Review: Nopi, Yotam Ottolenghi's Adventure into combining Middle Eastern and Asian cuisine with a European twist

No-pi in the sky

Nopi is the new buzz of Soho and the brain child of Ramael Scully, head chef, and Sarit Packer and Yotam Ottolenghi, executive chefs. The modern decor of Nopi with shiny brass fittings, marble and white washed walls and open kitchen (in the basement), befits the brasserie's eclectic feel.  The Nopi headline is that it “tyically” specialises in bringing together Middle East and Asian cuisine in a casual, but stylish brasserie ambience. The dishes are mezes style (small plates) priced between £8 and £12. The restaurant recommends three dishes per person. We chose:

• Seared scallops, pickled daikon, green apple (£12)
• Grilled sea bream, fresh coconut, mint and peanut salad (£9)
• Burrata, blood orange, coriander seeds (£7)
• Raw brussels sprouts, oyster mushrooms, quail eggs (£9)
• Ossobuco, sage and parmesan polenta (£12)
• Brasied lamb meatballs, yoghurt sauce, pomegranate seeds (£9)

The perfectly cooked cushions of scallops were considerable in size and served with a crunchy salad of bitter radish, peppery daikon, tart apple and topped with sweet chilli jam. We chose an Austrian Grüner Veltliner, Laurenz V 2009 (£7.25 per glass) to accompany the seafood dishes. It was a perfect choice. The refreshing and mild hints of grass and spritz of lemon suited the light, delicate scallops and salad, but was also complimentary with the spiciness of the jam.

The succulent grilled sea bream was beautifully fluffy yet firm. It would have been amazing had it been served on its own.  The coconut in the salad was a little too subtle, but the crunch of peanuts (in a spicy brittle) and heat of the chillies saved it from blandness.  The real crowd pleaser are the mint leaves, which are a stroke of genius.  Bravo!  Again, the Grüner Veltliner in its satisfying, versatile white wine capacity, was a formidable accompaniment to the meatiness of the sea bream. 

The ball of Burrata (mozzarella and cream) had a satin, soft texture and as you can image was amazingly creamy. The crisp breads were subtly spicy and the sweetness of the blood orange was just the right tone.  Too much citrus and tart and it would have overwhelmed the rich cheese.  The drizzle of olive oil and smattering of coriander seeds were the final elements which tied the dish together. Heaped on a the crisp bread with a leaf of watercress you had no idea where it would take you, but it worked.

At this point we were scratching our heads (in a metaphorical, not unhygienic kind of way).  What the hell were we eating?  Italian, Japanese, Asian. The list went on.  We were having a confused moment from the eclectic dishes. We felt we should take issue, but every plate we had tasted to far was fun and interesting.  We were enjoying the taste sensation surprises. We noticed there were no salt or pepper mills on the table.  It pleased us.  It meant that Ottolenghi had wanted the dishes to taste just as presented, seasoning and all.  In addition, when the plates were presented to us the waitress advised against trying the ingredients on their own.  Rather, she suggested that to make the dish “pop” we should try a soupcon of each element of the dish.  Her advice was well received. 

Next up were the brussel sprouts.  You may not believe that we readily chose this, but we did.  We love brussels and Heston's method of cooking them involved shredding so we thought why not?  Continuing the head scratching and gormless looks of disbeliefs, the dish consisted of meaty oyster mushrooms, rich beads of poached quail egg and shavings of nutty Spanish manchego cheese.  It has never occurred to us to eat raw brussels, but the salads composition was very smart and came together like the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra playing Metallica.  Again, it just worked, incongruous warts and all. 

We had problems choosing our wines as the range of flavours of our dishes meant that it was hard to pair accurately.  In the end we settled for an Italian Monte di Grazia, Campania 2007 (£39). This thrilling wine is made from old vines, so as you can imagine was very robust.  The aroma was astonishing; caramalised sugared cream. On the palate one could taste minerals, leather but also plums and dark berries.  We figured that even if it did not pair well with our choices, it would at least be delicious. 

Ossobuco, a braised veal dish with vegetables was the penultimate of the tapas dishes. The veal was tender and soft in a warming subtle spiced sage coating.  The polenta had a citrus zing along with the flavoursome parmesan.  Last but not least were the lamb meatballs, which were imbued with cinnamon, cumin, pinenuts and sprinkled generously with droplets of ruby pomegranate seeds.  The spiced yoghurt coating itself caused a division in the ranks.  Keith loved it, whilst I thought it tasted cheap.  For me, the spice did not infuse with the yoghurt, but sat on it, rather than in it.  It is a shame really, as this meat balls look mouth watering. I think the solution is as simple as the chefs blending the spices into the yoghurt better.

For desserts we chose churros, fennel sugar and hot chocolate.  The churros were slightly overcooked.  They should be crispy on the outside with a light fluffiness on the inside.  Nonetheless, we had great fun dunking into the pot of velvet chocolate and then dipping in the fennel. I am fussy about fennel, mainly as I do not enjoy liquorice, but the flavours themselves came together very well.  If they can perfect the doughnut cooking process, they will be on to a winner.

The other dessert we chose was chocolate, peanut brittle, mace and crème fraiche.  If menus were advertisements, then there would have been several complaints to the British Advertising Commission.  The chocolate was actually a cakey dark chocolate mousse, which was fine, but nowhere on the menu was the word “mousse” used.  We also expected chunks of peanut brittle, but instead it had been beaten within an inch of its life. The crème fraiche was unoffensive but did not add anything to the dish.  Together, it was a little disappointing after the ingenuity of the mains.

Nopi is amongst one of the most interesting restaurants we have been to in a while. We are not sure for how much longer they can continue selling it as “typically” Middle East meets Asia, as there are many other strong regional influences on each of the plates.  Each dish was an experimental delight and we love to see Chefs break the rules and succeed.  This was not a food scientist moment, rather the musings of a cupid chef who encourages foods of all genres to indulge in each other.  The service was slow to commence, but our waitress was polite, friendly and well versed in selling the dishes. By the way, enjoy the toilets, they are hauntingly strange in a Japanese horror film way, but again it is all fun, fun, fun– and it will put a smile on your face.

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Related posts:

• Review: Dinner by Heston Blumenthal at the Mandarin Oriental
• Review: Kopapa, Peter Gordon brings fusion cooking to London's Theatreland
• Recipe: Fish balls in tomato sauce

Recipe: Fish balls in tomato sauce

And she's a ball of wighting

In the angst filled days of my arch nemesis "Dorito Girl", Keith was very supportive of my weight loss and get fit campaign. In fact we had both returned from our first all-inclusive holiday in Barbados as chubsters. I cringe when I think back to nachos for elevenses and pizza slice as a light snack before a three course dinner. As a student free food was too irresistible. I cringe.

On New Year's Day 1999, I made a promise to myself that on my graduation day I would have no regrets. I wanted to look at photos taken on that day and see pride and hope for my future. Keith was very understanding and it was at that point that he picked up his first wooden spoon! Gone were the student meals of Findus crispy pancakes, microwave lasagne and pepperoni pizzas. In were fresh ingredients, salads, low fat cooking and exercise. I cut back on alcohol (I was a student, I was not about to give up my only pleasure). I have fond memories of writing my dissertations or revising for an exam and then going around to Keith's for dinner.

One of the dishes my then boyfriend cooked was Italian Fish Balls. Keith's recipe below has undergone a re-vamp, namely because a student budget meant the ingredients used were of lower quality.

Ingredients

• 150g Whiting, skin removed and chopped into pieces
• 100g prawns cleaned, peeled and deveined.
• Zest of half a lemon
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 400g tin chopped tomatoes including the juice
• 1 heaped teaspoon of tomato purée
• 1 heaped tsp of oregano
• 5 basil leaves, chopped
• Cornflour for dusting
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• Salt, black and white pepper to taste
• 2 tsp clear honey (optional)

Method

1. Add the fish and the prawns to a bowl and use a hand blender to create a thick and even paste.
2. Add 1/4 tsp salt, a good pinch of white pepper and the lemon zest to the paste. Use a spoon to mix thoroughly
3. Use use a tablespoon to remove some of the paste from the bowl and use your hands to mould it into a spherical shape about the size of a golf ball. Repeat until all the paste is used.
4. Add the cornflour to a plate and roll each of the balls until they have a light even coating
5. Heat a frying pan to medium with 1 tbsp of the olive oil. Add the fish balls and move them around so to avoid them from sticking and cook until they start to go a light golden colour.
6. To make the sauce, first heat the remainder of the oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion and cook on a medium heat for about 2 to 3 minutes until it becomes soft and translucent.
7. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute.
8. Add the chopped tomatoes to the onion and garlic. Stir in the, lemon juice, tomato purée, oregano and basil.
9. Season the sauce with salt and pepper and taste. You may add the honey if the flavour is to tart
10. When the sauce starts bubbling on a gentle simmer, carefully add the fish balls to the sauce.
11. Cover and leave on a low gentle simmer for about 10 minutes to allow the fish balls to cook through

There's been controversy around cod in the UK in the last fortnight, so being topical we used whiting as there is plenty of it in our waters. Cod and haddock will also work though. We should not stop buying cod, but it is beneficial to ensure your fish has been caught ethically from sustainable sources.

We hope you enjoy. As you can see, we served with a simple side salad. However, you can go crazy and accompany with tagliatelle or potatoes (or if you are a student spaghetti). Buon appetito!

Review: Kopapa, Peter Gordon brings fusion cooking to London's Theatreland

Kopapa Don't Preach

In the heart of London's theatreland, Kopapa is a new addition to the hoards of restaurants in Covent Garden. Kopapa is brought to us by Kiwi Chef Peter Gordon (ex Sugar Club) and has been open (soft) since Tuesday. Kopapa is a stone throw from both Hawksmoor and Dishoom Restaurants.

When I first walked in I was shocked by how few people where there. Do people know who Peter Gordon god-father of fusion cooking is? Why isn't there a queue around the block? Keith and I like to joke that when we open the fridge and dump whatever food we have on the island in the kitchen and throw it in a pot, we are experimenting with fusion cooking. I often get the humoured look from Keith as I argue that it is ok to mix certain foods together. Unfortunately for us, none of our “experimental” meals have either the finesse or grace of Peter Gordon's.  Of course fusion cooking is not about the reinvention of leftovers and avoidance of waste.  Rather it is about the utilisation of an ingredient in a dish regardless of where it came from in the world.  We were therefore hoping to be wowed and inspired by our dining experience.

Kopapa were obviously erring on the casual upmarket cafe dining style. The setting was relaxed and the informal atmosphere, cultivated by ambient house music would be perfect for dining with friends.  We also noticed concertina windows on the facade of the restaurant, which would make Kopapa an ideal location in the summer.

We were slightly under pressure as we had tickets to the ballet but the staff reassured us that  they would be able to get us out on time.  Two glasses of a delicious 2009 George Duboeuf Beaujolais Villages were swiftly ordered and we chose to share a platter. The wine list was varied but not extensive, which was ok for a restaurant of this size.  Interestingly, Kopapa offered carafes of wine, which is a safe half way house for theatre goers.  The platter consisted of almonds, cumin olives, thickly sliced gravlax with dill, Zamorano cheese (similar to manchego), grilled chorizo and Guindilla chillies. The piece de resistance was an oversized cigar like ciabatta bread-stick.  This tapas dish was so diverse and enjoyable I did not want it to end. 

For our mains I chose a duck leg confit with Malaysian sweet potatoes, sour cherry jus and pak choi.  Keith picked the pork belly on almond skordalia and buttered kale with moromi miso and tarragon dressing. My duck leg was a very generous size (bordering on an impressive Henry VIII look) and piping hot.  The sweetness of the cherry jus was an excellent accompaniment to it. The cute soft dumplings provided an additional treat. Keith's pork belly was tender and the crackling was crispy, but not over cooked.  It was attractively presented.  Keith commented, in ignorance, to the waiter that his skordalia* was cold, but apparently this celeriac side dish (normally made with potatoes) was supposed to be served luke warm. 

We were running out of time for dessert.  We decided to go to the ballet and then return for pudding afterwards.  The accommodating waiters were more than happy to oblige.  Interestingly, there was more of a buzz by the time we arrived  just after ten. I picked the boiled orange cake with passionfruit custard.  Keith chose the brulee with light and fluffy fruit fritters.   Both were packed with flavour, and my only complaint was that my dessert had been refrigerated and was slightly too cold.

The food was on par with our expectations of Peter Gordon (who was cooking in the kitchen).  The staff were terrific, but there were some minor but completely curable first week teething problems.  We are not going to mentioned these as they are solvable and we do not envisage them becoming a problem.  Keith had always wanted to dine at the Sugar Club when he was younger, so I was pleased for him that we had fulfilled that dream in another guise. The menu was innovative and refreshingly different to so many classic or commercial restaurants in Covent Garden.  We shall definitely be recommending Kopapa.

*skordalia–  almonds, mashed potatoes, lemon, vinegar olive oil

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