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Nopi Restaurant & Cha Cha Moon

Monday 22 August 2011
I'm sorry I haven't had the chance to respond to any comments or emails yet but I'll do so soon.

This is my second visit to Nopi. The first was a gathering arranged by my friend, M of Deuxarmoires who had read the reviews on Goop and suggested we try the restaurant. There's only one word to describe the food. SUBLIME. I hope you'll bear with me here. Before I forget, do check out Nopi's bathroom. I won't talk too much about it other than say, you have to see it.

I made an appointment for an early lunch with Little L and a close friend. It's ridiculously easy to make a booking on their website. You can do so 24/7 without having to pick up the phone. E, bless her heart is a sweetheart but has never known to turn up on time for any appointments. While my stomach's growls turned into roars, Little L reminded me to be nice. "Mommy, make sure you have a smile for Auntie E when she walks in. Don't be too hard on her", she admonished. My 5 year old has more maturity and wisdom than her 37 year old mom.

Within minutes of being seated, a waitress came procuring menus followed by complimentary carafe of water and bread with accompanying dip in quick succession. While it was recommended 3 dishes per person, the 3 of us struggled to finish 4. I guess it really depends on whether or not if you're a big eater. The service was exceptional. The waiting staff were attentive, friendly and efficient.


nopi1

The interior of Nopi



nopi2


nopi- menu

The menu




nopi-mackerel

Grilled mackerel, red lentils, smoked labneh, mint sauce. I've ordered this dish twice and thought this must be the most complete meal. You have the omega rich mackerel with lentils which is packed with iron and vitamin B. Furthermore, it is utterly delicious.




nopi-crab
Softshell crab, forelle pear and peashoots. This was our personal favorite. All 3 of us were rendered speechless after taking a bite. The crunchy breadcrumb shell juxtaposed perfectly against the soft and moist roe. I call the dish a mini explosion to the tastebud.




nopi-sirloin

Roasted beef sirloin, cucumber kimchi, greengage plum sauce.  The sirloin was perfectly cooked - medium rare and tender. The kimchi may be spicy but you could still taste every morsel and texture without your tongue going completely numb.



nopi-trout tartare
Trout tartare with sweet potato crisps. This is the first tartare that I've ever eaten. I've always shied away from tartares. It's just not my thing. Surprisingly, I liked it but not as much as the other 3 dishes.


A lovely lady at Nopi took a liking to Little L and was kind enough to spend quite a bit of time with her. Nothing touches a mother's heart more than a stranger paying a compliment about your child. It turned out that she was Cornelia, the co-partner of Nopi. When I mentioned that Little L loves to cook and that her idol was Jamie Oliver, Cornelia took her down to see the chefs working in the kitchen. We walked out of the restaurant feeling like we've just had an incredible gastronomical experience.


Little L's godmother used to help out in her mother's Malaysian restaurant in Wellington. So when she started raving about a fantastic Malaysian restaurant called Cha Cha Moon which is located right behind Liberty, I had to check it out. Right after leaving Nopi, we were caught in a downpour. I wasn't keen on shopping with a 5 year old so we thought we'd grab a hot drink at Cha Cha Moon. We were still stuffed to our gills from our lunch but I wanted to try their taro cake with minced meat topping. First of all, the Hong Kong milk tea and soy milk were the real deal. Not sickening sweet at all and the soy milk tasted incredibly fresh. I couldn't believe how authentic the taro cake was. I shouldn't have been so surprised seeing that their chefs were all Asians.


tea




cha cha moon1




cha cha moon chef



cha cha moon taro cake
Taro Cake




Nopi Restaurant
21-22 Warwick Street
London W1B 5NE
+44 (0)20 7494 9584


Cha Cha Moon
15-21 Ganton Street
London W1F 9BN
+44 (0)20 7297 9800

7 comments:

  1. Love all the pictures! Must try these restaurants!

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  2. Happy birthday Li !!
    Wow both yummy sumptuous and scrumptious food .
    Incidentally I just made taro cake , need to get some pointers re- texture and taste from you . Like the presentation .

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  3. Hunger attack! Luscious food and your pics make my mouth water.

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  4. LOVE the pictures...! Soft shell crab, taro cake, yum!! :) Glad you guys had a very good time!

    S in NY

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  5. Everything looks so delicious, and your pictures are amazing! They should pay you for this advertising :)

    http://www.stylish3.com/marylane

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  6. Mona P, Mi, DeuxArmoires, S and Mary Lane, thank you for the lovely compliments. Time to cut back after stuffing my face for the last few days!

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  7. YUM!! Your pictures look so good that I wish I could grab a fork and taste! Thanks for the info!

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