London's Culinary Creativity

It's December now, so be prepared to eat like there's no tomorrow. It all just seems to go out of the window doesn't it? Well today I'm casting my mind back to when I had slightly more restraint, savouring more controlled portions instead of walking out completely stuffed. The only way I could vaguely think of linking these experiences together is the visuals. There was ramen with pops of pink pickled ginger (this was added in after the photos so you'll just have to take my word for it), chocolate mousse with glimmering gold and artfully arranged petit-fours. Enjoy!

Kouzu

I still can't quite get over how fortunate I've been in terms of visiting some dream restaurants this year and having new culinary experiences all over the shop. It's even better when I'm able to share these opportunities with someone I love, so last week I brought my Mum along to Kouzu for their soft launch, as I know she's never seen sushi chefs at work. This is probably the right kind of place to show someone the artistry that goes behind making some of these dishes. One of London's most celebrated chefs Kyoichi Kai heads up the team to make sure that each plate bears the same meticulous detail and everything we tried tasted as good as it looked. Think prawn tempura with a Cajun kick, sesame infused spinach and seriously tender chicken yakitori. Mrs P was definitely impressed with the attention to detail and is already planning her next visit.

House of Peroni

Now there's a serious lack of photos on my part due to a major camera fail. I guess it just wasn't my day, maybe my DSLR and I needed an intervention. The House Of Peroni still deserves a mention though, it may have finished it's residency for now but it still lives on by way of t'internet with a curated sort of cultural hub. Every so often the Italian lager brand pop-ups up in a grand four-storey Holborn townhouse with a series of installations, workshops and general activity to appeal to a wider audience. It's a pretty good idea, it's not something I'd usually drink in its orginal guise, but when mixed with the likes of Prosecco it then becomes something I can get on board with. I managed to catch the restaurant on its last night, the lighting may not have been conducive to blog photography, but it did give me a chance to just focus on the arrangements in front of me. I did get major food envy at my friend's pasta dish, but my mustard crusted lamb was still pretty good anyway. Hopefully it'll be back next year as its a great alternative to your standard bar, plus the pasta making classes are tempting me!

Kanada Ya

Ramen seems to be invading Soho street by street and after frequenting Shoryu a few times, it was time to take the next logical step to the St Giles' Area. It's a funny little please, not quite Tottenham Court Road nor Covent Garden (so of course I got lost), but already there's a major battle of the broths with two newly opened restaurants specialising in this fare. After some careful research (basically Twitter) Winnie and I chose Kanada Ya, a tiny slip of a place with around twenty seats. The one hour queue didn't faze us, we're made of strong stuff you see and it was definitely worth it for the richer taste. Apparently the pork broth takes eighteen hours to cook, which explains the definite difference in what I'd sampled before. My tip is to order extra pork and add plenty of the pickled ginger. You can also specify how hard or soft you'd like your noodles and accompany your meal with some authentic Japanese lemonade. Visit with a likeminded friend who's willing to wait or even alone so you can slot in with the odd numbers. People are enjoying the food too much to care!