Website: https://www.mandarinoriental.com/en/london/mayfair/dine/dosa
Akira Back, a former professional snowboarder, lends his culinary expertise to his latest venture at the Manhattan Oriental in London’s Hanover Square, named Mayfair. Influenced by Japanese and Korean cuisine, this restaurant provides a unique dining experience despite receiving harsh criticism from Jimi Famurewa of the Evening Standard here.
Recently, a new dining concept called Dosa, which translates to ‘expert’ in Korean, was introduced featuring only one seating at 7 pm sharp, where up to 14 diners can enjoy their meals around a large kitchen counter-top. The design promises a personal and immersive cooking display.
I attended a preview of this experience as a guest, primarily due to the strong focus on wine pairing. For an 8-course tasting menu, guests pay £185, and can opt for an additional premium of £145 for matched wines and other beverages, including specially selected wines, sake, and perry.
Akira Back, based in Las Vegas and critical of the UK’s weather, recently visited to supervise a launch event. Originally hailing from Seoul and brought up in Colorado, Back is globally committed, with involvement in numerous dining ventures worldwide. Details about his international culinary ventures can be viewed on his website at https://www.akiraback.com/about-the-chef. Back’s Dosa restaurant in Seoul earned a Michelin star in 2007.
The chef managing Dosa is Jihun Kim, who benefits from a robust team’s support. This might change as the kitchen dynamics settle after its official opening next week. The sommelier services were expertly handled by assistant head sommelier Maxim Maiano under the guidance of head sommelier Andres Ituarte. To perfectly match wines with the menu, the sommelier team evaluated 110 different wines in one day, followed by meticulous second rounds of assessments with three wines per dish, considering other factors like cost.
The evening started with an array of exceptional canapés paired with two outstanding types of fizz.
Champagne Hugues Godomé Grands Jardins Blanc de Noirs NV
Laced with reserve wines and matured three years on the lees, this blend offers a rich texture. Flavor notes include cherry with hints of pear and citrus, presenting a rounded taste highlighted by subtle spiciness and finesse. A finely structured champagne displaying great precision and delicate nuance. Rated 94/100.
Roederer Estate L’Ermitage 2017 Anderson Valley, California
Lovely weight and structure to this high-end Californian fizz. Good depth with pear and peach fruit as well as good acidity. Textural and fine with real finesse. 94/100
Then an interesting pairing with sea bream sashimi, wasabi, green tomato sorbet and sweet green pepper. An old Jura.
Domaine Rolet Arbois Trousseau 1985 Jura, France (from magnum)
Delicate and sappy with a fine nose of redcurrants, dried leaves and some lovely floral perfume. Still so aromatic and fine. The palate is textured and elegant with fine cherries and plums as well as some peppery hints. Such elegance here with warmth and texture. Nice bright red cherry fruit on the finish. 96/100
The next match was with preserved tomato filled with raspberry coulis. This was a Grüner Veltliner.
FX Pichler Grüner Veltliner Kellerberg 2021 Wachau, Austria
Featuring a textured profile with peppery tones accompanied by crystalline citrus fruits that offer a juicy taste. The wine is linear, focused, and exquisitely detailed. It’s a charming selection, scored at 94/100.
As the meal progressed, we indulged in a preserved prawn sashimi, marinated for a week, and accompanied it with a delectable Japanese sake.
Muki Junmai Daiginjo Sake
This sake has a 35% polishing ratio and showcases a gentle blend of pear and lemon with refined spicy nuances. It presents good weight and finesse on the palate, highlighted by a subtle saltiness, making it highly commendable. It scores 93/100.
Next was the fish course, featuring Turbot paired with makgeoili bitter, and an exceptional Condrieu from Guigal was selected for the pairing. Despite being aged in 100% new barrels, the wine pleasantly complemented the dish.
Guigal Condrieu La Doriane 2022 Northern Rhône, France
Delightful aromatics featuring apricot, delicate spices, pear, and a subtle woody note. Accompanied by nuances of honey and nuts. An exquisite showcase of Viognier, noted for its superb texture. 94/100
The meal continued with a duck aged for 14 days using cultivated bacteria (Nurek), served with a fermented cherry sauce. This dish, although flavorful, felt somewhat traditional in taste. It was complemented by a robust Barolo that was just starting to peak.
Gabutti Barolo Sordo Reserva 2007 Piemonte, Italy
Originating from a south-facing slope and matured in 1200 litre botti, this wine displays a blend of spice, pepper, and herbs alongside bright cherry and raspberry notes. It offers a sturdy grip, deep flavors, and textures, with emerging signs of maturity. Superb. 96/100
The course proceeded with Waygu beef, offered with three variants of Kimchi. The Waygu appeared in small portions (unfortunately, mine was over-cooked; however, I captured an image of my neighbour’s serving) and impressively, as tartare accompanied by rice. The accompanying wine, Purple Air from Changyu-Moser, was the least impressive of the night, notably overpriced at over £400, despite being part of an otherwise creative and excellent wine list.
Changyu Moser Purple Air 2016 Ningxia, China
This wine exudes aromas of redcurrants, plums, and dried herbs accompanied by subtle notes of dried pepper and strawberry. It offers a warm taste profile underscored by sleek, green-tinted berry fruits, demonstrating finesse and a considerable degree of evolution, culminating in a green finish. 91/100
The desserts consisted of a variety of small offerings, including an apple and yuzu sherbet followed by a remarkable sweet corn dish, creatively paired with a perry.
Eric Bordelet Poiré Granit Perry 2022
This perry features a tart and appley taste with distinct pear flavors and a juiciness that adds to its complexity. It is both bright and slightly sweet.