The Travelling Pixie in London

One-O-One Restaurant

I haven’t went to fine dining for quite sometime, but I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to visit One-O-One before I left London – a treat from my friend’s family :)

We ordered the 5-Course Terre-et-Mer Tasting Menu

Chef Pascal’s delightful five course tasting menu, “Terre et Mer”, reflects his understanding of sustainable produce and his passion for ingredients from the sea and land.  

L’Amuse-Bouche Du Jour

Yellowfin Tuna Tartar, Duck Foie Gras, Sushi Rice, Truffle, Radicchio, Beetroot, Hazelnut

L’Amuse-Bouche Du Jour:  This light starter was surprisingly refreshing, it was a concoction of crabmeat and herbs.  It wasn’t too filling, but perfect to satisfy your palette.

Yellowfin Tuna Tartar, Duck Foie Gras, Sushi Rice, Truffle, Radicchio, Beetroot, Hazelnut: The second course was simply heavenly!  I’ve always loved each of the food elements included in this dish – pan-fried foie gras, tuna tartar and truffle! YUMMMMM!  The foie gras was pan-fried to perfection, with a crispy film and a tender and soft center.  The tuna tartar was perfectly complemented with a slightly sour dressing.  This dish is the perfect fusion between the Orient and the West.

Scallop, Crayfish, Pork Belly, Onsen Quail Egg, Potato Espuma, Bisque, Jus Gras

Cod, Red Prawn, Paimpol Coco Beans Cassoulet, Iberico Chorizo, Piquillo, Parsley

Scallop, Crayfish, Pork Belly, Onsen Quail Egg, Potato Espuma, Bisque, Jus Gras: Again, this dish was a pleasant surprise.  Like the second dish, I have always loved each of the individual food elements in this dish – scallops and onsen egg.  The scallop was very tender, and the onsen egg was again, cooked to perfection, the yolk of the quail egg was still lukewarm by the time it was served.  To be honest, I’ve never really been a fan of pork belly, but the pork belly in this dish was delicious!  I finished every bit of it, it was tender, succulent and very savoury!

Cod, Red Prawn, Paimpol Coco Beans Cassoulet, Iberico Chorizo, Piquillo, Parsley: Now this dish I thought I wasn’t going to enjoy, but I was proved to be so wrong about it!  I’ve always found de-shelling prawns to be a pain in the ass, but this prawn was definitely worth my while!  Yes, the body of the prawn was already de-shelled, but it was so yummy I even de-shelled the head just to suck on the shrimp paste – okay this sounds disgusting, but trust me, its finger-licking good.

Terre et Mer “Lobster, King Crab, Fillet, Celeriac, Heritage Carrot, Pinot Noir

Seabass, Oyster Bearnaise, Sea-Cabbage, Sushokes, Mushroom, Seaweed

Choice of:

Terre et Mer “Lobster, King Crab, Fillet, Celeriac, Heritage Carrot, Pinot Noir:  I chose this as my main course, mainly because of the ‘lobster’ and the ‘fillet’ – I could never resist a slice of rare fillet – oh yes, I love my steak rare!  I have to say that disappointingly, the fillet wasn’t as good as I expected, but that’s mainly due to the fact that all the previous dishes have been too perfect!  Plus One-O-One is a restaurant that specialises in seafood, so I could oversee the fact that the fillet is not perfect.  On the bright side, the lobster was AMAZING.  The lobster meat was super fresh and tender.

OR

Seabass, Oyster Bearnaise, Sea-Cabbage, Sushokes, Mushroom, Seaweed:  I didn’t pick this dish as I am not a great fan of fish as my main course.  But I did stick my fork into my boyfriend’s dish (whoopsies!).  With One-O-One being a seafood restaurant, I couldn’t resist taking one bite of fish just to see how brilliant it is.  To my delight, this dish did indeed live up to my expectations!  I was beginning to regret why I didn’t order this instead!  The fish was pan-fried to perfection, again with a crispy layer and the meat being very tender, succulent and delicate.  I didn’t get to try the oyster, but judging from my boyfriend’s facial expression when he tasted it, I bet it was heavenly too!

Coupe Liegeoise, Manjari Chocolate, Coffee Foam, Salt Caramel Ice Cream: Finally, after all the appetisers and main courses, we’re presented with the dessert.  I had high hopes for the dessert, not only because everything else was perfect, but also because it’s chocolate, honeycomb AND coffee foam with salted caramel ice-cream, ALL OF MY FAVOURITES!  As expected, the dessert was divine.

Some might think that this dessert would be too heavy after such a filling dinner, but to my surprise, I did not feel bloated at all.  The portion for each dish and the time in which the dishes were brought out was perfect.  I’ve always felt that what makes a restaurant finer than others is not only through the quality of their food or the ambience, but also the determination of the size of the dish and how timely is each dish presented.  At One-O-One, I believe that they have done an outstanding job, and this was what made it one of my favourite restaurants in London.

One-O-One Restaurant

101 Knightsbridge SW1X 7RN

Price: £££  (Special Offer: Make a Reservation online to enjoy 50%OFF the Tasting Menu – Only £39/person!)

Ambience: 8/10

Yum Factor: 10/10

One-O-One is definitely worth the price, from the ambience to the food, everything is top quality – especially so for those who loves seafood!  The tables are placed very spaciously, ensuring that each table of guests has their own privacy, moreover, the tabletop itself was very sizeable, warranting the personal space for each guest at the table.