(menu)

Pacific Oriental

Address:	52 Threadneedle Street EC2R 6HP
Tel	0871 704 4060
Website:	Visit Pacific Oriental website
Price: £51.00	Wine: £18.00	Champagne: £60.00
Opening Hours:	Mon-Fri 12N-3pm 5-11pm

Square Meal review of Pacific Oriental:

Pacific Oriental has just moved in to its smart new premises in a former bank on Threadneedle Street. With tall ceilings, marble floors & imposing columns tempered by soft furnishings & gauzy drapes, it’s as eye-catching as its previous incarnation on Bishopsgate. The execution of the food, however, is not quite as assured. Menus take inspiration from Asia & Europe – everything from crispy squid to pig’s trotter with green papaya sauerkraut – but, at present, the fusion is confused rather than inspired. Appetisers were a mixed bag: beef tataki was lifted by a punchy ponzu dressing, but tofu & asparagus temaki was a flavour & texture flop. To follow, both crisp-skinned chicken katsu & pink Welsh lamb with ginger miso were prettily presented, but the flavours fell flat. The wine list displays more flair, with interesting New World bottles alongside top-notch Bordeaux, Burgundies & sake, together with a good selection of wines by the glass. We hope, with a little more fine-tuning in the kitchen, Pacific Oriental will return to its former glory.