Sino - Review - Notting Hill - London - The Infatuation
"A meal at Sino in Notting Hill has the same outcome as visiting an exclusive health retreat, or reading several books by Deepak Chopra—and that is to lower your cortisol levels and make you feel incredibly put together. But also, satisfied, because the food at this Ukrainian spot, all oozing chicken kyivs, sauerkraut dumplings, and elegant plates of marinated aubergine decorated with wildflowers, is great. photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch video credit: Aleksandra Boruch photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch Pause Unmute Maybe it’s the stone walls in monastic grey, or the off-white bouclé banquette that demands you be very careful with the pickled beetroot—but the mood is peaceful. Notting Hill types who have nowhere to be at 2pm on a weekday sit beside fluttering linen curtains, apricot cocktails slipping down easily. Small groups chat quietly while picking at nutty rye bread and straight-laced pairs put in the odd request for the sexy, bassy instrumental track to be turned down. Don’t leave without getting the honey cake: it’s got a nutty, silky aerated walnut foam that we’d like to squirt on by the canister-full. Food Rundown Borodinsky Rye Deep, dark brown bread, pleasingly dense, and with a rich molasses flavour. This is the type of thing our doctor would be pleased to see us eating. But probably not with the amount of wildflower butter—finished with a tangy malt reduction—that we slather on. photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch Black Pudding Croquette, Adjika, Apple Jam The warming, smoky adjika sauce is the best thing about this dish, and it’s needed because the croquettes would be a little dry without it. photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch Marinated Aubergine, Kyyrma Cheese Bread This isn’t the sexiest-sounding of dishes, but it's one of our favourite things here. The bread is light and spongy, almost omelette-like in texture. And it’s the perfect thing for scooping up the aubergine, which has been cooked down to a thick sauce. photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch Chicken Kyiv, Bison Grass Mash, Wild Garlic Butter, Truffle The ready meal version of our childhood is like a distant, three times removed cousin of this dish. There’s a thin, crisp coating, the chicken is juicy, and the garlic butter oozes out. It’s perfect comfort food. photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch Crunchy Banosh, Mushroom, Wild Garlic A crunchy baton-like take on the smooth, cornmeal dish you might be familiar with. These crispy little logs are perfectly fine, but we wouldn’t reorder them when there are so many better things on the menu. photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch Sauerkraut Dumplings, Baked Cabbage Sauce, Smoked Dry Pear Light, springy dumplings and tangy sauerkraut—yes, delicious. But nobody told the baked cabbage sauce it was supposed to be a supporting cast member. Deeply savoury, smooth, and a little nutty, it’s our favourite thing on the plate. photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch Honey Cake We’ve eaten a lot of honey cake in the name of research, and this is one of our favourites. We’d like it to be a touch sweeter, but in every other way—the glossy, thick honey coating, the light sponge layers, the airy walnut sauce—it’s a winner. photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch" - Sinéad Cranna
