Best Pan Asian in Central London? Inamo, Covent Garden

July 02, 2017

Best Pan Asian in Central London? Inamo, Covent Garden

Located in the heat of Covent Garden, with two additional sites in Soho and Camden, Inamo has made a name for itself as one of the leading Asian Fusion tapas restaurants in London. So, when it came to checking out the best place to visit for Asian inspired dishes, a trip to Inamo was on the cards!

As we entered the Covent Garden venue on Tuesday night, we were promptly shown to our seats by the friendly greeter on the door. Sitting in centre of the tranquil, bamboo filled restaurant, we were brought a couple glasses of prosecco as the ordering process was explained to us.....

Prosecco for two

"Ordering process was explained?", I hear you ask? Yes! See, aside from great food and drink, Inamo also aims to create an interactive dining experience like no other. Not only are your orders placed on a fancy iPad, showing you pictures and full details of the options available (and also not available, so none of that disappointment when you decide on an option and then the waiter tells you it's all gone!) - but, and here's the best part, the table on which they're served on is also fully interactive!!!

Getting stuck into the games!

Sounds a bit silly, I admit, but no joke - it's a LOT of fun! Drawing pictures, playing games, changing the table background, even viewing the chefs in the kitchen via 'Chef Cam', although we weren't quite brave enough to actually place our order on the table (we stuck with the iPads for that!), it certainly beats your usual paper handout!

Menu to scroll

Once we'd finished drawing on the tables (my Grandma would have a fit!), it was down to business as we decided what to eat. With a menu split into Sushi, Asian Tapas and Inamo Classics (Main style dishes including Steak and Chips, Crispy Duck, Thai Green Curry), there really is something to suit everyone. Nonetheless, with it being the tapas style dishes that really caught our eye, we decided to forego the mains in favour of a selection of small plates to share between us. In true tapas style, everything arrived as soon it was ready, meaning we wasted no time at all getting stuck into our feast....

Round 1

First to arrive was the Salmon Tataki, a freshly cut Scottish salmon glazed with a sweet miso and yuzu marinade. According to the description on the menu, this sushi speciality was a 'must have'.... and I'd totally agree with that!

Having said that, nne that didn't get the call out I feel it 100% deserved, was the incredible Char Sui Buns. 3 white and fluffy steamed Asian buns, generously filled with shredded pork and bound in tangy Thai sauce. A definitely highlight as far as we were concerned!

Next up....

Next up was the Chicken Gyoza - nice, but not necessarily anything to write home about. No worries though, because the sweet Miso Aubergine dish TOTALLY made up for it! Vegetables making up for gyoza.... really?! YES - this one was a game changer - I never knew vegetables could taste this good!

Sushi to end

And just as we were feeling very nearly defeated without the amount of gorgeous food, out came our Sushi. With vegetarian options including Rainbow Maki (beetroot, cucumber and pepper) and seafood options such as Dragon Roll (crispy tempura shrimp, mayo and avocado), we decided to mix it up a little and go for the Rainbow Californian Roll - eight individually wrapped tuna and salmon maki pieces topping crunchy crab stick, rice, and the perfect slither of avocado. An on the point combination of flavour and textures to really end our meal on a high!

Is it wrong this was my favourite?!

Although the desert options sounded incredible (chocolate popping candy sticks, anyone?!), we decided to call it a night and left feeling pleasantly full after a thoroughly enjoyable evening.

Price was Inamo doesn't come up cheap (small plates range from £7-£12, whilst main dishes around £20), however for the quality of the food, attentive (yet never once annoying!) staff, and interactive ordering process, which adds a whole new layer of fun to the entire experience, it's most definitely worth it!