Made In China

Garlic Confit ( 30s, Male, United Kingdom )

Monck Street used to house my favourite place for a quick spot of sushi on a night I did not have the time to cook. Just around the corner from my flat, the Mrs and I (she is just as keen on good Japanese as I) invariably found ourselves there for an early sitting which rewarded us with a 20% discount.
The special offer should have been tip-off that Mr Atami was worried about profit, I go on Honeymoon for a few weeks and what has happened – He's only gone turned it into a bl*&dy Chinese restaurant!!

It so happens that I love Chinese food as well as Japanese so the Mrs, the Brother and I popped along last night for a quick feed after the journey back from Paris.I told the hostess that I missed Atami and she said that everyone prefers the chinese food now.

I had read the First Lady's (Fay M) review and was expecting some half decent food. They had not really redecorated the place, just spruced it up a liittle. It is a shame that they forgot to do the WC's – they were all a little tired and grim, even with their solid stone sink – big mirror – wood panelling – uber trendy – a few years ago – design.

We ordered some good standard dishes:

Chicken Sweetcorn Soup – Thin, Tasteless and pretty devoid of Chicken and Sweetcorn. A Very Bad Start.

Chicken Lettuce wrap – Came on the puffed rice and was bright and colourful with lots of veg and not enough chicken. Kind of tasteless again. They had somehow managed to give us the thinnest Hoi Sin sauce ever made…did they water it down?

Beef in Mandarin Sauce – ok. Sauce a little too sweet.

Chicken in Black Bean Sauce – not bad, but the same as every other take-away.

Broccoli with Ginger – VERY small portion for a vegetable dish.

Morning Glory with Sea Spice and Chilli – Absolutely devoid of flavour.

Noodles Stir Fried with Bean Sprouts – Did not mess this one up.

Everything was ok in the service department, but they are obviously still training them as ours kept having to get help because three bowls were too much for her to handle on the tray. Maybe they could have kept the old waitresses, I am sure the Parliamentarians and Burberry fashionista's would not have noticed if they were not authentic.

Bill came to £100. Which is WAY too much for some average take-away food. (No booze and one bottle of water)
I am sad that Atami has closed.
I am worried that Fay Maschler has abused her taste buds so much that she can't tell her Noodles from her Fukkien rice.
I am also looking for a decent Japanese retaurant in Pimlico.