A stark contrast to the bustling station nearby, M Victoria is a suave yet calm space.
I told myself that this would be the year of healthy eating, gym-going and kombucha-making. But it’s December, and I’m a gym membership down and have yet to even think about the other two tasks. So when I saw that M Restaurant Victoria had launched a five-course Taste Of Korea menu (£39.50), paired with kombucha cocktails, it seemed like the perfect choice. If I’m not going to get on the ferment hype myself, then why not let someone else show me how it’s done?
Located in the Zig Zag Building, M is a slinky space split between a wine bar, raw bar, private members lounge and restaurant – the latter of which was the stunning setting for our east Asian affair. Popping up for three months, the changing menu showcases gluten-free cuisine and some of the best booch on the market. I settled in with a Bucha Collins, which combined earl grey lavender tea-infused Tanqueray with Lavender Fields Kombucha and lemon, while the other half opted for a Negrucha; adding Wild Fizz Kombucha and grapefruit to the usual mix of Tanqueray, vermouth and Campari.
When the food tastes as good as it looks, you know you're in for a treat.
We kicked things off with cured and glazed sea bass paired with a light kohlrabi salad and tangy gochujang sauce before moving onto Korean fried chicken. Not the usual succulent morsels, these came in the form of three dense chunks. Mandu dumplings were up next, but these were nothing compared to the mouthwatering Bulgogi of Blackmore wagyu beef. One of only three restaurants in London to serve such high-grade cuts, M has certainly mastered the art of melt-in-your-mouth meat.
Founded by Martin Williams of Gaucho fame, M Restaurant has cultivated a reputation for serving quality and well-cooked meats. The bustling space was filled with diners getting their steak-fix and burger-fill, and we were certainly getting ours. It’s not all about the meat though – ending on a lighter note, we finished with white chocolate ice cream topped with black sesame, yuzu and matcha. The perfect finish to a Kombucha-fuelled evening.
Taste of Korea costs £39.50pp and includes a Kombucha cocktail and five-course meal. Get your taste buds tingling from now until 31st January at M Restaurant Victoria, Zig Zag Building, 74 Victoria Street, SW1E 6SQ.
