The Straits Kitchen at Pan Pacific London offers a Summer Sunday Roast with a Singaporean twist, which includes three courses and a half-bottle of Prosecco. I think we can all agree that sounds like a delicious way to spend a Sunday lunchtime.
If Cinderella's fairy godmother had waved her wand over a carvery instead of a pumpkin, she might have ended up with Straits Kitchen. No leathery beef or dried-up Yorkshires here; you can have your choice of crispy pork belly, roast duck, barbecue pork, soya roast chicken or a vegan option of soya braised mushroom & spinach in filo pastry, with a selection of sauces. Or, you could be like us and hopelessly unable to decide, in which case they will give you a bit of everything, with a Thai salad, veg sides and either stir-fried noodles or fried rice.
But I'm getting ahead of myself; let's talk about the starters; this tangle of deliciousness is the Wu Xiang Ru, a five-spiced Singaporean minced pork with house-made Nam Jin sauce. I love the freshness of pea shoots against the chilli heat and it really wakes up the tastebuds for the main course.
Black Pepper Prawns; plump, breaded prawn meat with cracked black pepper and a salad side. These were just perfect to pick up and polish off, so fortunately those weren't on the buffet section or I'm not sure I would have made it to the mains.
The beautiful desserts are by the hotel’s Executive Pastry Chef, Cherish Finden, My chocolate tart was delightful: thin, crisp base, smooth, rich filling and perfectly tempered chocolate shards - with the extra touch of some luxurious gold leaf garnish. I should just add an honourable mention of the fabulous service. Our server was knowledgeable, friendly, helpful and adept at reading when we needed attention and when we were deep in conversation - top marks to her.
Although not part of my planned visit, I ended up nipping into the neighbouring Straits bar for a quick pre-lunch drink. It turned out to be the very definition of a happy accident.
The classic cocktails are all available off-menu - nobody wants a cocktail list to rival War & Peace - but there is a seasonally-changing speciality menu created by Alex, their head barman . In another stroke of luck, Alex himself was behind the bar for our visit, so not only were our cocktails personally made by the man who knows them best but he was able to talk us through the development process, which was fascinating. For a hotel bar, it's surprisingly cosy - an oasis worth remembering in the bustle around Liverpool Street station.
The new set menu will be available throughout the summer on Sundays from 12:30pm-4pm, serving three courses with a half bottle of Casa Canevel Prosecco for £50 per person.
Go for the lunch, stay for the cocktails and thank us later.
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Deputy Editor, Chatting Food London: Amanda David
Amanda David is a freelance food writer specialising in London’s restaurants, bars, exhibitions and events. She is the Events Editor for London Cheapo and a regular contributor to Palate Magazine.
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