Chotto Matte, Soho, London

Wandering down Frith Street in Soho last Saturday, we were looking to stop somewhere for lunch and stumbled upon Chotto Matte, a colourful, contemporary restaurant with a welcoming look about it.  Stepping into the foyer that welcome was exemplified as we were warmly greeted by the manager, Pasquale Baiano, who explained that all the tables were booked, but we were welcome to sit in the bar area to eat.  The service which you receive in a restaurant can make or break the experience and Pasquale's friendly attentive manner was everything one could hope for. Coupled with the flavoursome food combos and trendy ambience this made for the perfect lunch.  No wonder they were fully booked.  In fact, only the downstairs section was open for lunch and Pasquale explained to me that the upstairs would be open also in the evening and that they were still fully booked that night with 426 covers !

Chotto Matte specialises in Nikkei cuisine which is a fusion of Japanese and South American, in particular Peruvian, ingredients.  Now, I have sampled a range of food fusions over the years, some of which were a bit strange on flavour and also spurious in their origin.  Not so with Nikkei.  This fusion originates from times when Japanese immigrants to Peru wanted to create their traditional food but were forced to adapt to availability of local produce.  So expect the usual Peruvian ceviche ingredients of raw fresh fish with lots of lime juice and onion, Japanese sashimi with ginger and wasabi, along with more unusual vegetables like cassava, sweet potato and quinoa. Add to that barbecued Wagyu beef, sautéed fresh vegetables and Tempura prawns and you could believe you are in foodie heaven. 

The brainchild of restaurateur, Kurt Zdesar (formerly with Nobu), Chotto Matte has been open for just over 2 years now and is as strong as ever ( hence the booking rate ).  This is undoubtedly down to Zdesar's vision but key factors are the most important qualities in any restaurant, great food and great service. 


We tried the Beef Teriyaki version of La Nikkei Cascara which contained crunchy wok seasoned vegetables, brown rice and tasty succulent beef. We also ordered the Chotto Bento Box to get a good selection of the Chotto Matte classics.  This included Miso soup, Padron peppers den miso, Wild Prawn Tempura, Nikkei Sashimi Salad, Sea Bass Ceviche, Sushi with toppings, Spicy Tuna and Yellowtail Roll, Black Cod ahi miso, BBQ Chicken picante and steamed rice.

My favourites ? Actually it was the Beef Teriyaki Nikkei which was wholesome, full of flavour and great value at £9.95 (inc Miso Soup).  A healthy guilt-free lunch as they say !
Close seconds were the Black Cod, Sea Bass Ceviche and the BBQ Chicken.  But, if I am honest I loved it all.


Somewhat bizarrely the rest-room experience is becoming quite fashionable in London restaurants nowadays.  Think of the view from the urinals Aqua Shard, heated and musical toilet seats in some oriental restaurants. Chotto Matte is no exception.  Negotiate the darkness downstairs and you are struck (visually that is ) by the illuminated modern art wall in an otherwise darkish space with no obvious doors.  Then you notice the button to press which opens a dark glass sliding door to another dark space.  Sink units are flat dark discs, each with circular shaving-type mirrors above which automatically sense your presence and illuminate.  It's brilliant. 

What more can I say..... Great food, Great Service, Great Toilets ..... Go There !

Seafood at the Almyra Hotel in Cyprus

Infinity pool at AlmyraSpa

In pursuit of some winter sun at the end of our UK winter we ended up in Cyprus at the Almyra Hotel in Paphos.  This was our first visit to Cyprus but it ticked all the boxes having temperatures around 20C and less than 5 hours flying with Easyjet and a small time difference (+2 hours).  The Almyra Hotel offered good facilities including a well appointed spa, gymnasium, pools and sporting facilities all situated next to the Mediterranean Sea.  The cuisine on offer was promising with several restaurants available at this hotel and the neighbouring sister Hotel Annabelle.

Fishing Boats in Pafos

Cyprus is situated in the eastern end of the Mediterranean where the water is not particularly rich in nutrients and so the fish stocks are not highly abundant.  However local fishing boats, like those based in Paphos, do bring a regular supply of local produce including Picarel (a type of whitebait), Dorado, Mullet, Cuttlefish, Squid, Tuna and Swordfish.  Farmed fish in Cyprus include Gilthead Bream and Seabass. The inshore fishing is carried out from small wooden boats using long lines or nets.

Char-grilled Fresh
Calamari

Local fresh squid (Calamari) is abundant and makes for a tasty dish.  This whole squid was scored and grilled over barbecue coals at the poolside restaurant, Notios. Beautifully prepared with local olive oil and lemon juice it was tender and juicy.  It is important to 'score' the flesh of a squid before cooking as it helps to tenderise the squid-meat during cooking.  Other notable dishes at Notios included Seared Salmon and Seafood and SeaweedSalad.

Sushi by the Sea

Seafood & Seaweed Salad

The Almyra also specialises in Japanese cuisine and offer a range of dishes to order from the menu or even especially prepared after discussions with the chef.  These plates of Sushi and Sashimi were expertly crafted from the freshest ingredients.  The dishes included Salmon and Tuna Maki rolls, Yellowfin Tuna Sashimi, Seabass and Squid Nigiri.  Accompanied by a highly palatable Sauvignon Blanc from the Tsiakkas Winery, this made for an very pleasant lunch.

Jumbo Prawn with Rice

A lunchtime alternative was the Ouzeri restaurant which has a rustic appeal and is situated at the edge of the sea. Fresh fish was always available. One of the most popular dishes was the charcoal grilled Jumbo Prawns with rice - absolutely delicious ! Again a good choice of cocktails and wines (local and international) were on offer but we opted for the Tsiakkas Merlot which again was extremely good.

Paella

Mosaics, Almyra’s main restaurant, caters for all tastes with modern Mediterranean and International buffets.  Much to our (pleasant) surprise the evening meal in this restaurant was complimentary and the quality of the food and wine was very good indeed. From a simple salad to swordfish kebabs, a wide range of wines and good service made this a regular favourite.  The Almyra'a adjacent 'sister' hotel, The Annabelle, offered the same deal also with themed nights which included 'Mediterranean', Italian and Oriental cuisine. The image shows Chef Gary, at the Annabelle, preparing a Paella to order, overseen by Executive Chef, Alexandre Geffroy.

Flame seared Sashimi Salmon

Miso glazed Black Cod

 There were fine dining options at the Almyra which more than met the mark.  'Flavours' is an elegant restaurant situated around the fireplace at the far end of the foyer bar.  Offering a combination of Japanese and Mediterranean cuisine the menu was varied and interesting.  The Flame-seared Sashimi Salmon with Italian white truffle oil and Gremolata was delicate and the Miso Glazed Black Cod with pickled vegetables and Yuzu Miso dressing (made with a Japanese citrus fruit) was flavoursome. Flavours also offered an impressive selection of international fine wines to complement the excellent food.

Pan fried Sea Bream

Sauteed Prawn

More formal fine dining was provided at Amorosa in the Annabelle Hotel next door. It is a sophisticated restaurant which specialises in contemporary French cuisine. I opted for the four course set menu which at €28 was a bargain but was even more amazed when I learned that our meal plan reduced this to a ridiculous €15.  For food of this quality I would expect to pay four or five times that amount.  My choices included Sauteed Prawn with Green Beans, Potatoes, Black Olives and Lemon Butter Sauce followed by Cauliflower Soup with Olive Tapenade Crostini. For main course it was Pan Fried Sea Bream with Spinach Mash, Ratatouille and Champagne Sauce. Then to finish, Dark Chocolate and Orange Crepes with Orange Zest Confit and Pear Sorbet.  All prepared to perfection with fresh ingredients and served expertly with fine wines on offer.

In summary, I would highly recommend the quality of the seafood at these 2 Thanos hotels. I am told that a third hotel in the group, Anassa, is also good so here's to my next visit ! 

Sushi at the Park Plaza, London

Ordered this combination plate at the Ichi Sushi restaurant in the Park Plaza hotel, Westminster.  My wife and I had stayed here a couple of nights earlier and I was so impressed that I returned there after work with my son.  Started off with Edamame beans then we had the combination plate which comprised spicy tuna and crab rolls, tuna, prawn, eel and salmon nigiri and sashimi of salmon, tuna and seabass.
All beautifully prepared and presented.  At £40 it's not the cheapest but it is worth it for the quality.