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Mayfair’s new Korean fusion restaurant Jinjuu gets so much right – perfect service with no vulgar upselling; a sophisticated leather, dark wood and gold aesthetic; super-soft lighting – that its niggling flaws are all the more disappointing.
Ordering can be a bit of a gamble, as there are both duds and stars on the menu. One winner is the tuna tartare – light, fresh, with perfect wasabi heat and lotus root crisps. I could have eaten plates of the stuff. A broccoli and mushroom salad might not sound very exciting, but it was robust and satisfying with great spice levels. If you stay for pud then be sure to get the riff-on-a-Snickers dessert, which has a brilliantly bitter chocolate ganache. But there were plenty of silly mistakes, too: oily, overcooked brioche with the mini-sliders; over-salted scallops in the seafood mandoo (dumplings); a gloopy, heavy Asian slaw.
Still, Jinjuu is a great little spot for stellar cocktails and pre-dinner nibbles. Or for showing off to someone who you’re trying to impress, as long as you know exactly what to order.