As I sit here drafting this story, I am the fullest I have ever felt in a long time after going to a restaurant. The last time was at Davittorio (I had to stop eating halfway through the tasting menu, as it was closer to a la carte size). It was far too much. But to Davittorio’s defence they are absolutely outstanding as a restaurant. Coming from Ikoyi I felt uncomfortably full and didn’t have a pleasant experience. I felt unwell for the next few days after, and that never happens to me. EVER.
Upon arrival I was late and stuck in traffic, flustered, I apologised. (What can I say- I am British it’s what we do) I was shown to my table, the vibe initially was quite stern, serious, but as I relaxed into the meal the ambiance changed a little. I found the service to be excellent, it was friendly as well. Here it’s a restaurant with a small number of covers, with an open kitchen in which I had a good table. Full view of everything going on. There was some music in the background- Mellow, cool, and relaxed tunes. It suited the place.
I found the food personally for me on the heavy side. I was expecting far more finesse, elegance, and refinement. The very first dish at the start was more to my taste though- Gola pepper broth. Give me broth any day of the week with anything. I am all for an exceptionally well made one. It is light, cleansing and pure, normally very flavourful. An excellent part to build any dish upon. This one at Ikoyi was interesting me and I really wish that there had been more of this lightness throughout the menu.
I particularly enjoyed the tea pairing. It was a lunch and as I do not drink in the day, this suited me perfectly. I know you do not eat out to be healthy, but I was still conscious of this in some way. Great idea, I liked it.
The smoked sirloin snack stood out with its perfectly crisp shell. A few good bites.
John Dory- I could not get my knife through it as the skin was crisp and the knife was a blunt one. A small detail but a detail, nonetheless. Being at a restaurant of this level, one expects a proper knife to cut through their fish.
Sorghum crepe and dark beer fondue- Unfortunately, the sweetbread was lost here. The dish didn’t showcase this fabulous ingredient to its fullest, also being far too heavy at this early stage of the game, and the portion size was bigger than I would have liked. It didn’t stand out as a 2-star dish to me.
Turbot and Egusi Miso- Another heavy plate of food, and this trend followed all the way through the menu. There was no respite from it, no escape. Hearty big portions not polished and refined as you would normally see.
Native breed rib- I had to remove some of the sinew from it many times from my mouth. The meat was chewy, and I couldn’t swallow it. I felt like I had nowhere to breathe, everything was just too big swamping my palate and my belly. The menu showed imbalance. A sizeable portion of rice on the side does not impress me at a 2-star Michelin restaurant. I may had liked it more if it was delicious and more refined as part of a dish.
Apricot and salted pine- Not a 2-star dessert. (Are you bored of hearing me say that now?)
Benne miso and chocolate- I thought this was one of the better dishes overall, it pleasantly surprised me. But please can you serve my dessert with a fork as well as a spoon? I could not pick anything up with ease. Standard cutlery alert… We are not cowboys here.
It now makes me think about how we all visualise a ‘tasting menu’ And what we expect from it on a personal level. We are all so different. My experience from eating all over the world has exposed me to the things I do and do not like, and a serious standard is here already in various parts of the globe. When you are awarded 2 Michelin stars it must be seriously good because you are at the top of your game. Here it just wasn’t and after reading all the glowing reviews beforehand, I didn’t understand them. Something doesn’t add up. Having had the reduced shorter menu for lunch, I struggled with this so I am not sure I would survive sitting for the dinner. It would be the first time I would walk out of a Michelin restaurant in over 12 years. There needs to be balance in a menu, in order that you can potentially go through the journey and ‘taste’ it all. Everything was going in one uncomfortable direction after the broth and there was no cleanser for the palette either. I wouldn’t even describe the menu as a tasting one. I noticed too that there was not any bread offered, an absolute standard at this level. And between courses I was waiting forever for the next one to come. I am a patient person, but this really took the biscuit.
Now I can imagine all the Ikoyi supporters reading this and saying how wrong I am, and I don’t know what I’m talking about… But despite all of this, you could see some skill on show, this I am not denying, and the use of interesting ingredients/combinations were here. I just didn’t like the way they were used. It certainly stands out in London, and it makes for an interesting visit, however the fact is I have had miles miles miles better at 2-star level. It is clear to me that Ikoyi is not 2-star, and I won’t pay this amount of money again for what I received here. Simple as that.
