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Surf ‘n’ Turf, Pan-Asian, Iberi-Oriental. Meddled with, mixed up, mashed together — today’s most prominent ‘fusion’ cuisines are becoming dime a dozen, with wild swathes of hit and miss, like that love/hate gherkin, in between. Whilst we’re fans of the Italian cuisine served in Spanish tapas-style bites at Polpo, the Nordic faffery meets British-sourced ingredients at North Road left us a little confused.
So how about seafood paella with a side of shisha in Soho? Sure it’s not a massive stretch and maybe more of a Grenada-esque stand-in, but El Cantara is trying. Blending Spanish with Moroccan, it mixes taverna style interiors with African artwork (we like the elaborate metal lanterns and pretty tiling) and an outdoor terrace for late night smokes under the stars. If that doesn’t hubble your bubble, we recently got wind of new Chelsea hotspot The Henry Root packing a three-for-one punch with Frenchified Spain meets Modern British — a European mélange if ever we’ve heard one.
But maybe for something truly unique we need to head to Vegas. Anyone staying in the City of Lights over Christmas should check into the Cosmopolitan Hotel, opening on the 15th December, where a cross-continental showdown pitting China against Mexico promises to be the New Year spot to be seen. China Poblano (yes we think it sounds like a bucktoothed banjo-wielding superhero too) is headed up by Chef José Andrés (who trained under UJ fave Ferran Adria) whose ‘chexican’ cuisine comes with both noodles and tacos on the menu. We’re hoping the man’s pedigree will be the proof in the pudding — or the fortune cookie, as it were. Whatever’s coming out of the kitchen, it’s definitely new.
INFO
El Cantara is open now, 45 Frith Street, W1D 4SD.
The Henry Root opens 22nd November. 9 Park Walk, SW10 0AJ.
The Cosmopolitan Hotel opens 15th December, 3708 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Las Vegas,
NV, 89109-4312.
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