Restaurants

What used to be the critically slammed Spoon+ restaurant inside the über-trendy Sanderson hotel has metamorphosed into Suka, which claims to offer ‘modern authentic Malaysian cuisine’. In reality, food consists of the vaguely oriental, elaborately presented plate garnishes that are popular with people who’ve never made it further east than Walthamstow. Dishes are a visual feast; the Sanderson is the kind of hotel where looks are everything. But who is going to relish canapé-sized ‘Malaysian’ burgers at £13 a pop? Or long for a curried crab ‘laksa’ that wasn’t (a laksa, that is) and costs £15 for a tiny starter portion? Prices are heavy (even rice costs £6); you’re likely to fork out £60 or more per head for a dinner with a modest bottle of wine. Our dishes arrived willy-nilly; one person at our table was left empty-plated for 15 minutes, waiting for their order to arrive. Still, Suka must appeal to someone: someone more interested in style than substance; who doesn’t care about paying through the nose for it; and who doesn’t mind a 15% service charge when it’s clear that customers must fit into the kitchen’s timetable not vice versa.

Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2008