Review: Japanese Fusion at Eight Over Eight, King's Road
Style Points: 4/5
Price: £££
Overall: 4/5
Eight Over Eight certainly isn't out of place on Chelsea's famously fashionable King's Road. You can expect to find stylish Japanese-style lantern lighting and oriental detailed cut-out screen as well as modern artwork on the walls. The restaurant as a modern minimal lighting at your table and the outside of the restaurant looks sleek in black with a red neon light.
We arrived at this Japanese Fusion restaurant at 6pm, and as the first evening guests at Eight Over Eight we were able to take full advantage of recommendations from our waiting staff!
Would I Want Seconds?
After a few initial questions about favourites and portion sizes, we opted for prawn and chive dumplings which were light and fluffy with a good flavour but the salty became slightly overbearing. We also ordered the yellowtail sashimi with citrus dressing which was a light serving of fish marinated in citrus juices and spices and it was truly delicious, bursting with flavour! Lastly, our chilli salt squid was a good portion size and had a good flavour, fresh squid encased in a crispy batter coating, the perfect amount of saltiness on this one.
After every course, our waitress swiftly removed a roll of paper table cover from our dining table. I was a little embarrassed by crumbs and spillages but relieved to hear that our table was comparatively neat!
For our mains, I decided on the grilled octopus skewers truffle oil which were a little chewy as to be expected and well seasoned/dressed with a light sauce that tasted similar to a garlic mayonnaise. My guest went for the waiter's recommendation black cod with sweet miso which slid of the knife and melted in the mouth with great flavour. We shared a fluffy steamed jasmine rice topped with sesame seeds and sweet ginger noodles which were delicious but perhaps too sweet for some individuals.
I was so intrigued by the salad with avocado juice that I just had to order it to have a mouthful and it didn't disappoint. I love avocado and this was a bowl full of fresh salad (I chose to remove the red onion), perfectly dressed however I couldn't manage more than a spoon! The waitress kindly allowed me to take the remainder home.
Dessert time and thankfully, I spy something other than sorbet that I really want to try and was dairy free too. Banoffee Spring rolls sound perfect to me! The sweet soft hot banana wrapped in crispy batter was really tasty but fairly messy as you can imagine. I had a vanilla sorbet with my spring rolls and as this was served on a flat plate it began to melt into the tablecloth. My guest cut into her chocolate fondant with green tea ice cream to reveal the hot chocolate sauce (perfection) teamed with a refreshing green tea ice cream with that distinctive green tea aftertaste which we were not as crazy about.
For drinks at Eight Over Eight, my guest ordered a lychee bellini which arrived in a tall glass with a lychee sitting in the bottom of the glass, it was sweet with a strong lychee and prosecco taste, perfectly made. Not too sweet as the prosecco takes the edge off. I went for a champagne mojito which was strong but once your crushed ice melts it will dilute your drink so my advice is of course, bottoms up! Later, I thought I would brave the hurricane Gilbert, this cocktail consists of dark rum, angostora bitters, topped with a lime and wait for it.. Jerk seasoning! I was a little apprehensive and it had quite a strong, spicy flavour which meant I was sipping slower than I usually would if it was a sweet or fruity cocktail. I had to try it for you guys but I don't think I'd be quick to say it's my new tipple!
Could I Afford Seconds?
My meal at Eight Over Eight, without drinks came to £52 each. On occasion, rather than a regular dinner spot, I would be happy to pay this amount for the quality of food I had.
Overall:
I love that there is a food glossary at the back of the menu which is very useful and I also admire that Eight Over Eight's tea selection is almost as extensive as their cocktail offerings.
Overall we thoroughly enjoyed our food and will be back to eat our way through the menu! I would advise visiting when they're not too busy for the best service.
Reviewed by Guest Writer Syeshia Sweeney
Eight Over Eight website
Address: 392 Kings Road, London SW3 5UZ
Closest Tube Station: A bit of a walk from South Kensington station. Take a cab or car if you can.
