Umami Restaurant

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Posted 2013-03-24 by Praneel Lal-Beadnell ⇒ follow

Located in the Crowne Plaza in Kensington is a gem of a discovery in the Asian dining experience. The name Umami, meaning 'a savoury taste' (and one of the 5 basic tastes, along with sweet, sour, bitter and salty) comprises a cosmopolitan mix to tantalise your tastebuds. A range of authentic dishes from Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam as well as some newer signature dishes make up the Umami menu along with a selection of international wines and beers.

Heading over to the restaurant a friend and I were greeted by the friendly staff who were fantastic throughout our culinary experience. The great thing about Umami is that the venue has a 'sharing list' which gives you a chance to taste test the wonderful Asian dishes the restaurant has to offer on a smaller scale and for a cheaper price.

We decided to take part in the smaller tasting selection and went for a mix of vegetarian with an Indonesian Dahl & Roti to a common favourite Chicken Sate.

After powering through the delicious starter plates we settled on the flavoursome Beef Rendang and Hokkein Chicken Noodles. Both potions were great for sharing and were made with truly fresh ingredients. The beef was very succulent and arrived with fragrant coconut rice, whilst the chicken was spiced to perfection for the Hokkein dish.

The only way to finish a fantastic meal is with a sugary dessert and Umami did well in living up to our expectations. A huge fan of crepes, we went for a twist on a traditional Malaysian treat called Kuih Dada, a coconut and palm sugar filled crepe. The delicate dessert came out and it wasn't until you cut open the crepe that you witness it's sweet glory. The brown sugar comes out warm and was well complimented by the coolness of the crepe and ice cream. The perfect ending to an amazing dining night in Kensington.