Silk,
Great Marlborough Street, London
W1
It
never crossed my mind, when I did
jury service many years ago, that
I would one day eat out in a former
courtroom, and a legendary one at
that. The famous Number One Courtroom
of The Great Marlborough Street Magistrates’ Court
is where luminaries such as Oscar
Wilde, Mick Jagger and John Lennon
have all stood trial, defended by
the most notable silks of their day! Now
transformed into a visually stunning
restaurant, Silk is the fine dining
room at the Courthouse Hotel
Kempinksi. Retaining many of
its original features, including
the judge’s bench, dock and witness
stand, the grade II listed room boasts
an air of grandeur, with oak panelling
throughout and a beautiful glass-vaulted
ceiling. The intimate and low-lit
setting is completed with three gold
Buddha statues, adding an air of
mystique to the atmosphere. The menu
and restaurant’s theme are based
on the historic Silk Road, the ancient
trade route that connected China
to the Mediterranean dating back
some 3000 years. For the winter season
the menu focuses on spices, which
were used as a main bartering tool
along the route.
Dishes
are available in a small or large
size with the emphasis on sharing.
We began with a selection of starters
beautifully presented on a black
square platter. These included some
wonderfully tender scallops served
in a delicately spiced ginger and
coconut froth, some very moist boneless
chicken with coriander and tomato
wrapped in banana leaves, hot and
crunchy prawns with a spicy coriander
kick, elegantly served in a cone
shaped popadom, and some crunchy
deep fried wing beans served with
sweet chilli sauce. To follow, we
had some sweetly spiced and tender
steamed baby bass, enormous crunchy
and tender jumbo tiger prawns cooked
in lemon grass and paprika, some
very good Thai chicken green curry
and some crunchy vegetables cooked
in yellow bean paste.
To
drink we tried a Sauvignon Blanc,
Gravitas, from Marlborough, New Zealand,
(£34 a bottle). This was a good choice.
Fruity and fresh, it held its own
well against the robust flavours
on the palate. The wine list is long
and comprehensive and can be expensive,
but there is certainly a reasonable
selection at the lower end of the
spectrum. To finish, I had a wonderful
array of jewel coloured sorbets,
including a raspberry and Szechwan
pepper, and a kiwi and Thai basil
that proved a very refreshing end
to my meal. My guest simply raved
over his coconut and lemon grass
crème brulee, saying it was light,
creamy and simple, one of the best
he’s ever eaten, and boy has he eaten
a few in his time!
Overall,
Silk offers a unique experience that
is worth trying for the fascinating
location alone. Some things could
be improved on, beginning with the
music, which is a little on the loud
side and ranged bizarrely from 1960’s
R&B right through to Buddha Bar.
My only other concern was the room’s
temperature, which was a tad on the
chilly side and not what you need
when done up in all your finery!
Louise
Elgin. February 2006. A meal
for two including wine, water
and service is about £135.00
Silk
Restaurant, Courthouse Hotel Kempinksi
Great Marlborough Street London W1 Tel: 020 7297 5555
Web http://courthouse-hotel.com
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