Arbutus? Arbuthen!
Dinner this evening at Arbutus, a classy restaurant on Frith Street, near to Soho Square, tucked away at the corner of Oxford Street and Tottenham Court Road. Open only since May 2006, it’s certainly a new entrant to London’s already crowded fine dining scene. But I think it’s made pretty decent inroads already, judging from sympathetic reviews in TimeOut and The Independent.
The restaurant bills itself as offering Modern Eclectic cuisine, which I took to mean Pow Kar Liao, but there was a strong hint of the French in its offerings. How could I tell? It's because I could barely understand many of the items listed. But I’ve gotta give them credit, for Arbutus changes its menu daily, ensuring that regular visitors always encounter something new and fresh.
Of course, one of my dining companions faced no problem understanding the menu, for he was the urbane and cultured Singapore Doctor, on his third outing to the establishment. And he was accompanied today by his sister, the lovely Chio Bu, in town for nice holiday. Coincidentally, I happened to be entertaining a friend from home as well, who had just flown into London earlier in the day.
I settled for the Pre-Theatre Menu, which comprised an onion soup starter, followed by a dish of lamb, which I found a wee bit cold. But it was very well-prepared, unlike some of the more rubbery stuff you might find elsewhere. Then came a novel rhubarb jelly dish, covered in vanilla ice cream, the sour and the sweet mixed together in a rather invigorating combination.
All in all, a very nice meal, and a delightful opportunity to meet the Chio Bu at last. But as usual, I stepped away still somewhat peckish, for the glutton’s tummy always has room for more. Thoughts of crab bee hoon continue unabated.
The restaurant bills itself as offering Modern Eclectic cuisine, which I took to mean Pow Kar Liao, but there was a strong hint of the French in its offerings. How could I tell? It's because I could barely understand many of the items listed. But I’ve gotta give them credit, for Arbutus changes its menu daily, ensuring that regular visitors always encounter something new and fresh.
Of course, one of my dining companions faced no problem understanding the menu, for he was the urbane and cultured Singapore Doctor, on his third outing to the establishment. And he was accompanied today by his sister, the lovely Chio Bu, in town for nice holiday. Coincidentally, I happened to be entertaining a friend from home as well, who had just flown into London earlier in the day.
I settled for the Pre-Theatre Menu, which comprised an onion soup starter, followed by a dish of lamb, which I found a wee bit cold. But it was very well-prepared, unlike some of the more rubbery stuff you might find elsewhere. Then came a novel rhubarb jelly dish, covered in vanilla ice cream, the sour and the sweet mixed together in a rather invigorating combination.
All in all, a very nice meal, and a delightful opportunity to meet the Chio Bu at last. But as usual, I stepped away still somewhat peckish, for the glutton’s tummy always has room for more. Thoughts of crab bee hoon continue unabated.
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