SquareMeal Review of Inamo Covent Garden
Bronze Award
Like its Soho sibling, this cool neon-lit restaurant serves up futuristic fun alongside a menu of pan-Asian favourites. Your table doubles as an entertainment centre: spy on the kitchen with ‘Chef Cam’, play retro video games of Pong, or choose the design of your place settings (upload photos beforehand to create a personalised tabletop montage). This branch occupies three floors, including a stylish basement bar, and the kitchen features a robata grill. Place your order via iPad, and dishes (all made for sharing) arrive courtesy of the friendly, helpful staff. We began with nicely spiced Korean chicken wings and dumplings filled with tender squid and spring onion. Next, DIY duck pancakes arrived with herb salad, and miso black cod delivered classic silky textures. Well-executed sushi and sashimi, chicken satay, Wagyu beef and Thai curries are also offered. Sip on Saké Mojitos, Kirin beer or wines chosen to match the food.
About Inamo Covent Garden
The Covent Garden branch of futuristic London micro-chain Inamo brings top notch pan-Asian cuisine, as well as their famous interactive tables, to another prime London location. The Covent Garden restaurant sees you order your food using iPads and then while you’re waiting for it to arrive you can entertain yourselves by playing games, drawing pictures or changing the design of your interactive table top.
The Inside of Inamo Covent Garden is typical of all of their restaurants with dim lighting allowing for the table projections to glow; wooden panels and elaborate patterns line the walls, with a bright bar lit up from below. Everything about Inamo Covent Garden is cool, slick and modern whilst maintaining some of the feeling of a traditional Asian restaurant.
The food offering is all based around sharing, with the huge menu giving diners the opportunity to create a real feast. Tapas-style dishes include classics such as sweet chilli prawn tempura, beef tataki, and bang bang cauliflower. A wide range of sushi and sashimi can also be enjoy with options such as seared salmon maki and New York rolls on offer amongst others.
On top of this the menu features a separate yakitori section with both veggie and meat options available. Larger sharing dishes include a plate of sizzling black pepper beef fillet and Korean BBQ ribs, with miso soup and rice both available to have on the side. To finish, why not try one of Inamo’s baked Alaskas or perhaps a chocolate fizz fondue.
Accompanying the amazing food, Inamo’s long drinks list features an impressive selection of cocktails such as a raspberry mojito and a lychee martini. There’s also a decent selection of wines and beers available, or for something a little more traditional why not try some of the sake on offer if you can handle it.