Osteria Angelina, London E1: ‘there’s A Lot To Adore’ – Restaurant Review | Grace Dent On Restaurants

1 month ago

One undeniable truth astir Angelina, which has conscionable opened a 2nd tract in Spitalfields, eastbound London, is that successful nan now mini-group’s comparatively short existence, they’ve singlehandedly made nan building “Italian-Japanese restaurant” look a overmuch much normal point to say. Patently, Angelina Mark 1 complete successful Dalston was not nan first clip successful culinary history that Milan met Tokyo complete nan stoves, that miso met pasta, that truffle met sushi, and truthful on; quiet group person ever travelled, merged cuisines and messed astir pinch flavours. Still, nan original Angelina’s kaiseki-style tasting menu, wherever chawanmushi (savoury ovum custard) is served pinch datterini tomatoes, and pastas are topped pinch furikake, was intelligibly absorbing capable to pull nan attention of Michelin.

Its caller sister, Osteria Angelina, is darkly chic, freely (handy for group dining) and tucked distant down a broadside roadworthy connected the Norton Folgate development adjacent to Shoreditch overground position (fans of nan Sri Lankan edifice Kolomba connected Kingly Street adjacent Oxford Circus will find a 2nd outpost, Kolomba East, successful nan aforesaid area, and Noisy Oyster, from nan group down Firebird, will soon beryllium joining them). To springiness in installments wherever its due, Norton Folgate is simply a refreshingly beautiful restoration project, wherever spruced-up Edwardian, Georgian and Victorian buildings operation pinch new-builds to create a small portion of sedate elegance distant from nan bottomless brunch, Box Park hellscape that is modern Shoreditch. Escape nan main drag, hop into Osteria Angelina, beryllium up astatine nan marble barroom successful beforehand of nan unfastened room and bid snacks of pizza nera topped pinch moromi, a rich | fermented soy paste, aliases a crockery of zucchini and shiso leaves pinch ricotta.

‘Hot arsenic hell’ courgette flower and miso ricotta astatine Osteria Angelina, London E1.

From nan number of group eating present conscionable 2 weeks aft it opened, this taste conflict intelligibly has its fans. What Osteria Angelina’s Japanese customers, pinch their comparatively orderly rules of societal behaviour and deference, make of nan place’s excessively animated Italian servers, however, is 1 for nan anthropology books. All this, I guess, is smoothed complete by nan likes of nan nori-topped focaccia and nan small, saccharine mini-loaf of Hokkaido beverage bread, nan very representation of which has maine salivating; that’s served pinch a kumquat simplification – OK, let’s telephone it jam – and a puddle of burnt chromatic butter.

After nan pane and insalate sections, nan paper moves connected to fritti and crudo. We ordered a sheet of hot-as-hell tempura’d courgette flowers stuffed generously pinch miso ricotta. Crudo is truthful often a disappointment, but present nan bream is cured successful kombu and doused successful yet much burnt butter, making it alternatively wickedly appealing. Hamachi sashimi was besides very good, and smothered successful truffled soy and furikake.

Osteria Angelina’s ‘immensely comforting’ fazzoletti pinch duck ragu and lotus.

Dinner present could easy beryllium made up purely of a postulation of these mini plates and immoderate breadstuff to mop up nan exquisite oils, but that would mean missing retired connected nan caller agnolotti and tortellini. The pasta offering changes frequently, but expect nan likes of immensely comforting fazzoletti pinch a rich | duck ragu and lotus, crab and sausage-filled agnolotti and whelk risotto pinch burnt soy butter.

Larger meaty and fishy things, meanwhile, are grilled successful beforehand of you connected binchō-tan coals down nan bar. Tongue pinch wasabi, anyone? Or, much simply, immoderate Brixham skate helping aliases a Blythburgh pork chop? Angus steak comes rare, drenched successful miso butter, alongside our broadside bid of NamaYasai greens and an other information of tsukemono pickles.

There’s a batch to adore astir each of this cooking; it’s generous, oily, saucy and surely not to beryllium eaten each day. Every sheet we tried swam successful immoderate variety connected spiced, seasoned, miso-flecked lipid that would person been a unspeakable discarded to consign to nan dishwasher. How astir immoderate much breadstuff and nan remnants of that location ponzu? Wait, they’re taking distant nan delicious achromatic balsamic dressing that came pinch nan tempura agretti? No, stop!

‘Dark, gloomy, stodgy’ bruleed achromatic sesame cheesecake pinch beverage gelato, astatine Osteria Angelina, London E1.

In fact, nan only point that near maine somewhat cold, different than nan damned uncomfortable chairs pinch backrests truthful acold backmost that you’re almost lying down, was nan brulee’d achromatic sesame cheesecake pinch beverage ice-cream, which, though visually absorbing – dark, gloomy, stodgy – had astir it nan aerial of thing that had been mass-produced, successful overmuch nan aforesaid measurement arsenic a Pizza Express cheesecake astir apt wasn’t made by chef’s nonna that morning, but alternatively came retired of a packet from nan freezer. Next clip – and location will beryllium a adjacent clip – I’ll spell for nan genmaicha purin and kinako greenish beverage atom pudding.

Osteria Angelina shouldn’t work, but it perfectly does. It will besides offend purists everywhere, but being upset has ne'er been truthful delicious.

Osteria Angelina 1 Nicholls & Clarke Yard (off Blossom Street), London E1, 020-4626 6930. Open luncheon Tues-Sun, 12.15-2.30pm (noon-3pm Sat & Sun); meal 5.15-10.30pm (9.30pm Tues, Weds & Sun). From astir £50 a caput à la carte, positive drinks and service