The Food Diaries

Hakkasan - in my Top 5 London restaurants for 2010

…the others being Moro (Moorish delights in Exmouth Market), St John (“Nose to Tail” eating in Smithfield), Ottolenghi (who knew vegetables could be so interesting?) and Saf (a vegan wonder).

What to order at Hakkasan for a perfect meal for two:

• Dim Sum Platter
• Mango Roast Duck
• Japanese black bean claypot with marinaga tofu, mushrooms and aubergine
• Glutinous Rice
• Yuzu Posset (i.e. posh lemon meringue) with blackberry compote and praline crumble at 

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Saf - Vegan/Raw food in the heart of Shoreditch

Saf restaurant is the perfect combo of super inventive/super healthy food and a fabulous cocktail and drinks menu (they infuse their bourbons and make their own bitters). In the absence of a personal chef (now where did she go?) I will give their new recipe box for the iPhone app a go - though with the amount of effort that goes into every dish produced in the restaurant, it may be a while before I abandon my restaurant visits.

Here are some dishes on the menu:

Some Asian starters: Vegetable maki (parsnip rice, ume plum pickle, avocado, peppers, radish, sunimono and orange ponzu soy), Mushroom gyoza (woodear mushroom, organic tofu, water chesnut and black vinaigrette).

Some Italian mains: Lasagne (raw bolognaise, sage pesto, olive relish, mushrooms, sundried tomatoes, macadamia ricotta),  Fettucine Alfredo (salsify, daikon, oyster mushroom, truffle cream, black truffle, nut parmesan). The latter dish was absolutely stunning in look and taste - crisp and fresh, yet deep in flavour. I think my Italian friends would have a heart attack - (nut parmesan?! no turnip pasta?!).

Dinner and Drinks in Shoreditch, London

Dinner at the always inspiring Saf Restaurant (a vegan restaurant where much of the menu is cooked under 48°C). Surprisingly for a vegan restaurant, the cocktails and wine menu are equally  inspired. If I had a personal chef, I would eat Saf-style vegan food everyday and would be the happiest and healthiest person on the planet!

What we ate:

- Vegetable maki (made with parsnips)

- Beetroot ravioli (see photo above)

- Pad Thai

- Pumpkin risotto (one of a very few dishes cooked above 48°C)

What we drank:

- Black Forest Martini (cherry bark infused Woodford Reserve bourbon, framboise,
cointreau, cassis)

- Jasmine Pearl Martini (Jasmine green tea vodka, organic peche, lemon juice, raw
cane sugar syrup)

Then onto Callooh Callay Bar (remember Alice in Wonderland’s Jabberwocky poem?) where the cocktails are equally inventive and the staff super welcoming and friendly.

What we drank:

- Full Marks (Maker’s Mark, walnut liqueur, dark cacao liqueur, whiskey barrel bitters, port)

- Prosecco Cobbler (Prosecco, Triple Sec, Apricot brandy, Maraschino, lemon, orange, and pineapple)

- Rockin all Clover (Beefeater 24, raspberry and Earl Grey syrup, lemon, Maraschino, egg white)