Summer is in the air, and funnily enough I am quite surprised. Been in England for roughly two weeks now and could honestly say that I would definitely live in the UK if the weather was like this constantly. Sun beaming, blue skies, birds chirping what more do you need? Luckily though, there is an overcast in Oxford today and there being a slight breeze I took the chance to sit in my grandmother’s lovely veranda, smell her sweet potted plants and contemplate my recent visit to London.
Ah London, the cosmopolitan city that is bursting with life wherever you go, be it the tube or popular destinations such as Oxford Street or Canary Wharf. I find it surprising to think that there is a time where the hustle and bustle stops and the streets of London become this mysterious empty, quiet location. The beauty of living in the big city, besides the history and the shopping, is the numerous amount of restaurants and cafes which one can go to. I am no Londoner but I could honestly say reading either Culture Trip or Time Out London it seems as if there is a new, unique place to eat around every corner in London. Luckily recently I did try something new, which was The Malibu Kitchen at The Ned.
The Ned is a beautiful heritage building which is located near Bank Station on the central line. This building is not only a hotel but it is also a members club to which hosts nine restaurants. When you enter The Ned you’re not only welcomed by a lovely member of staff but you’re taken back by the stunning olive green, marble pillars and podium where live music is played . What beautiful architecture and interior design it has, especially the bathroom! I would have gladly just explored The Ned to see what else it holds however being that it is also a members club certain areas are restricted to the public.
The reason for my visit to The Ned was to meet an old university friend at one of its restaurants, The Malibu Kitchen. The Malibu Kitchen is one of the restaurants in The Ned, which is open to the public. The Malibu Kitchen is a quaint restaurant situated at the corner of The Ned, and it’s nothing but spectacular. From the interior to the food, could say that it held a lovely American yet sophisticated vibe. The menu was just what I needed, with the inspiration from California each dish was fresh, unique and last but not least healthy. First we started with a drink which was a beetroot sangria. Now normally I’m all for sangria but this beetroot sangria was just not for me, there was something about the taste of the natural vegetable and the bit of liquor that I didn’t enjoy. I’ll just stick to the regular sangria.
In terms of food luckily I was surrounded by friends (who are foodies as well) and we explored the menu and shared various dishes, which I think was a great decision because getting just one dish was not enough for one person.
The dishes we had were:
Avocado Dip, taro chips, crudite
Rolls, raw vegetables , mango, herbs, chilli, lime
Courgette ribbons, basil pesto, pine nuts
Forbidden rice bowl, kale, fermented vegetables, almonds and basil
Courgette and Almond flatbread, tomatoes, olives, basil, oregano
Sea bream taco, panko, green papaya, pico de gallo
Raw Chocolate cake & Muscato Wine
Took a few pics of some of the dishes
Each dish was delicious but I particularly enjoyed the natural flavours of the Courgette & Almond Flatbread and Courgette Ribbons. What I really appreciated was the presentation of the dishes and the colours on the plate. The cherry tomatoes on the flatbread were bright red, succulent, sweet and it was a nice pairing with the mayonnaise type sauce (can’t remember what it was) with the flatbread. You had a variation of sweet and savoury flavours all in one bite. The courgette ribbons impressively looked very similar to a Bavettine pasta and the taste of the basil pesto with the pine nuts was if I was back in Italy. The touch of orange nasturtium (which is an edible flower) as decoration gave a nice touch of colour to the green on the plate. My time at the Malibu Kitchen was unforgettable due to my company, the food and the service.
My day at the Ned was full of wonders, ended my stay on a good note by listening to upbeat live music and watching a lovely performance of flapper dancers with a glass of white wine in hand. A day well spent in London.