Cinnamon Soho is a stylish and contemporary restaurant which has just recently opened, following on from the extremely successful Cinnamon Kitchen and Cinnamon Club. First impressions of the restaurant were excellent. The interior looked great and clearly no expense had been spared.
The bottle of house wine we started with was excellent. It was a very good white wine. Very refreshing and drinkable. For a starter we tried the steamed chickpea cake with coconut chutney and the grilled asparagus, sesame and garlic yoghurt.
The chickpea cake was astonishing. It’s soft spongy delicate texture was indeed cake like but it did not feel out of place as a starter. The flavours were brilliant, the coconut chutney combined brilliantly with the chikpea and the raw red onion and cucumber brought freshness to the dish. The dash of spice was beautifully balanced. A truly original and exciting dish.
Our asparagus was also very good. It was beautifully cooked and very well seasoned with coriander and cumin. The sauces it came with were all beautifully balanced with excellent flavours.
Expectations were very high for our mains after the superb starters and they didn’t disappoint. I had the Orissa style chicken curry. My chicken was gorgeous, it was succulent, moist and perfectly cooked. The tomato lentil based sauce was a delight. Everything was beautifully spiced and seasoned without being overpowering. This was high class Indian cooking of a type I am not usually used to. It was very clear the chef had an excellent palate. As a side we had some superb peshwari naan. I love Peshwari naan but this was particularly good and had clearly been freshly made.
The other main we had was seared plaice with tomato lemon sauce and a lentil salad. Again, a beautifully cooked piece of fish with a delicate and exciting sauce with subtle spice and flavors. The portion sizes were perfect.
Our puddings did not disappoint either. The sticky ginger toffee pudding with banana ice cream was delicious. The banana ice cream was a delight and the pudding was light and tasty. The second dish of yoghurt and lime cheese cake with tamarind glazed strawberries was even better. An original dish with a wonderful creamy texture and refreshing taste. Perfect for a pudding at the end of a meal.
Overall Cinnamon Soho was a delight. The food was exquisite and the service which I have forgotten to mention until now was also excellent. Even more astonishing was the price. Our meal which came from the lunch menu was just £11.75 each for three courses! (excluding wine) or £9.75 for two courses. Frankly it was incredible value for food of this quality. Definitely the best value restaurant Frost has been to this year. We will certainly be going back soon and I highly recommend you give it a visit in the near future.
5 Kingly Street, London, W1B 5PF
Tel: 020 7437 1664, www.cinnamonsoho.com
facebook.com/cinnamonsoho
@cinnamonsoho
