Portland, London
This was the second restaurant I tried with my friend during his visit to London. The restaurant itself has very simple and modern decoration. I can see it is more of a restaurant for afterwork, rather than a restaurant for special events, though there was a large group of young professionals, very likely, celebrating a promotion. I enjoyed the relaxing and welcoming environment here.
When I booked, since my friend can only speak and read Mandarin, I put a note to request whether a Mandarin version of the menu was available. The host actually did a bit of homework and wrote down the Chinese words for “starter”, “main” and “dessert” etc in the a-la-carte menus they gave us. Although it was not very helpful, I really appreciated it. However, we went for the set menu, of course.
Menu
Amongst the small set menu, I enjoyed the “Chalk stream trout” very much. Despite that my friend thought it was too fishy given not familiar to seafood, the trout was very fresh and just cooked. I liked the very light or almost no seasoning to this dish. A little bit of tomatoes, a little bit of red radishes and a little bit of crunchy Bulgur wheat were very entertaining. The sauce or the base, the only thing I might complain about, was a bit too watery, which did not add much to the dish.
Chalk stream trout
The second main “Iron Age pork” was boring, because I felt there was not enough thought on it. The main problem, I believed, was that the taste and texture between pork, peach, onion and potato hash were way too distanced. It is true that creating difference helps to engage your tongue, but I felt it did not work out in this particular dish.
Iron Age pork
Overall, it was a restaurant that met my expectations considering the price and location. It provided a young and welcoming environment and had fun and entertaining highlights regarding dishes, but also some polish on the cooking might help them go further. To me, I will certainly visit again.
🐼 Score: 3/5
