Restaurants

The original Nobu has magnificent views over Hyde Park, but we reckon the views at Ubon (thats Nobu backwards) are more staggering. The gracious curve of the Thames at Limehouse Reach is so impressive, particularly at dusk, that you may have difficulty concentrating on the menu, which includes such Nobu classics as black cod with miso and Peruvian-style anti-cucho skewers. Theres a range of more conservative dishes like grilled rib-eye steak or grilled lobster with spicy lemon-garlic dressing, but we stuck to the more characteristic choices. Beautifully presented ceviche combined mackerel, tuna, white fish, prawn and octopus with red onion and coriander and a (slightly too sharp) citrus dressing. Snow crab with creamy spicy sauce came gratinated in a shallow dish, looking like a pink-tinged Mac n cheese but tasting richly of shellfish and roe. In a nod to East-West fusion, asparagus egg sauce and salmon roe looked and tasted quite like asparagus with a frothy hollandaise. Classic o-toro sashimi (the highest-grade fat-marbled cut of tuna) was pristine. Ubon is very business-oriented at lunch, more relaxed come the evening.

Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2008