About Time You Tried: London’s Best Spring OpeningsBy Angelica Malin
There’s so many fantastic new restaurants opening this April in London. Time is precious, London, here’s 5 you simply can’t miss this Spring:
1. For Korean Food: On The Bab, Covent Garden
What: Taking East London by storm with their Korean street food, On The Bab is expanding and opening its doors in Covent Garden. Old favourites will be returning to the menu including their much loved steamed buns and their Korean style kimchi, plus new dishes – think Yangyum chicken, a Korean twist on fried chicken and Korimari, seaweed rolls packed full of Korean barbecue meat served with classic side dishes of ‘Myulchi Bokeum’ (sweet, chilli dried anchovies) and ‘Danmuji’ similar to Kimchi.
Why: Korean street food at its best; On The Bab is bringing the latest Asian dining experience called ‘chimek’ to London, pairing together Korean fried chicken and beer and for the first time the restaurant will be selling draught beer. On Friday 10 April On The Bab will have a soft launch promotion open to the public offering 50% off the entire menu. Take it from us – get down there.
Where: 36 Wellington Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2E 7BD
2. For Fusion Cuisine: Flat Three, Notting Hill
What: Another jewel in Notting Hill’s food scene is Flat Three, a restaurant focusing on a new approach to Japanese-inspired food taking note from Japanese, Korean and Scandinavian cultures. Juliana Kim Moustakas and Head Chef Pavel Kanja have joined forces to bring a menu full of carefully sourced and prepared ingredients. Dishes include Bräckt, a dish of turbot and trout and a fermented dessert of toasted rice, sencha ice cream and ama koji porridge.
Why: The intimate restaurant only seats 40 and the decor has been heavily influenced by Japanese and Danish furnishings, with vintage dark wood seating and a large open kitchen. Flat Three has specially curated a drink list concentrating on wines from small producers, sake and cocktails using house-made tonics and tinctures. There is also a cracking selection of house-pressed juices and teas.
Where: 20-122 Holland Park Avenue, London W11 4UA
3. For a New Experience: Good Evenings at Pret
What: Get this! Pret A Manger is welcoming evening diners into its shop at 88-89 Strand, with the introduction of a new evening menu for late-night wanderers. The Good Evenings concept is the first evening trial of its kind for Pret; from 6pm each day, the shop will transform into a casual evening dining experience and diners will be greeted at the door, presented with a ‘Good Evenings’ menu and shown to a table.
Why: This is really one for Pret lovers. The new menu of small plates, salads, toasties, soups, hot dishes and desserts includes some favourite Pret ingredients served in new ways, as well as a couple of popular hot food dishes such as Macaroni Cheese and Quinoa Rice Pots. It also includes a selection of French red and white wines, Prosecco and British craft beers. Think: Baked Sweet Potato Wedges, Lemon & Rosemary Chicken Salad and Salt Beef Toastie on artisan rye & sourdough bread. Desserts include Pret’s popular Brownie Bite, which is served warm with ice cream and a fruit coulis.
Where: 88-89 Strand – the evening menu is available from 6pm-10.45pm Monday – Saturday, and 4pm-8pm on Sundays.
4. For Vietnamese Sandwiches: Whaam Bánh Mì
5. For Healthy Food: Beany Green, Broadgate Circle
What: Beany Green is set to bring The City lunchbox to life this April with its distinctive blend of Aussie coffee, bold healthy food and unique street art. The new 30 seater cafe sits within a stone’s throw of the independent’s tiny buzzing coffee kiosk, which became a coffee institution almost immediately when it opened two years ago. It will join an impressive line-up of new operators opening in the Broadgate Circle including Yauatcha, The Botanist, Jose Pizzaro and Franco Manca.
Why: From its gluten-free Broccoli Bread topped with avocado, poached eggs and tofu mayonnaise to its award-winning Banana Bread Sandwich and the Full Bondi, Beany Green will show The City how to brunch, Melbourne style. There will be an open ‘kitchen table’ lunch counter with daily-changing salads, handmade protein balls and toasted spinach wraps stuffed full of goodness. Beany Green is the brainchild of former Investment Banker, Australian born, Prue Freeman, and her English partner, Tom Onions, who endured endless cups of charred, over-roasted coffee and dull packaged lunches while working at UBS in the Broadgate Circle.
Where: Broadgate Circle – opens on Thursday 16th April 2015.
