With Christmas just round the corner and appetites building up to that big Christmas roast dinner, what better way to get into the festive spirit than indulging in one of the Bookatable’s mouth-watering Festive Dining menus in some of the UK’s best restaurants.
I could never resist a good restaurant with a view and so I took this opportunity to check out the Festive Lunch Menu at Bokan that offers impressive views across London from its 37th-floor setting. Headed up by Aurelie Altemaire, former head chef at the Michelin-starred L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon, the kitchen uses a mixture of local, ancient and adopted British ingredients to deliver finely executed modern European dishes with Asian influences.
Whilst we waited for our food to arrive, I sipped on a glass of rose and nibbled on some warm bread and butter – places that serve complimentary bread and butter always get a thumbs up from me, bonus points if the bread is served warm!
My starter was cured Scottish salmon with vibrant slices of heirloom beetroot, gravlax sauce, dill and a blini. My dining partner’s starter definitely outshone my choice: steamed organic hen’s egg that had a luscious runny yolk centre, which when cut through poured out into a creamy mushroom veloute. Pieces of Cumbrian cured ham added a delicate, sweet flavour and the crispy shards gave some nice texture to the dish.
I really enjoyed my main which was a hearty and incredibly tender beef cheek, braised in red miso and shiso. This was accompanied by the creamiest and most buttery mash potato I have had in recent memory, contrasted by light and crunchy slices of onion tempura.
My dining partner’s dish was the lighter fish option of poached line caught cod that had a delicate, sweet flavour to it. This was served on a light and airy champagne emulsion and gently covered by a thin sheet of pasta, topped off with caviar. Whether or not you’re a meat or fish lover, either choice will certainly please your appetites.
I very rarely go for the cheese option for dessert as I prefer to finish on a sweet note, so our choices for dessert were easily narrowed down to the other two options. The After Eight hot chocolate cake was warm and comforting, topped with milk foam and a refreshing mint sorbet. The roasted pineapple was light and not too sweet, complemented by a Piña colada sorbet, curry jelly and a sprinkle of toasted coconut flakes – a nice combination of flavours, but I would have liked a bit more pineapple on the plate.
We both enjoyed our experience at Bokan London, and their Festive Lunch Menu left us feeling thoroughly satisfied. I will surely be back to visit their trendy-looking bar for some cocktails, not forgetting their chic pinnacle 39th-floor open air roof terrace that is open throughout the year. If you’re looking for a place to impress your date, this is definitely one to add to the list – hint, hint.
The Festive Lunch Menu at Bokan London is priced at £35 per person and bookings can be made through Bookatable, via this link. There are also plenty of other participating venues which you can view on the Bookatable website. Go on, treat yourself… you know you want to!
