#FtLionAwards 2019 – Best Starter of the Year?
After the #FtLionAwards 2019 Best Veggie of the Year (proudly sponsored by non alcoholic distribution company Azanti, which promotes a #soberlifestyle), we continue with Best Starter of the Year.
And we want you to participate because not only do you have the chance of voting for your favourite on our Instagram and Facebook pages, but you’ll also be entered into our prize draw with the chance of winning a special box of six premium beverages by Azanti.
So we want you to either: 1) vote for the following nominees, or 2) let us know both your favourite dish and the place you had it, all on our Facebook and/or Instagram pages.
COMPTOIR V
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One of Comptoir V’s two dishes nominated for the Veggie award, namely the Jackfruit Nuggets, has also been voted for this year’s best starter, indicating just how good it was.
The secret was in its meaty tenderness, which was one of the reasons why this so closely resembled actual chicken nuggets. Coated in a teriyaki-style glaze, this was warm, spicy and tangy, and honey-sweetened to leave a sticky-cum-chewy exterior with moments of crispiness.
KANISHKA
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There’s a reason why one of the UK’s most accomplished Indian chefs, Atul Kochhar, has put his name to this signature starter. Atul’s Chicken Tikka Pie at the recently opened Kanishka, which he originally entered into a pie-making contest only to come away the winner, was, as we concluded back then, “one of the best pies we’ve ever had”!
With ultra-crumbly pastry, the combination of that soft and succulent spicy chicken along with a fantastically good sweet berry jam accompaniment, which imparted an edge of sharpness to the dish, had us enjoying this right till the end.
PING PAN ASIAN
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Ping Pan Asian is 2014’s MasterChef winner Ping Coombes’ latest venture. Located on the 4th floor of Selfridges in London, this place really surprised us, starting with these Chicken Satays, with the seamless marriage between the sweet-earthy richness of the thick, viscousy peanut dip and the tenderness of the attractively scorched, smoky skewers. These were small, dainty and so well cooked that we could have easily devoured a dozen of them.
PING PAN ASIAN
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And that wasn’t all, because Ping Pan Asian also served up these utterly delicious Aromatic Duck Spring Rolls, which were just a luxury given their rarity.
Here it was all about the shredded duck – moist, tender, and delivering on that deep fatty flavour, which borders almost on the wild, we all yearn for in a well cooked duck. Thinly wrapped in ultra-crispy-cum-flaky pastry, and paired with a rich sweet and tangy hoi sin dip, this was an incredible starter.
THE MANTL
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The Mantl in Knightsbridge is another impressive newcomer to the Halal food scene, with its refined take on Turkish cuisine. In this instance, they presented this Smoked Sheep’s Yoghurt – a beautifully conceived plate, with every single element playing its part in making this one of the most exciting dishes had this year.
The Smoked Sheep’s Yoghurt came with dreamily soft and creamy glazed figs, with a subtle bitter sweetness (thanks to the honey glaze), and incredibly delicious veiny maroon strips of dried oak cured that added textural contrast, while imparting a deep meatiness and a hint of smokiness. Honestly, we could have sat their chewing and savouring the juices of that beef forever! Add to that the delicate piquancy of the sheep’s yoghurt, and the sweetness of the grape molasses, pomegranate seeds and the earthiness of the pistachio crumb, and you’re guaranteed no two mouthfuls being the same. A triumph!
