I adore Chinese food, and contemporary, exciting interpretations of this aristocratic cuisine don’t get much better than the tasty morsels prepared at Mei Ume restaurant, says James Lawrence.
The Four Seasons Hotel at Ten Trinity Square celebrates its inaugural Michelin star for Anne Sophie Pic’s debut London venture, La Dame de Pic. It was justly deserved: the restaurant’s creative, refined cuisine allows diners to sample Anne Pic’s brilliance without having to fork out for a trip to Paris. Yet, having recently eaten at the Four Season’s neighbouring restaurant, Mei Ume, I know which venue I’ll be rushing back to.
In this regard, however, I must confess to a certain amount of bias on my part — I adore Chinese food, and contemporary, exciting interpretations of this aristocratic cuisine don’t get much better than the tasty morsels prepared at Mei Ume. Meaning ‘plum blossom’ in Chinese and Japanese, Mei Ume is another potent symbol of how much our appreciation of Chinese cuisine has moved far beyond the cliches of Satay Chicken and Special Fried Rice.
Today regionality is king, as we recognise the incredible diversity of Chinese cuisine, be it the old Imperial school of cooking in Beijing (Peking) or the fiery, spice-heavy dishes of the Sichuan tradition. Indeed, any seasoned visitor to China can vouch for the country’s immense geographical, climatic and cultural disparities that have created many distinct styles and approaches to cooking. There is really no such thing as Chinese food, despite my earlier statement, but rather a patchwork of varying approaches — Cantonese dishes, of course, have little in common with the intense Sichuan delicacies.
In this regard, Mei Ume takes it one step further, offering its guests both modern twists on dishes from China and Japan, everything from divine sashimi to spicy tuna rolls with truffle karashi. Gastronomic duties are handled by a talented trio of head chef Tony Truong, formerly of Royal China, while sushi chef Mun Seok Choi heralds from Saké No Hana, joined by dim sum expert Liang Kian Cheung. They are, in effect, your gastronomic insurance: whatever you order from Mei Ume’s varied menu, you’re guaranteed it will not disappoint.
However, you don’t need to be ravenous or even mildly esurient to enjoy London’s newest high-end Asian restaurant. The glamorous bar takes centre stage, flanked by ornate grey Corinthian columns, with an enticing selection of libations, including the signature cocktail Azure Dragon Of The East, which we imbibed before dinner. A heady mix of Kavalan port wood finish, Sri Lankan lemongrass, St Germain liquor and plum blossom, it was a fitting introduction to the panache inherent to Mei Ume.
Nevertheless, we came here to eat, and by avarice, you will eat well. Our feast began with a mixture of old Chinese favourites and Japanese delicacies: Shanghai braised pork ribs, yellowtail carpaccio with truffle ponzu and Akami (Tuna) sashimi. My friend immediately pronounced his sashimi “world-class” while my magnificent braised pork ribs were rich mouthfuls of meltingly tender pork, underpinned by a moreish, but not sickly, honey-glazed sauce. Bite, bite… and they’re gone, leaving us eagerly anticipating the next course.
Which, of course, had to be the legendary Peking Duck. All top restaurants trade off one signature dish, and Mei Ume wisely allows its whole Peking Duck to do a lot of the talking; my high expectations weren’t met, they were surpassed: expect exquisite, sweetly-scented aromatic duck breast carved in front of the table and wrapped in soft, sweet pancakes.
With the sweet, succulent flavours of the duck, our sommelier, Jan Konetski, paired a German pinot noir, which turned out to be the best wine of the evening. Moving away from the (classical) lighter, dryer Burgundian style of Pinot Noir, the wine was delicious — elegant, soft and fruit rich. Texturally they were a match made in heaven: the silkiness and richness matched the succulence of the duck breast.
Indeed, the wine and sake offering at Mei Ume is another highlight and a typical misstep at old-school Chinese restaurants, which still pair wines that are (potentially) assaulted by the cornucopia of spice, sweetness and chill. No fear, though, as Jan Konetski knows his craft and quite justifiably pushes sake as the ideal foil for the fish dishes in particular.
The ‘main’ event was another homage to China’s magical way with duck — the remainder of the carcass is thoughtfully prepared as a lighter salad laced with lemongrass and plum dressing. It was gone in minutes, but then I defy anyone to reluctantly or cautiously devour such magnificent cooking. As a showstopping finale, we have Crispy shredded veal with chilli and mango and the obligatory steamed jasmine rice.
At this point, one might expect a criticism or two, but I’m afraid I can’t offer any. Dinner at Mei Ume doesn’t come cheap, of course, but then cooking of this calibre rarely is. But I suppose if I have to find fault, then Mei Ume doesn’t boast the views of Hutong in The Shard or the celebrity of Hakkasan. Here, the magnificent food, rather than the embellishments, does the talking. And that’s just fine by me.
What: Mei Ume at the Four Seasons
Where: 10 Trinity Square, London EC3N 4AJ
Web: fourseasons.com
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