116 St Martins Lane,
London,
WC2N 4BF
(020) 7836 4052
The ViewLondon Review
Two out of
FiveKatana begins well. The staff are friendly, the décor is hip and the striking use of glass creates a tranquil ambience. But soon the cracks begin to appear…
The International Bar’s dance music thuds up from downstairs, fusing uncomfortably with the curved, white minimalism of the restaurant.
And then there’s the food. Duck and wild mushroom spring rolls were positively fowl, with their thick sweet chilli sauce – why? – and too-high meat-to-veg content.
Ditto the crispy chicken and waterchestnut dumplings, a light-sounding dish that seemed clumsy in their thick samosa-style shells.
The tiger prawn and avocado tempura scored on freshness but, like their bedfellows, came too heavily encased and laden with oil.
As the menu is designed for sharing we decided to do just that. The scallops were no more so we opted for a monkfish accompaniment to the slow roast pork belly, which provided the first sign that the chef knew what he was doing.
Pomello, green papaya, asparagus and nam jin salad was wonderfully crisp and helped to dissipate the previous course, while the fried pumpkin with garlic was a novel and tasty side.
Grilled pineapple with mango and chilli sorbet came too syrupy to cleanse. My chocolate martini was a finer choice of sweet; indeed the cocktail selection is varied and exotic.
The success to Pan-Asian is always a fine balance, and Katana is easily outshone by its more established competitors. Primely located on Trafalgar Square, the more discerning shoppers may wish to consider straying further afield.
Katana at The International has been reviewed by 6 users