Dining in the Dark at Chino Latino
To celebrate the London Festival of Lights, London Lumiere, Chino Latino invited me to the spectacle of Dining in the Dark. Thankfully it was not pitch black like the seedy back rooms of Berlin nighclubs.. bot more of a carefully lit affair. The night showcased #Ginuary and the new Asian Pickle Menu from the restaurant.
The Food
On the night we were treated to a menu featuring Asian Pickles. From the name Chino Latino you would expect Asian & Latin Flavours. Menu started off with black bean edamame to nibble. Flavour was really exciting as I normally see edamame as somthing to eat whil you pass the time. Not really a fan of the slimy black bean sauce on my fingers, but with a little clever manouvering managed to eat them with my chop sticks. Next up was the Pork Belly and Kimchi Maki. I was really impressed with these nise tight rolls and excellent knife skills. The Salmon and Green Papaya was excelenty presented with fish roe, quail eggs and smoked salmon in abundance. The crispy salmon skin was inspired and stole the show. The last savoury dish was a Bulgogi Rib Eye with Pickled Eryngi Mushroom and Tenderstem Brocolli. The rib eye was perfectly medium rare though iI could not get the bulgogi reference, was just a nice steak. Finished with a stunning apple mousse, earlgrey dates and pickeled cucumber. The dessert was stunning, but i’d expect a really strong apple flavour, but is was more like apple scented. Shame as im a sucker for anything apple.
Chino Latino
Chino Latino
Chino Latino
The Vibe
The vibe is swanky chilled out hotel chic. The bar was bustling with hotels guests and locals seeking an after-work libation. The restaurant had a mix of guests and prople off the street. Modern design that felt luxurious without being pretensious.
The Verdict
I have to admit I was really surprised and impress with the food. Hotel restaurants can be a bit more miss than hit. The sharing menu was great value based on portion size and level of cooking. I only wish that the dessert had a little more oomph like the rest of the menu. Please note that I was a guest of Chino Latino for the evening.
Park Plaza Riverbank, 18 Albert Embankment, Lambeth, London SE1 7TJ
http://www.chinolatino.eu/london/
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