A low-lit world with more than a touch of minimalist glamour awaits at Cocochan, which rethinks the way we order food. The cleverly concocted menu revolves around the idea of sharing - as much or as little as you like - certainly a good plan, as everything my guest and I tried was just too good to keep to oneself.
Fresh interpretations of Japanese, Chinese, Thai and Indian classics sit alongside each other on Cocochan's experimental but elegant menu that lets you have your dim sum and eat it too. Chilli squid with shichimi salt was unbelievably moreish to start, while the wildly contrasting flavours of aromatic duck with watermelon salad harmonised surprisingly with each other. Bamboo trays provide a modern twist on classic tradition, avoiding over-elaborate presentation and letting the dramatic flavours speak for themselves.
We sampled strips of tender beef, perfectly pink, accompanied by fragrant mustard wasabi that made the mouth water rather than burst into flames. Thai green curry, meanwhile, was as light as it was flavourful. We finished with a valiant shared attempt at dessert - for all of its appeal, two courses at Cocochan proved a fairly significant undertaking - choosing banana cake, a sweet, dense square of dessert which held its own against the tempting offer of dark chocolate delice.
Taking on a dark and dramatic ambience in the evening, Cocochan also makes a fashionable lunchtime spot for weary legs, tired of the Bond Street boutiques a stone's throw away. Combined with the sushi we spied winding its way to neighbouring tables, verging on making me regret my own choices, the promise of drawn-out leisurely lunches on the terrace is more than enough to tempt me back.
Though the food was excellent, it would have been criminal to leave Cocochan without sampling their signature cocktails. The lounge bar tucked away downstairs, all polished wood and private booths, is an intimate but energetic destination for post-dinner drinks. My pick was the Tangy Lilly - delicately fizzy champagne imbued with light citrus flavours and a single floating berry - classy, delicious and effortlessly cool - just like the rest of Cocochan.
www.cocochan.co.uk
38-40 James Street, London W1U 1EU