Ikoyi
180 Strand
Strand and Covent Garden
London WC2R 1EA
BY NEAL MARTIN |
The Food:
Gola peppercorn broth
Smoked 120-day dry-aged sirloin in a poppyseed tartlet with one-week cured trout and trout roe
10-day aged sea bass with Cambridgeshire asparagus and crispy white kombu
Drunken squid with fermented rice and black truffle with confit marinated Vin Jaune
Saffron crème caramel with Kaluga caviar in a savory beetroot reduction
Confit courgette tonnato with melon and hazelnut milk and pistachio oil
Suya and creamed chickpeas, smoked sweetbread, chrysanthemum and black mint with watercress
Turbot and egusi miso
So, Ikoyi… The level of gastronomy, execution, presentation, ingenuity of ingredients and, at times, innovative combinations deserve accolades and Michelin stars, definitely two and close to three. Whereas some of what you might call ‘retrograde’ restaurants are reverting back to simplicity, and trust me, that is something that should be welcomed, Ikoyi is a reminder that achieving great heights, a chef with a clear vision, is something that should be cherished, even if, unlike art, it can only be experienced by few.
