Has anyone been to the bright blue district of Soho lately? Pop art window display, and gallery, Michelin star Yauatcha has turned baaa-baa crazy with their latest sheep installation for Chinese New Year. It’s the Year of the Sheep and they have collaborated with The Campaign Wool. Look for the sheeps and take a photo tag #YauatchaSheep and you are in for a chance to win a lucky red envelope.
As part of the celebrations, there’s a special Chinese New Year menu and Year of the Sheep inspired desserts. Invited down to try out the limited edition menu I let the waiter decide what we had for dinner.
Whilst we waited for our table to be free, we sat by the bar and had a Yang Walker a fiery cocktail containing Baijiu a new spirit that landed in UK and just celebrated their 1-year anniversary.
Once we finally got our tables, we told the waiter we were happy for him to choose our food for the night. All diners will start off with the pickled cucumbers, once our dishes came out. A little miniature bamboo basket, lifting the lid revealed scallop shui mai, golden yellow skin wrapped around to the shape of the scallop, as you bite into them another layer of prawns was hidden underneath.
Next came the goldfish shape dumplings, really its prawn dumplings in disguised, crystal clear silken skins with big bouncy prawns.
The three looking caterpillars was a delicious crispy golden curry puff. Next up, it looks like a normal spring roll, but the surprise is the usual fillings you have for aromatic duck, cucumbers, and roast duck inside.
Mains came out next, the waiter scooped special fried rice into our bowls and we waited for the rest of the dishes to accompanied the rice. Fried rice had sheen of oil, fragrant from the wok fire and fresh spring onions.
Mongolian Lamb Chops came painted with a glaze of special sauce, girdled to be cooked medium rare tasted so succulent, perched on a bed of shredded apples. I can easily overindulge on them. The next two dishes I only wished my mum can cook as good as the chef at Yauatcha.
You can tell big explosions of fire were used in the wok to cook this dish, a beautiful array of fiery colours of red, orange and yellow and spring onions to contrast. Onions half raw, stayed translucent in colour browned at the edges, big red chilli peppers for the spice kick. Kung Pao chicken was defiantly the star of the show.
Vegetables are always at my parents home cooked meals along with any meat, and the baby pak choi cooked plain was out of this world. Garlic stood out brought out the natural flavouring. This dish instantly brought me back to eating out in Hong Kong.
We were in for a treat for desserts, I already know the desserts are award winning and beautifully presented. Firstly we had the limited edition macarons, the filling made with caramelised sheep’s milk with a dulce de leche centre.
The most magnificent prettiest plate of dessert arrived, petite gateau sphere of sheep’s yoghurt bavarois with a lemon curd centre, sitting on top of a pandan sponge and buttercream, garnished with exotic colourful edible flowers and cress.
Overall I really loved the mains I had at Yauatcha, it reminded me of home cooked meals but done exceptional well in authentic Hong Kong style cooking. Desserts are always world class if you see my older post you know why. The Chinese New Year menu is available until the 28th of February.
15-17 Broadwick Street.
Soho, London, W1F 0DL
{google_map}15-17 Broadwick Street.
Soho, London, W1F 0DL{/google_map}