London Reviews: Lunching at Chai Wu, Harrods

Just when I thought I’d eaten my way through Harrods, I discovered yet another hidden gem within its cavernous walls – Chai Wu.

Discreetly (and a bit dangerously…) tucked away on the same floor as the iconic Shoe Heaven, the restaurant commands a certain on-trend status of its own, given the growing spotlight on Pan-Asian cuisine in 2017.

It’s as sceney as you’d expect – both moody and atmospheric, with a tacit air of chicness imbibed by the dark interiors, not to mention all the fur and finery donned by the well-heeled clientele gliding in and out! Service too, is impeccable – welcomingly friendly but unobtrusive.

Having decided to lose ourselves to a luxuriously languid afternoon, mother and I all-too-cosily settled in with Asian-inspired martinis (think lychee-chilli and passionfruit), and of course that ultimate toast – champagne.

While the sumptuous sashimi spreads and extravagantly carved Beijing duck have been oft extolled of this contemporary restaurant, we were incredibly gratified to see a dedicated vegetarian menu on request, as it’s a bit of a rarity in Asian restaurants. Spoilt for choice, we sprung for both sushi and dim sum!

Amply filled with a crisp sweet potato and avocado tempura, our maki roll was definitely more gutsy than the usual veggie sushi options of pallid cucumber or plain avocado. While there was a delicate yet earthy appeal to the steamed mushroom dumplings, each parcel pristinely sealed with a goji berry.

Chai Wu’s signature miso salad made for a punchy side plate, courtesy of the umami-rich miso-mayo dressing generously drizzled across.

In the strategic interest of saving plentiful room for afters (you’ll see why in just a minute), we also shared a grilled tofu. Contrary to how it sounds, it was actually rather moreish: pan-seared to a perfectly golden crisp exterior, smothered with a black garlic and wafu (Japanese-style) dressing and topped off with plumptious stems of asparagus.

And then this happened.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BP0Fzo1BywF/

Chai Wu is helmed by the same group behind one of my favourite Thai restaurants, Mango Tree Belgravia, and I was delighted to see the latter’s iconic chocolate sphere on the menu. Under duress from all the lashings of hot toffee caramel poured on top, it melted away with a satisfying pop to reveal a medley of fresh berries within.

The surprise-factor continued with our chocolate fondant, which oozed a bittersweet matcha filling with the lightest of cuts! The astringent flavours were deftly balanced by scooping out the passionfruit served on the side, and pouring it into the fondant’s centre…