I swear to you it must seem like I live with the Four Seasons brand at the moment, as I’m at their properties so much lately. Wouldn’t that be the dream eh? No, simply it’s just, as I’ve said many times before, I love the brand so much. They just have nailed luxury on a friendly and welcoming scale so well.
So when earlier this year their new London hotel opened, Ten Trinity Square, I was really excited. I kept meaning to book in a visit but time just escaped me. Anyways, finally I found the time to head down to try their Chinese-Japanese restaurant, Mei Ume, as it’s been making waves in the restaurant scene at the moment and I’m not one to get left behind.
But before we even get to the restaurant, I have to stop you and try and explain what I saw. The bar is something to behold. It is one of the most grand and stunning settings I think I’ve ever seen. A huge grand piano sits underneath a huge dome, surrounded by gold and marble and leather.
Sitting at the bar is an awesome way to just soak it all in and also do some people watching. I’d also highly recommend ordering a drink before heading for the restaurant. My bartender turned me to tequila in my espresso martini rather than vodka and it was so smooth, it made for a great warm up drink- although one for an evening as it’s quite powerful.
Heading into Mei Ume, it's one of utter luxury. Marble columns, beautiful art work and oak finished furniture.
At 6:30 when I arrived it was pretty quiet but later on, it become super busy, so depending on your vibe, book accordingly.
The menu at Mei Ume is a mixture of Chinese and Japanese small plates, which makes great for sharing.
We decided to start with edamame beans, sticky chilli pork ribs, vegetable dim sum and scallops.
I love ribs, and the sauce on these had a fantastic kick to them, plus the meat did cut off so effortlessly so no messy fingers here.
Helen loved the dim sum, especially the mushroom ones, as she said they provided a good depth of flavour rather than just a homogenous "vegetable" taste you can often get.
I couldn't resist ordering one final dish after seeing someone else plate go by- Baked Iberico pork puffs. But these were almost like scones or friend English dumplings- that crispier dough texture, filled with molten pork. And I say molten as I bit straight into one not realising all the steam inside and nearly burning my mouth off. However these were my favourite starter by far- they were darn delicious.
For main I opted for the Wok fried Hereford beef fillet in spicy black pepper sauce. Now I have to say the beef was incredibly tender, probably the most tender meat I've had in a long time. However I did feel the sauce needed... maybe some seasoning? It just felt like it lacked that extra oomf I expected and for £30 it sure isn't cheap for the portion size.
Helen, being a big sushi eater went for soft shell crab and mango, and Spicy tuna with truffle and parmesan.
Now I'm no sushi expert but parmesan? That's one I'd never heard of before. I joked to Helen that it looked like it had hair!
However she loved them and said it was one of the best dishes she'd had. So there we have it, don't judge a book by it's cover.
Finally it was dessert time. I knew I would love the Chocolate moelleux and green tea powder as I'd had similar before and it's always divine. It's sort of like a molten chocolate cake where the sauce boxes out. Heaven.
Helen went light and ordered earl grey tea ice cream along side chocolate. If you like tea then you'll love this. It's like an ice tea I guess.
I didn't think the Four Seasons brand could get any better. Yet they've elevated themselves to the next level. Not only is it a stunning building, but the food and service match it's design. If you are looking for somewhere to dress up for then Mei Ume is your place.
Isn't it the most amazing restaurant? Glad you had fun!!
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