Valrhona chocolate fondant

The Pearson Room is a fabulous new addition to Canary Wharf’s Canada Square, bringing the style of a private member’s club with a lighter atmosphere.

Appropriately named after the Canadian Nobel Prize winning Prime Minister, Lester B. Pearson, the restaurant and bar is packed neatly on the second floor of 16-19 Canada Square, between Plateau and the enormous Waitrose.

The Pearson Room is a slick operation, managed by a front of house team who arrived from Shoreditch House, Cecconi’s and The Swan at Chapel Down.

Bar Manager Victor Matos runs the bar in collaboration with the team behind Purl and Worship Street Whistling Shop and fine wines are selected and recommended by Sunaina Sethi, award-winning former sommelier at Trisha. B3 Designers (Bubbledogs, Le Gavroche, Aubaine and ROKA) are behind the cool foundry and 1950s Hitchcock-inspired design.

The main dining room has a casual-luxury bistro feel with wooden tables, classic bentwood chairs, leather banquettes, distressed mirrors, low-hanging lighting, a dark timber floor and pressed tin ceiling tiles. There is also a chic zinc bar with high stools and a communal table tucked away close to the window, which can be used for semi-private dining. The interior design of The Pearson Room is certainly a striking contrast to the modern glass and metal structure of the building.

We sat at a table close to the window that offered lots of natural light, sunset views and plenty of people-watching opportunities. Head Chef Vagner Matos’ all-day dining menu has a modern European feel with some innovative bistro dishes and comforting British (and American) classics.

Our charming Italian waiter Antero made some great menu recommendations and swiftly brought us some freshly-baked bread served with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Staff at The Pearson Room strike the perfect balance between professional and friendly and their knowledge of the dishes – how they are cooked and where the ingredients are sourced from – is impressive.

We started with a few cocktails from the extensive list of classics and Pearson signature cocktails. I tried The Drink That Satisfies – Bombay Sapphire, muddled blueberries, lavender syrup and lychee juice (£8). Served in a Champagne coupe with a sprig of lavender, the dainty cocktail had a delicate, fragrant taste and was a pretty shade of dusky pink.

Steven’s Whisky Sour (£8) came in a crystal-cut glass and had an attractive cloudy orange colour from the egg white. It was more subtle and well-rounded than the classic version and was very easy to drink.

To start, I ordered the Diver Scallops with Nduja, Jerusalem artichoke puree and gremolata (£9). The two diver scallops were plump, soft and nicely seared on the outside. They were covered in a crunchy gremolata breadcrumb crust and served on a smooth and creamy puree of Jerusalem artichoke. The oily, intensely hot njuda had a fiery kick and perfectly complimented the fresh taste of the scallops.

Steven’s Adobo Chicken Wings (£8.50) were extremely good – literally the best we’ve ever tasted. The Portuguese-style wings were marinated for hours in chilli, soy and spices so that they had a deliciously rich, seasoned taste all the way through. They were garnished Japanese style with pickled ginger, sesame seeds, grilled spring onions and plenty of fresh coriander.

The meat was juicy and tender while the skin was blackened and crispy. I highly recommend ordering the Adobo Chicken Wings as a starter or to share, as you really don’t want to miss out on those incredible flavours.

For my main course, I’d set my heart on the Lobster Club Sandwich, but when I spotted the Pearson Cheese Burger (£15) delivered to another table, I was instantly swayed. A deluxe take on the American classic (and not too posh for its own good), The Pearson Cheese Burger is seriously moreish and addictive.

The superior flame-grilled patty is made purely from freshly-ground rib-eye steak sourced from Kent. It is packed into a lightly toasted sesame bun with a gooey American slice, baby gem lettuce, beef tomato, flavoursome smoked bacon, tangy burger sauce and thinly-sliced gherkin.

My burger was cooked perfectly medium as requested and it was juicy without being sloppy. I loved that the burger was served with salty french fries, as tradition dictates, and the addition of the crispy tobacco onions was a real triumph. I would go so far as to say that this is the best, most joyful burger being served in London right now.

The selection of dipping sauces is an extra treat and as there were so many to choose from, our waiter brought three little pots of tasty tamarind ketchup, chipotle aioli and smoked chilli sauce.

Steven went for the Dingley Dell pork belly with braised puy lentils, caramelised baby onions and port jus (£19.75). The slice of pork belly was enormous and beautifully-cooked with tender, juicy meat, a layer of melt-in-the-mouth fat and crunchy crackling.

The puy lentils were slow-cooked and absorbed the flavours of the rich port jus while the caramelised baby onions added a sweet, perky flavour.

As expected, my Hot Valrhona Chocolate Fondant with peanut butter ice cream (£6) was perfect – a soft cake filled with oozing, molten chocolate of the finest quality. It was accompanied by a smooth dulce de leche, creamy and grainy peanut butter ice cream and the most delicious candied peanuts.

Steven’s tried the summery Kirsch Cherry Sundae – kirsch cherry, vanilla and cherry ice cream (£6). The large sundae glass was filled with layers of vanilla ice cream, refreshing cherry sorbet, cherry compote and juicy whole cherries soaked in kirsch, finished with a flaky pastry twist.

We finished our meal with a Negroni Antica Formula (£8) and a Canadian Maple Leaf (£8.50). The Negroni was expertly-mixed and the Canadian Maple Leaf was a mouth-watering blend of Canadian Club, maple syrup and an orange slice.

Both drinks were garnished with orange slices that have been soaked in Campari and dried, giving a fragrant touch to the drinks. We were invited to finish our drinks on the leather sofas in the cool, retro lounge area, which was a nice touch.

The Pearson Room is a real treat for the Canary Wharf crowd to have on their doorstep and it’s definitely worth travelling east for. Not only are the food and cocktails exceptionally good, but the relaxed atmosphere and wonderful staff make it perfect for a sociable night out.

For more information and booking, visit: www.thepearsonroom.co.uk

Chérie City was a guest of The Pearson Room

Photos by Chérie City

When it comes to modern Indian cooking that breaks away from tradition, Chef Vivek Singh leads the way. I’ve spent many a weekend wishing I could reach into my TV and feast on the mouth-watering, cross-culture dishes he creates, so dining at one of his London restaurants was a real treat.

Cinnamon Kitchen is the more casual and accessible sister restaurant to Singh’s renowned Cinnamon Club in Westminster, which opened in 2001. It captures the spirit of east London with contemporary industrial-luxe interiors and its location in a former warehouse of the East India Company.

Prices are slightly more wallet-friendly, with a set menu and express lunch menu alongside à la carte. The terrace overlooking the stylish Devonshire Square courtyard is perfect for after-work cocktails and bar plates and attracts a City/Shoreditch crowd.

All diners are welcomed with an amuse-bouche of Potato Fritters with tamarind yoghurt and coconut cream. These punchy little bites were crispy on the outside and packed full of spiced potato and onion.

Before our starters, we grazed on a delicious Bread Selection (£5) and Chutneys (£3). The bread was so incredibly tasty that we couldn’t help wolfing down the lot without a thought of the dining perils of filling up on bread.

The naan at Cinnamon Kitchen is more dense, buttery and flavoursome than any others I’ve tried and it came in three different flavours – classic, slightly sweet saffron and lightly filled with spiced potato. We munched through more of this divine bread with our main courses, but I’d advise pacing yourself with the naan, unless you’re quite happy to roll your way home after dinner!

I just had to start with the ‘Keralan’ lobster soup, spiced lobster ‘momos’ (£12). Keralan dishes can often bring the heat and this soup certainly had a powerful kick, but it wasn’t overpowering.

The rich soup was smooth, fragrant and had a cool coconut flavour, followed by a rush of fiery chili. The lobster ‘momos’ were three steamed ravioli filled with well-seasoned minced lobster. It was an indulgent yet light start to the meal and an interesting way to incorporate lobster into Indian cooking.

Steven went for the Tandoori Chicken with aromatic dried fenugreek (£7.50). This was a classic done very well – tender, well-marinated chicken, nicely charred on the outside and served with a cooling raita. Cinnamon Kitchen is also home to London’s first tandoor bar and grill, where guests can watch the chefs creating flame-grilled dishes.

For my main course, I was tempted by the ‘Murgh Korma’ style tandoori free range chicken breast (£17). The black leg chicken was succulent, plump and juicy – a refreshing change from the usual cubed pieces of chicken often served in curries. The Murgh Korma sauce was rich and nutty with subtle spiciness and interesting flavours.

Being Persian, I am a bit of a rice perfectionist and was delighted that Cinnamon Kitchen has the same superior standards with its rice. The perfect little dome of steamed, aromatic Basmati rice was fluffy, light and dotted with caraway seeds. I also liked the addition of steamed wilted greens and sliced red onion to soften the flavours.

Steven tried the ‘Kolhapuri’ spiced saddle of Kentish lamb, pilau rice (£20). The lamb was tender and lean and the medium-hot, tomato-based sauce had a deliciously smoky taste. Both curry dishes were decadent yet light, without any unnecessary oiliness. The portion sizes were also generous and filling but not overwhelming.

We shared a side of Black Lentils, which were perfectly cooked and smothered in a slow-cooked, medium-hot sauce. The portion size is more than enough for two and the lentils are an excellent accompaniment to the naan bread.

Desserts at Cinnamon Kitchen are very tempting and worth saving some room for. My Valrhona Chocolate Fondant with nutmeg and white chocolate rice pudding was an absolute delight. The fondant had a baked cake texture on the outside with molten oozing chocolate at the centre. The rice pudding was fresh, cool and fragrant and I loved the pretty sugared rose petal and redcurrant decoration.

Steven tried the Apple and Almond Cake with Cardamon Ice Cream. The delectable cake was moist, dense, sticky, filled with caramelised apples and topped with a piece of crunchy peanut brittle.

We finished with an Indian-inspired cocktail from Anise bar. I adored the Pistachio and Almond Sour (£7.95) – Buffalo Trace bourbon, Disaronno amaretto, fresh lemon and pistachio. It was a refreshing, fragrant take on a classic and generously, we were brought an extra for the table. It will certainly be hard to go back to regular Whisky Sours after trying them!

Steven ordered an Old Dogs New Tricks (£8.95) – Bootlegger ‘white dog’ whiskey, stirred with Frangelico, caramelised sugar and bitters. This was a much stronger, drier cocktail with an oaky, slightly nutty taste.

Cinnamon Kitchen is a place that I would go to again and again for interesting yet comforting Indian cooking. The staff are so friendly and attentive, topping up our water discreetly and making menu recommendations – warm Indian hospitality at its very best.

I was pleased to find out that Cinnamon Kitchen also hosts weddings. Couples can get married on the terrace overlooking Devonshire Square – even in the cold months by hiring an Indian-inspired tent, dubbed the ‘Maharaja Marquee’. Follow the ceremony with a Champagne and canapé ceremony, a wedding feast in the restaurant and dancing to a DJ or live band in the neon-lit cocktail bar Anise. What could be better for a stylish, modern Indian-inspired wedding in the city!

For more information and booking, visit: www.cinnamon-kitchen.com

Chérie City was a guest of Cinnamon Kitchen

Photos by Chérie City and Cinnamon Kitchen

The Pearson Room – Canary Wharf, London

A Great Dinner at Cinnamon Kitchen London