577 Kings Road, London, SW6 2EH www.the-imperial.co.uk
Chloe goes down the Kings Road to try the aptly named Imperial. Reopened and revamped.
The head chef has also created a new seasonal menu to showcase the development of The Imperial’s food offering, which is clear to see from the lite bites to the desserts and everything in between.
We started the meal with two delicious starters. The first, tuna sashimi, arrived beautifully presented with layers of tuna topped with thin slices of radish and black caviar all sitting on pickled shiitake mushrooms. The sashimi was perfectly thin and the sharpness of the pickled mushrooms cut through the richness of the dish perfectly.
The second starter almost gave me food envy – only kept at bay by the great taste of my tuna. This other dish was small but mighty – charred toast, topped with bone marrow, perfectly pink beef fillet, wilted spinach and a cocktail onion. Although a rich dish, it was well balanced and each flavour complemented the other.
Now, sometimes I find when the starters are exceptional the mains can be a bit of a disappointment. However, I am happy to say at The Imperial this wasn’t the case.
However, if you are looking for something a bit lighter the pan-fried swordfish congee is an absolute must. I was a bit skeptical at first but my qualms were quickly quashed. A light broth packed a flavour punch, and was filled with rice, baby leeks and chilli threads.
Although by this point we were both full, I was craving something chocolaty. Luckily for me, The Imperial’s chefs have crafted the ultimate dark chocolate egg, one filled with vanilla ice cream and surrounded by vanilla Cointreau cream and a white and dark chocolate soil. A rich and decadent dish, it is not for the faint-hearted.
All in all, a very pleasant, relaxed and tasty evening. What’s more, the staff are friendly and knowledgeable – even being able to successfully pair a wine to the diverse selection of dishes we sampled. And, with the different atmospheres they have been able to successfully create following the refurbishment, it is a great place for a catch up with friends, relaxed drinks or something a bit more ‘formal.’