Review: Straits Kitchen & Bar, Pan Pacific
Review: Straits Kitchen & Bar, Pan Pacific
A sophisticated spot with a playful menu
Straits Kitchen and Bar is a relaxed restaurant offering a range of pan-Asian and fusion dishes in a glamorous setting. While you’re not dining up high, the floor-to-ceiling windows offer views of the surrounding office blocks, the square and a rather lovely church.
On our visit on a blustery Friday night, there was a mix of diners, including a couple and their very well-behaved pooch, a girls’ dinner, some suits and families.
We settled in with a glass of Champagne and some edamame beans. These beans are not usually worth a mention in their own right, but here they were elevated with a kick of chilli and salt, steamed perfectly and given a touch of the grill to impart colour and flavour.
The menu is divided into small and large plates as well as noodles and skewers. Or you can try a selection with the good value Experience Menu, offering five plates for £65. A beautifully presented dish of Scottish smoked salmon kicked things off – and it was delicious with dabs of sweet miso, wasabi, peas and edible flowers.
Next was a plump chicken satay skewer with toasted coconut, along with a dish of delicious steamed prawn and chive dumplings. Incidentally, if you order a la carte rather than with the Experience menu, the satay is served as a pair on a cute little burner, which is a nice touch.
The main course was a Hereford beef short rib with miso polenta, horseradish and sweet soy. The meat was meltingly soft and the dish showed how good fusion food can be when done well.
We managed to squeeze in a ‘Gula Melaka’ crème brûlée with mango lime compote, and mango coriander sorbet – the latter worked well with the sweetness of the former, adding an herbaceous note.
While the restaurant was buzzy, it felt like a hidden gem away from the frenetic throng of Liverpool Street. One to have on your radar.
