), is a Shanghainese vegetarian cold appetizer (£4.80) and a personal favourite, it was sweet, savoury and exactly as my dear friend, Shanghainese foodie extraordinaire Jason Li (of the Shanghai Dreams Supper Club) makes them.

I also enjoyed the cloud ear fungus in pickled chillies and vinegar (£4.50) – this had great texture and kick of hot chilli and garlic. 

Sesame prawn on toast (£4.50 for 2 pieces) was impressive - made using Chinese steamed (mantou) buns, filled with prawn and then deep-fried, it was a far cry from the usual fare we know of. Served with a passionfruit mayonnaise, they were delicious.

The mixed skewer platter (£17.50), came with two each of cumin lamb, pork belly and chicken skewers. The northern Chinese lamb skewers were tender and sweet, with a warming heat on the finish.   For me, the pork and chicken skewers were unfortunately a tad dry.

We had two of their signature baozi dumplings, one pork and one vegetarian, the latter having a pale green colour from spinach juice (£5.20 for 2).  The vegetarian bun was filled with radish, noodles and black fungus, and both were fluffy, tender and very well seasoned.

The award-winning jiaozi dumplings included pork (£5) and prawn green jiaozi with XO sauce (£6.90). Both made on the premises by hand, and were succulent and delicious. There was a great depth of flavour and umami in the XO sauce.

Squid ball skewers (£5.20 for 4 pieces) had a crisp coating with a soft interior.

Spicy beef shin noodles in broth (£13.80) was a deliciously hearty bowl beef, noodles and smoked bamboo shoots, which imparted to the broth an intense flavour and richness. A fantastic dish.

Dan Dan noodles (£10.80) were tender and fresh, served in a spicy and flavoursome sesame and peanut sauce, minced pork and Sichuanese preserved mustard greens (Ya Cai).

The lobster in fragrant spicy chilli sauce with a choice of beer (£18.90), we went for a glass of Belgian Leffe, came with red chilli oil, Sichuan pepper, ginger, green beans, celery and onion. This is such as a good deal and I really wanted to love it, but for me, the lobster was a tad overcooked and so tough.

What We Drank: We had a glass each of the draft beers Franziskaner Weissbier (£4.50), Hertog Jan from the Netherlands (£3.80) and Belgian Leffe Blond (£3.80) as well as a bottle of Tsingtao 1903 Premium beer (£4). Baozi Inn’s range of good quality beers is impressive.

We finished with a pot of Yunnan Pu Er tea (£3.80). It is served in a tiny cup from a tiny pot, but comes with a flask of boiling water which allows for plenty of top ups. 

Likes: One of the most interesting and innovative drinks menus of any Chinese restaurant in town.  I enjoyed the Shanghainese cold starters, the baozi and jiaozi dumplings hand-made on the premises, and the great range of draft European beers.  

Dislikes: the much anticipated lobster was a bit of a let down.

Verdict: Baozi Inn serves Northern Chinese street food, Sichuanese and Shanghainese small eats that are affordable and of good quality. It is great to see this new addition to the Bar Shu group, raising the bar of Chinese cooking and drinks offering in London. Recommended.