Having attended a demonstration by Ottolenghi himself during my training, I must admit his food was delicious and he appeared a confident and modest man. He spoke easily about his failures as well as his success and is clearly devoted to what he does. His food is carefully and simply crafted and is all the better for it. Still, shortly after his demonstration I wandered into the Islington branch of 'Ottolenghi' and while the food is presented beautifully, it is unbelievably busy: heaving with yummy mummies and their offspring. The noise combined with the confined space and the queue prompted a swift exit before trying or buying any of the food. I confess I am not the most patient of souls.
So you can imagine my mixed emotions when I was told we would be dining at 'Nopi', Ottolenghi's newer restaurant last Friday night. Images of a claustrophobic, noisy restaurant where it might be impossible to get anyone's attention unless you had the booming voice of an army sergeant vexed me, and my fears were only reinforced in the knowledge that we were to be sitting at the bar.
I was very relieved then when we were taken through the buzzing but not overcrowded restaurant and were attended to the instant we took our seats. The sparkling white room sparsely punctuated with gold, notably makes a perfect canvas for the bold and colourful food that Ottolenghi is famous for.
The menu is simply set out under the headings VEG, FISH, MEAT and SWEETS. There is something very familiar about it all, and I realised after reading the menu this is the same as Ottolenghi's cafes - it's the same food, just served without the buffet. The food was uncompromisingly delicious, beautifully presented and thanks to this, painful to share (it's recommended that you share, choosing three savoury dishes each). As a less wealthy party of three we chose a total of six savoury dishes, a cocktail each, and waited to see if we wanted dessert.
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At this stage of the meal came the big question: SWEETS? I was definitely inclined toward the 'Caramel and Roasted Peanut Ice Cream, Chocolate Sauce' but felt unhappy about spending £7.50 on ice cream. My concerns were sadly only magnified when I confided to the waiter what I fancied to eat, and he chirpily responded 'if you like Snickers, you'll love it'. Good point. The fact that they were selling me a deconstructed snickers ice cream at more than three times the price was more than a little unnerving and convinced us that another cocktail was the best way to end the meal.
I had a really lovely time at Nopi, the food was delicious, the service friendly and the company I was in made for a memorable evening. However, be prepared for it to set you back a few bob, it's very expensive for what it is. Of course, their cleverly attracted target audience remain as devoted as ever and their relationship will surely continue to thrive. If you know and love the Ottolenghi brand, I'm sure Nopi will only convince you further.
Thank you to Yuko Sugimoto for her photography and her choice of restaurant!
http://www.nopi-restaurant.com/
21-22 Warwick Street Lon, Greater London W1B 5NE
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