Bloomberg Arcade is now becoming synonymous with the best of the London food scene with restaurants competing fiercely for a home there. The latest restaurant to open, we visit Kym’s by Michelin starred Anglo-Chinese Chef, Andrew Wong. The restaurant is easy to spot – just look out for a huge pink tree inside and a rotating neon sign.
Andrew Wong isn’t your typical Chef. He left school to study chemistry at Oxford University and then Anthropology at the London School of Economics. When he found his calling for hospitality, he spent two years travelling across China learning all about the culinary highlights of different regions and brought the best of these ideas back to London.
Décor is simple with the focal point being a 5-metre high cherry blossom tree Signifying female beauty and power, it represents the yin element to the yang of the corporate city.
We started with some of their original Chinese inspired cocktails. A yuzu Negroni was light and refreshing as yuzu infused sake replaced gin to give this classic cocktail a clever twist. The wine list is small but has enough choice on it and each wine has been carefully chosen to go with Chinese food.
We should say that dishes come out of the kitchen whenever they are ready. Focusing on the craft of Chinese roasting, roasted meats here are a highlight and take up to three days to prepare.
Our favourite dish in terms of flavour and portion had to be the pork skewers. Three large skewers of tender, sweet, sticky, oyster sauce marinated pork with a moreish thick peanut sauce were accompanied by a light, fruity Chardonnay.
The dish that Kym’s is becoming quickly known for is the “Three Treasure.” This includes pork belly, chicken and iberico pork with a different dip for each meat. The iberico is thinly sliced and marinated so delicately. If you like eggs, order the bao bao (pork and shrimp dumplings). We enjoyed how the richness of fried eggs combined with crispy chillies and meaty dumplings.
The side dishes at Kym’s are just as well thought through as the rest of the menu. Uyghur fries (crispy thin potatoes) had a complex umami taste, topped with Thai shallots and a dusting of mango powder, used commonly in the Xinjiang region of China. The large French beans are coated in a feather light batter, seasoned with spring onions, black pepper and a touch of chilli.
Overall, the atmosphere is relaxed with a focus on great ingredients prepared with much care and attention. Whilst Andrew Wong’s first restaurant focuses on the art of dim sum, the focus at Kym’s is the art of lovingly prepared roasted meats that are worth the journey to The City.
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Mark Captain is a writer specialising in restaurants, travel, and lifestyle. He loves the theatre and is a big fan of South East Asia.
