The restaurant at five-star Pan Pacific hotel has a new menu from head chef Adam Bateman, which fuses west with east through fine British ingredients
The background
Opened in September 2021, Pan Pacific London rises up along Houndsditch (a street not quite so elegant at its time of naming in 1275), with 43 storeys making up a glittering tower of glass that enjoys views over the City. The first European outpost for the Singaporean luxury hospitality company Pan Pacific Group, this high-end hotel is a stone’s throw from Liverpool Street, and provides an excellent respite from the area’s jumble of commuters and tourists. Straits Kitchen is the on-site restaurant headed up by Adam Bateman, with a menu of southeast Asian flavours that aims to surprise.
The space
Floor-to-ceiling windows offer a twinkling city backdrop to the elegant dining area on the second floor. Sometimes the decor can attempt to do the heavy lifting in a hotel restaurant, but not here. Decked out in neutral tones, it’s a chic, understated space to unwind and really focus on the food in front of you. When Brummell visited on a weekday evening, the crowd was a mix of colleagues bonding over team dinners and residents of the hotel resting their weary feet after a day of sightseeing in the Square Mile. This is a place for proper conversation rather than shouting over a buzzy crowd.
The menu
With 25 years of experience, recently appointed head chef Adam Bateman is putting the skills on his impressive CV to good use, using British ingredients to fuse west with east. His newly created a la carte menu includes small and raw, dumplings and skewers, large plates, vegetables, rice and noodles, as well as an Experience Menu featuring five sharing plates of Straits Kitchen’s signature dishes. This is a great choice for those who want to explore a wonderfully curated range of flavours.
Gula Melaka crème brûlée
Slices of fresh Scottish salmon arrive on a sturdy stoneware plate prettily dressed in sweet miso, wasabi and green peas, followed by two steamed dumplings sitting in broth, their delicate pleated “shells” housing a flavourful prawn filling. Presented on beautiful black individual platters, next is a grilled chicken satay skewer that falls off the stick satisfyingly, a topping of toasted coconut adding a sweet and textured crunch. An artful swipe of sesame sauce finishes the dish. Everything on the Experience Menu is well paced, building up the flavours with each new dish. The standout plate, however, is the Hereford beef short rib, a cube of rich, perfectly cooked meat accompanied by soft miso polenta to balance it out. To finish, the gula melaka (a type of palm sugar) crème brûlée is an unexpected twist on a classic – once you crack the sugary top, the dessert is constructed using refreshing mango-lime compote and mango-coriander sorbet (it’s just as fun to break into as the custard variety, but less heavy).
Chocolate brownie with cherrie confit
The cocktail list at Straits Kitchen is full of interesting stories about Singapore, with the drinks reflecting this. The “lucky tiger” uses Banks 5 rum, Grand Marnier, lychee juice, homemade Asian spices syrup and sherry vinegar to create a light, sweet offering – and you’ll look extra elegant sipping from the lychee-decorated coupe.
Blackened aubergine
For something bolder, the “Straits Kitchen old fashioned” features Angel’s Envy bourbon washed with fried pandan leaf in coconut oil, homemade pandan syrup, chocolate bitters and orange bitters – a swirling mix of flavours in a tumbler decorated with pandan leaf, coconut and cocoa nib for extra flair.
The bill
Experience menu £65pp, £35 extra for wine pairing, cocktails around £16 each.
The verdict
An elegant City location that offers a calm, grown-up space that is much less rowdy than neighbouring glass skyscraper destinations. A great spot for client lunches (especially if you want to show off the London skyline), business dinners or intimate chats for two.
