Angelina – London, England

This is probably my last review for the year, and while no longer being in Japan has me hankering for the tasty end of a shotgun, it's nice to end with a positive review of a restaurant in my home city.

Earlier this week, I visited Angelina with my partner, an unstarred (but Michelin-recommended) Japanese-Italian fusion restaurant in East London (Dalston, to be precise). While Dalston isn't known for its restaurants, the run down to Shoreditch and the likes of The Clove Club, Plates and Cycene takes in some of London's best bars (and possibly the world's, if previous iterations of the 50 Best Bars list is anything to go by): A short walk south of Dalston Junction station and you have Three Sheets. Keep walking south on the same road, and you come across A Bar with Shapes for a Name. Finishing up at Happiness Forgets in Hoxton, should you then have a late dinner reservation at either of the aforementioned restaurants, you will surely struggle to taste the food. But if you're looking to do the reverse and not drink on an empty stomach, then you could do much worse than Angelina.

Offering a kaeseki-style menu (what that means is clearly nebulous, as this looks to me like your standard Western fine dining set-up) of 13 dishes (or so they say; really it's 12. They've tried to pass the butter that comes with the focaccia off as its own dish. Tut tut) spread over 6 courses for the undeniably excellent value of £68 (in this economy?!), Angelina blends Italian and Japanese cuisines with understated confidence.

Service is familiar, the drinks list lengthy (somewhat surprising for a neighborhood restaurant), and the environs chic, what with the marble tables and low lighting. Appetizers are tendered 2 + 1, beginning with the Hokkaido scallop atop a rice cracker (nice enough though the scallop didn't taste particularly fresh) and the gnudi laden with ikura (dense and warming, this being my favourite of the three), both of which were swiftly followed by okonomiyaki topped with katsuoboshi (a fine rendition but sadly light on the sauce). Then came an optional dish of tempura oyster with herring roe; it was referred to as caviar when ordering, but given these are £7 each, you can probably guess that you're not going to be offered sturgeon roe. Still, I would say the tempura oyster, sitting in the shell in a pool of ponzu, was the highlight of the meal (we opted for two each but could have kept the good times rolling). Acidic, umami, salty, rich, adjectives. It had an abundance of complexity in one bite that was worth the price of admission.

The chawanmushi with blood orange and cuttlefish that followed was well-balanced but light: I felt the broth could have been simmered for longer, though it made sense in the context of the menu and where this was placed, to be a transitional dish. The bread course, consisting of nori focaccia with a walnut butter and quince jam was exceptional, the focaccia airy and drizzled with olive oil, while the walnut butter was more like a clotted cream, with nary a whiff of the oiliness that often comes with butter. This was offered alongside a pleasing crudo of seasonal vegetables atop a pesto sauce, as well as hamachi and kiwi (a palate-awakening combination, though the hamachi could have been colder).

Then came the two larger dishes: first the raviolo with bone marrow, confit egg yolk and ricotta. The filling was delightful, with the confit egg yolk barely contained within the pasta, and the pangrattato adding a nice textural crisp. However, the pasta could have done with a little longer to cook, given it was on the tougher side of al dente.

After this was the duck, strips pink and glistening, with a marsala sauce, umeboshi, polenta and radicchio. The duck, umeboshi and sauce (together being reminiscent of a sweeter version of a hoisin sauce) were an excellent combination, the fried polenta adding a textural component that was welcome. However, the radicchio was much too bitter, and even when paired with the sweet plum reduction was unbalanced. Swapping this out for something like a Jerusalem artichoke would have been more welcome.

To finish, panettone (unlike the excellent focaccia, unfortunately not made in-house, though it was a joy to eat), a spiced milk ice cream, and a madeleine.

I have had much worse for much more, and in fact think that even despite my criticisms, the menu at Angelina is wholly enjoyable; there are no dishes that simply don't work, and the melding of culinary influences is handled with gusto. As it stands, I think that Angelina is knocking on the door of 1-star territory.

Courses:

1. Tapioca, Hokkaido Scallop, Cedro

2. Gnudi, Sage, Ikura

3. Okonomiyaki, Fontina, Culatello

4. Optional dish of Tempura Oyster and Herring Roe

5. Cuttlefish, Cara Cara, Fennel

6. Rosemary & Nori Focaccia with Quince Jam, Miso & Walnuts

7. Hamachi, Red Kiwi, Togorashi

8. Sorrel, Pickled Radish, Bottarga

9. Truffled Ricotta, Wagyu, Bone Marrow

10. Duck Kabayaki, Polenta, Umeboshi

11. Panettone, Miso

12. Spiced Milk, Buddha's Hand

13. Caprese, Mascarpone