Kopapa

Kopapa

32-34 Monmouth St,

London

WC2H 9HA

020 7240 6076

http://www.kopapa.co.uk

SN:  After delicious cocktails at Asia de Cuba we made the 4 minute walk up St Martin's Lane to Kopapa up by Seven Dials.  Its a pretty standard set up for a London Restaurant with a long bar as one enters and mixed size tables which filled very nicely as the evening went on.  The decor is stark.

The four owners of Kopapa have created a superb eatery (described as a cafe and restaurant) with fusion cooking and fine wine but it's not a New Zealand restaurant -  it hints at an association but not enough to give it an individuality. Kopapa has various meanings in the Maori language and I think there's a similar ambiguity about the place. The strap line "kai me int" (food and drink) could sum up every restaurant in the borough. The website features on 6th February "Waitangi Day 2016" and a more localised menu which may be the time to see Kopapa celebrating it's roots.  It's a bit lacking in character for me.

Flat bread, olives and baba ganoush

SN: The staff were exceedingly helpful with the balance of dishes and we opted to do a traditional starters and main.  Three small plates and two mains with a side order of veg.  It was clear from the very first mouthful of baba ganoush we were in for a treat.  The fresh taste and succulent texture was a cut above some of the slop we've been served with in town.  The flat bread was very appealing too.

Crispy Squid, zhoug dressing, salad of pickled lemon, fennel & peppers

SN: My Crispy squid was a very pleasant: light and neither slimy, rubbery or overbearingly fishy.  I much prefer these sticks to rings and the light, spiced tempura was delicate and beautifully unobtrusive aside from a satisfying crunch.

Smoked freekeh & potato kibbeh, sweetcorn hummus, pomegranate, walnut tarator

LM: I was extremely happy to have another portion of the flatbread with my starter. Generous portions of hummus and tarator (which according to google is a yoghurt and cucumber dip, so I have no idea where that was!) and some really nice textures and tastes.

Pan-fried Cod, parmesan polenta, green beans, herbed pea bisque, walnut muhammura relish

SN: My Mum might well have found this combination just one too many taste sensations.  There is much to relish on the plate and the eye dwells on the contrasting brittle salt crystals, deep dark fried skin and the clean white of the fish above a sea of green.  I paused to savour the polenta which had beautifully measured hint of parmesan: a taste which could elbow its way to dominate the flavours.  The muhammura and bisque made it a complete taste adventure though.  I loved it. We shared some beautifully cooked broccolini with tamarind glaze which was lovely and crunchy shallots don't add a lot least of all crunch.

Quinoa & pumpkin gnocchi, haloumi, pine nuts, spinach, tomato chermoula

LM: My gnocchi nearly defeated me - the quinoa made them sturdy with an unexpected crunch, but the flavour balance of the pumpkin, toasted pinenuts and tart tomato sauce was too good to leave anything uneaten so I made my way through it. It's great to see such interesting vegetarian options on a menu - but the portions were probably a little over-generous.

SN:  The wine list is varied and a great excuse to try some New Zealand wine - though many of the descriptions focus on flavours to the point where they become indistinguishable.  The Riesling (Which I chose by grape) was a happy foray.  It's a bright and zesty wine from a family vineyard in the Waitara Valley and it had a hint of that sweetness which balanced the strong flavours we were enjoying.

Coconut crumble, chia seeds, mango, green tea, lychee & coconut sorbet

LM: I managed to find room for dessert, going for what was probably the lightest option on the menu. The coconut crumble was divine - sweet, sticky and light. For me the green tea was a bit overpowering, but it's not a favourite taste of mine and it was clearly marked on the menu so that could well just be down to bad choice on my part!

SN: I had cheese and biscuits which were nice enough but the accompanying relish was just over-powering and unpleasant.

Overall

SN: I enjoyed much of the food at Kopapa - it's been on our list for a long time and I'm glad we went. There seems to be something missing though - perhaps a problem of identity and it's maybe fuelled a slight excess in the dishes, they almost bend over backwards to fascinate or just add one twist too many to what are already luscious combinations.  Sometimes less is more if it has confidence and feeling - our previous visit to Andrew Edmunds is a case in point. If pressed I'd say it feels too much like a business venture. Finally whilst the wine list probably has some real gems in it the descriptions border on parody.