Ikoyi London

Native Breed Rib & Green Goddess
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Smoked Jollof Rice & Lobster Custard
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Lunch at ⭐️⭐️ Ikoyi in it’s newish location on The Strand. It always blew my mind what Jeremy and his small team could put out of the small kitchen in Ikoyi’s former location which I first visited back in 2017. It’s always been stunning and excitingly bold cooking so I wasn’t surprised that in his new, much larger open kitchen, the cooking has gone up another notch. It comes with an extremely punchy price tag of £350 (there is a £200 short lunch menu available) plus service charge and any drinks, but I think that with the quality of the cooking, and when you consider how much restaurants are struggling to find good staff, this can be forgiven. When you are competing for chefs and FOH staff against Simon Rogan and Ollie Dabbous’s 3.5 day working week then I guess you need all the money you can get to pay your staff very well. Plus of course the cost of high quality luxurious ingredients. I can’t wait to go back as this was a truly excellent meal.
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Michelin Guide - ⭐️⭐️
OAD - 52
W50B - 35
Best Chef Awards -
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#achefabroad #itravelforfood #foodie #foodporn #foodpic #achefabroad #itravelforfood #foodtours #foodies #foodporn #foodpic #foodpics #finedining #michelindining #eats #instafoodie #michelinstar #oad #bestofspaintour #worlds50bestrestaurants #worlds50best #eater #michelinguide #grandspaintour Less

Mussel & Saffron Crème Caramel
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Gola Pepper Broth
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Smoked Sirloin & Ike Jime Trout
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Lobster & Peas
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Lunch at ⭐️⭐️ Ikoyi in it’s newish location on The Strand. It always blew my mind what Jeremy and his small team could put out of the small kitchen in Ikoyi’s former location which I first visited back in 2017. It’s always been stunning and excitingly bold cooking so I wasn’t surprised that in his new, much larger open kitchen, the cooking has gone up another notch. It comes with an extremely punchy price tag of £350 (there is a £200 short lunch menu available) plus service charge and any drinks, but I think that with the quality of the cooking, and when you consider how much restaurants are struggling to find good staff, this can be forgiven. When you are competing for chefs and FOH staff against Simon Rogan and Ollie Dabbous’s 3.5 day working week then I guess you need all the money you can get to pay your staff very well. Plus of course the cost of high quality luxurious ingredients. I can’t wait to go back as this was a truly excellent meal.
.
Michelin Guide - ⭐️⭐️
OAD - 52
W50B - 35
Best Chef Awards -
.
#achefabroad #itravelforfood #foodie #foodporn #foodpic #achefabroad #itravelforfood #foodtours #foodies #foodporn #foodpic #foodpics #finedining #michelindining #eats #instafoodie #michelinstar #oad #bestofspaintour #worlds50bestrestaurants #worlds50best #eater #michelinguide #grandspaintour Less

8) Native Breed Rib & Green Goddess 🥩
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The vast land known as Africa has existed since time immemorial: as the cradle of our earliest hominid ancestors; as a hub for the rise and eventual downfall of ancient civilizations; and as a witness to the shedding of colonial ties toward independent governance. In the modern era, the second largest continent on Earth comprises six regions, including West Africa, which alone spans sixteen countries. This is where we find the story of @ikoyi_london 🍽️

Any restaurant, however renowned, would find it a monumental task to distill such a sweeping collection of history and cultures into a single cuisine, let alone a three-hour meal. Ikoyi does not bear that responsibility nor does it claim to try. Instead, the restaurant offers a microcosm to introduce the promise and richness of African cuisine. What they serve is atypical modern fine dining centered around the best of British micro-seasonality and anchored by the bold spices that make up the complex flavors of West Africa. By way of intentional and purposeful food, what Ikoyi does ask is, “Will you trust us and come on this sub-Saharan journey?" 🌍

For the curious and the adventurous, the resounding answer should be, "Of course!" 🤝

After the meal is over, if you have been thoughtfully titillated like me, you may have your own exploratory question: "May I try some more, please?" 😃
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@michelinguide for 2023: 🌟🌟

@oadtop100 for 2023: No. 66 on “Europe Top Restaurants”

@theworlds50best for 2023: No. 35 Less

There are so many ways to define “elevation”’ of a restaurant. At Ikoyi you will see a beautifully designed interior in a new spacious location (pic 9), a much more advanced kitchen setting (pic 7), more polished service and hospitality (video 10, by the way I really love the candle wax left behind at the table but probably a major pain to the FOH to clean). There is a brand new menu (pic 3), the use of premium ingredients (pic 8), new ceramics and potteries (pic 4, they are really aesthetic, in fact all designed by Jeremy himself).

Then there is also a superb tea pairing to supplement their already excellent wine pairing program (pic 5-6), one that makes sense with every dish. From pic 3-10 these are all the details that have helped to elevate the game. To get to the top of anything in the world, it is always those details that add up and and translate into big noticeable impact.

But I want to do the reverse. If I strip away all these improvements and look at the bare-bones, has Ikoyi really elevated? For me that is the most important question.

At Ikoyi 1.0, West African spices and British ingredients made the flavors of Ikoyi. At 2.0, Ikoyi gives new definition and flavors to these spices and ingredients. ChiliI and spices do not mean spicy and hot. Bold can also mean deep instead of broad. Impact can be gentle yet powerful rather than strong and hit the head.

There are only a small handful of restaurants in the world that truly qualified as original. Ikoyi has been one of those but now they set the bar even higher - it is no longer defined by certain flavor profiles or category of cuisine. They define it in their own approach, own techniques, own flavor and ingredient combinations, and own attitude. When you go so far to the next stage where the fundamentals are completely pushed up at new height, that to me is real elevation.

I think that is where Ikoyi 2.0 is now.

Congratulations again to the team of @ikoyi_london and @jeremychanikoyi . I can’t wait to see what you do in your new home with seasonality change in nature Less

Many restaurants and chefs will tell you they get ingredients from the best suppliers or artisan producers and local farms. But that is pretty much like saying you get your maguro from Yamayuki these days, just that there are also another 10 thousand places using their fish and there is certainly a grade difference of the Maguro to different restaurants they send their fish to.

One of the reasons that led to Ikoyi’s new elevation is their continuous efforts to source the most premium quality ingredients through the relationships they developed with farmers and purveyors over the past few years. There is only that much of the best meat in each animal and that amount of the most pristine seafood and who gets them is always decided by the meat and fish suppliers. But I think at the end of the day they want their best products to go to the best hands and now not only Ikoyi can get some of the rarest top quality meat in town, they also have their own aging chambers (you will see it right at the entrance when you enter the restaurant, pic 2) to tailor the aging conditions specific to each dish or to their own needs.

When you are using bold flavors with lots of spices and chili, you need your meat and fish to be absolutely stunning or else you will not taste any original flavors as they would be overwhelmed by the flavorings. Then it comes down to the final cooking which must be done with so much care till the second you serve it to the guests.

I think that is reflected by the dishes now at Ikoyi, I can still clearly taste the beefiness of the smoked sirloin tartare, the delicate fish umami from the aged Turbot (pic 10), the aged duck which was so tender and the mind boggling 8 year old mutton rump and mutton fat aged 4 weeks (pic 9).

Swipe through the pics to see some of the meat they got at Ikoyi

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Mignardises :
• Cinnamon Berry Sherbet Jelly (pic 2 left)

• Praline of Walnut, Caramel, Wasabi and Coffee (Pic 2 right)

• Suya Spiced Chocolate Ganache with Candied Buddha's Hand and Citrus (pic 3, in a stunning bowl)

• Steamed Cake of Fig and Vanilla Jam, berry creme diplomat and grated key lime (pic 4)

@ikoyi_london 2.0

I have had many very delicious, elaborate, meticulously done mignardises before, but there were very few times that I felt intellectually intrigued till this part of the meal.

These 4 bites comprised of completely different flavors, temperatures, and TEXTURES. In fact other than the second praline, I couldn’t exactly pinpoint the texture in words. And it was not by in coincidence, Jeremy spent a lot of on these perfecting the textures of every dish, like the steamed cakes which took many many trials to find the formula. I won’t try to explain here, I think you should experience yourself. They are all so interesting, and most importantly, they are all delicious (I can do half a dozen of those steamed cakes and suya spiced ganache.

Tea pairing did not finish until we had our last round here, classic houjicha from Kyoto Japan, to end the food part of this meal

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Almond Butter & Einkorn @ikoyi_london 2.0

I always like the desserts in Ikoyi because they touch on many dimensions of flavors without using lots of distinct ingredients. This new almond dessert is made with frozen almond butter and fresh pressed oil from very slowly roasted almonds, the process that created a caramelised chocolate taste as Jeremy explained it. The frozen almond butter was glazed with pear juice and rose oil and complemented with the cake made with einkorn (a type of heritage wheat).

Awhile back Ikoyi 1.0 served a homemade pistachio butter with pressed pistachio oil made in house and Muscat grape juice. We can see the parallel here. Perhaps I should say we can see the way they like to express their “sweet”, intensified flavor from one or very few ingredient(s), extracting all the flavors in different forms and putting them back together (plus a little fruitiness to balance). So you taste it through and through without knowing all the processes that get it to there. Reminding me of Niko Romito’s approach despite no similarities in derived flavors of the two chefs.

And that cake texture (pic 3) ❤️‍🔥

We still had individual tea pairing for this dessert (amazing effort), Shui Xian Wuyi 水仙, roasted oolong tea harvested in the rough terrain of Fujian’s Wuyi Mountains., China (pic 4). Its nutty and fruity flavor goes hand in hand with this dessert, what a great match!

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(SWIPE FOR MORE PICS) Hibiscus & Fermented Scotch Bonnet
@ikoyi_london 2.0

A pre-dessert meant to cleanse the palate after all the course, and it did, but it achieved more. A hibiscus sorbet sitting on cold tapioca herb soup, topped with buntan (pomelo) from Pyrenees, and fermented scotch bonnet on the side, finished with drizzled of golden olive oil. SO delicious!

I was so impressed by the use of scotch bonnet here. When looking back to the dishes from Ikoyi, there is a path that we can trace how they have transformed a lot of the African ingredients to things that we never imagined. Scotch bonnet came with Ikoyi’s signature plantain since day 1 and we remembered it as the flavor that (literally) burnt our tongue.

With the pristine ikejime trout, the scotch bonnet dressing with citrus ponzu and gola peppercorn oil highlighted the oceanic umami of the fish. Smoked scotch bonnet & fermented rice with squid also came to mind. When everyone wants to extract the spicy character of it, at Ikoyi it gets its brand new flavor. This time it did the reverse function - to cleanse the palate from chilli and spicy flavors. With the cold temperature of the sorbet, acidity and freshness from citrus all rounded by the smooth olive oil, this palate cleanser was so refreshing.

I think was being done here was pretty marvellous and so special, in fact this course is one of the memorable dishes on this new Ikoyi menu.

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Aged Mutton Rump & Roasted Pinenut
Smoked Lobster Jollof Rice @ikoyi_london 2.0

I think @jeremychanikoyi really has an obsession about perfecting aged meat even since the earlier days of Ikoyi. And because of that he has secured some very best meat in England, he uses just local meat directly sourced from local farmer. That night I had an 8 year old mutton aged for one month, and as soon as I heard mutton I almost wanted to jump 😆 as it was much easier to get aged beef or baby lamb in restaurants; mutton was not a common option (although more available in UK actually than say France or Spain) but it is my preferred choice if it is there.

The beautiful piece of meat had was grilled on charcoal till medium rare (pic 3). The best part was the layer of fat still attached to the side PLUS one more piece of top (pic 4). 🤯🤯🤯 Wow! That had such a strong impact, the fat had the strongest gamey grassy taste among all, totally hit you in the brain. It was a real animal flavor, not just fat sweetness to it. The meat got a good dose of mutton meat flavor and still tender and moist despite looked lean (great choice of using rump 👏🏻). Served with a pepper sauce. That itself was meat heaven (and so nice to see @takamura San’s steak knife at Ikoyi (pic 5)

The signature smoked jollof rice also got a new recipe, no more crab but with a sweet and savory lobster veloute custard and bbq lobster, a bit sweeter and more anise-y than before.

In Chinese we said 「鮮」which can translate to “fresh” but also a type of umami, the word is a combination of 「魚」(the left side of the character) which refers to fish or seafood and 「羊」(right side of the character) which is lamb / mutton / goat. This surf and turf dish realized the whole meaning in the best possible way. Mutton and Sea (pic 7). So so good.

The tea paired with the dish was Shu Pu’er from 2013 Old Tea Tree, Yunnan, China (pic 8). That is a familiar choice for me, you do need a strong pu’er like this to help balance the fat and bold flavor from this dish (resonate well with Chinese culture) Less

Crab Bisque & Egusi Miso @ikoyi_london 2.0

The dish that showed the most difference pre and post pandemic at Ikoyi to me was the turbot. It goes in both the quality of the ingredient as well as the handling and execution.

Fast forward to 2.0, the aged turbot which you can see at the entrance was marinated in their own miso then grilled over charcoal and brushed in crab butter, complemented with pumpkin and pumpkin seed miso, brown crab bisque and crab butter (pic 2).

This pumpkin + bisque purée and sauce would be good with just about anything! You have both sweet and savory umami from both pumpkin and crab (sweet pumpkin and umami from pumpkin miso; and sweet crab and umami from crab brain). The texture of the foamy sauce made it just about right without overpowering the turbot, mine came in perfect doneness (pic 3)

But that is not it. The caramelised malt bread with confit mushroom and truffle stuffing and shaved truffle on top (pic 4)was another guilty pleasure, it looked absolutely gorgeous and tasted just as good (pic 5). Can’t think of a better vehicle to mop the plate clean 🤭 (pic 6)

I had a beautiful Gushu Yunnan 雲南古樹紅茶 a black tea from Yunnan, China (pic 1, 7). It got a little malty and fruit aftertaste that nicely balanced the sweet and savory flavors of the dish .

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Plantain, Spiced Efo & Roasted Peanut @ikoyi_london 2.0

The iconic plantain dish of Ikoyi has completely diverted itself from the beginning version when Ikoyi first opened. Plantain was steamed and fried, then glazed with ginger and date, with peanut butter brittle on top. The two ways of cooking plus the brittle gives a crusty & crispy (they are different) texture outside and a soft texture inside.

The green emulsion was made with a twice infused oil of dried spices and mixed with fresh herbs. It has a refreshing touch, a subtle but tingling sensation on tongue. It made me want more and more of it. l love this interpretation of plantain and spices even more!

I remember back in the old days when he made the red hot (very hot) plantain and sending it out as the first dish, he said he wanted to give people a punching flavor (and color) that they will remember. Time passed, and his mindset and approach had evolved. Now it is the depth of flavors rather than the flavor on the surface that he wants to express, no more need for a fiery spiciness or red hot color to get your attention. It stays in the memory rather resides on palate.

Tea pairing was Cloud & Mist 雲霧綠茶 a green tea from Fujian, China (pic 4 and Video 5) . It is slightly roasted with a floral and mildly nutty note. It matched really well with the floral peppercorn spices and the peanut brittle on the plantain!

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Sweetbread & Coffee @ikoyi_london 2.0

A powerful presentation with caramelized sweetbread stacked with aged duck and shrimp rolled with grilled shrimp head juice on top, all sitting on top of braised onion (pic 2); coffee reduction and shiso and tarragon jelly on the side (pic 3).

That sounds like a crazy and eccentric combination, you have meat poultry and seafood all on one plate. But for me the shrimp is really a supplementary element to the other duck and sweetbread, the shrimp esp with umami from the head always help to accentuate strong meat / offals flavors.

Sweetbread by Ikoyi has always been on point, and this time the duck 😱 so amazing in texture, very tender but not losing the muscle chew. Both were nicely complemented with the coffee sauce. You need a sauce like this to stand alongside with these ingredients.

The tea pairing is Mi Lan Xiang Old Trees from Guangdong, China (pic 6-7). It is a highly oxidised oolong, dark in color, a bit woody in taste but a nice floral fruity finish ( I think of it as a bit like dried lychee skin but I don’t think many people have tasted that 😅). This kind of flavor profile works well with rich poultries as well as that coffee sauce

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Octopus and Peas @ikoyi_london 2.0

Octopus glazed and grilled with a chicken reduction made from chicken wing and bones reminiscent of Japanese “tare” (in approach not flavor), in-season Jerusalem artichoke root grilled with garlic butter. Underneath was a variety of peas and a pea veloute made with green split peas, and some very delicious pork jowls and nuggets of pork fat.

There is a classic Shanghainese dish with braised pork belly and octopus (or cuttlefish) and this dish reminded me slightly of that even though the flavor profile is very different and the main character was different. The octopus had almost like a barbecued flavor from the chicken tare. What struck me the most though were the peas and veloute and pork jowls (pic 3) OMG peas and tender pork fat are so so delicious together 😱 The grilled Jerusalem artichoke which got a bit of charred flavor and crispy skin, yet very tender and flavorful inside, so good❤️‍🔥.

“Moin Moin” Dumpling (pic 4-5) made with pink flamingo peas (if I get it correctly; it is a new variety of pea in UK since 2021), wrapped in Brussels sprouts leaf got a moussy texture, like you make a chickpea dumpling, and sour chilli paste under it which brought out the flavor.

Each bite of this dish gave different textures in the mouth, like after each bite you give a new “oh!” 😯 reaction. And I effectively cleaned the plates 😜 (Pic 5)

Tea pairing was Subarna Darjeeling 1st Flush from Darjeeling, India, served cold. Because it is the first flush it was not too dark, light and crisp, refreshing with a dish with pork fat and concentrated chicken tare.

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Mussel & Saffron Crème Caramel, N25 Kaluga
@ikoyi_london 2.0

One of my favorite dishes of the meal, a mussel and saffron custard with poached razor clams, @n25caviar Kaluga caviar, finished with smoked fish bone broth and Biber chili saffron oil. What hit me first was the very smooth and creamy texture like the real creme caramel dessert, but it came with oceanic salinity in cold temperature rounded by the “sweet” almost honey-like saffron flavor. With the cold temperature of the dish, the saffron biber chili oil became a quick hit instead of a long lingering spiciness, the hint of smokiness from the fish broth together with it turned out to be borderline sexy. A well calculated touch which gave you a new sensation in each bite.

There are a lot of seafood and saffron combination in cooking but this new approach and composition was so different and nailed on the balance of sweet, savory and spicy flavors and umami, the texture and temperature altogether.

The pairing is Gyokuro 玉露 (Green tea) from Kyoto, Japan, shaded for 21 days for more umami (video 5 and pic 6). It definitely still had the greenness but also a remarkable kombu-like umami and a bit of a sweet finish. It was served at warm temperature and almost no bitterness. It really matched with the flavor profile of this dish like a parallel symphony of sweet and savory notes.

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Drunken Chicken Toast @[instagram] Ikoyi 2.0, London.

This is the most intriguing dish from the starters partly because it was very technique driven but also because of the ideas. The whole chicken was poached in master stock then soaked in spiced vin jaune, made into sausage and cut. into a thick medallion, smeared with black trumpet aioli layered with jelly of the master stock topped with ginger scallion, all placed on the base of chicken butter toast covered with crispy chilli oil.

This is like the most modernist interpretation of drunken chicken with a little mix of the ideas of other chicken dishes like Hainanese chicken. The jelly between skin and meat of poached chicken is what I and a lot of people love the most, and Jeremy included it. The classic match of ginger scallion with poached chicken was also present. A wicked way to deconstruct drunken chicken in concept and reconstruct in real form, including all the best parts of the original dish.

The tea pairing for the first few bites was Gong Mei white tea from Fujian, China, brewed for 8 hours to get extra tea flavor, and finished with carbonation (pic 3). Light and refreshing for the start.

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The menu at @ikoyi_london 2.0 features all new dishes, even the signature jollof rice has a new recipe with different spices, broth and custard.

Following @jeremychanikoyi through the years at Ikoyi, I found his flavor profile had gone from “horizontal” to “vertical” (think two perpendicular axes) - in the past the flavors were more broad and bold, nowadays they are deeper and concentrated, intensity driven by depth!

There is a delicate aspect to the current dishes that shows a sensible level of control. No more direct fiery spiciness, instead it is a variety of spicy flavors and level throughout the menu.

The few bites to start the meal:

• Pepper Broth & Seasonal Citrus (pic 4) - a clarified broth made with chicken wing and clams, very aromatic and clean flavor, peppercorn oil only hint at the back of the throat, amazing balance of flavors, soothing and comforting

• Smoked Sirloin & Coal Roasted Pumpkin (pic 1, 2) - Baerii caviar on top on smoked aged sirloin and coal roasted pumpkin, with a touch of spiciness, croustade base.

• Squid, Bone Marrow & Colton Basset (pic 3) - Squid and bone marrow ragu with celeriac remoulade, Colston Basset cheese dressing and pickled mustard seeds

Both got intricate plays on flavors, a hit of spicy note that enhances and not overpowers, source of umami from different components, and texture of the whole bites were so on point.

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For my new year my top resolution is to finish all the other resolutions asap 😝, and I did one just in the first month. Ever since my last visit to Ikoyi 1.0 during Oct 2022, their last month in the old location, I had been looking forward to visiting @ikoyi_london 2.0, and I did! Only after 1+ month of closing 1.0 the whole team moved into the incredibly gorgeous new space at 180 Strand in December. You have probably seen numerous pictures featuring the interior design by @studiodavidthulstrup which just won “Best Restaurant” design award by Wallpaper Magazine @wallpapermag . Things you can see I am going to skip long explanations (they have better pictures than mine). I will just cut to the chase and focus on the experience and food.

For the record I never thought Ikoyi 1.0 was incomplete for my meals there, I loved the cozy place, casual vibe and the friendly service. Now at 2.0 it just felt much more elevated in the sense of calmness. Even I was facing the open kitchen I never found a chaotic moment (at least not visible to the diners 😜). The kitchen was able to fire up dishes after dishes without any loud noise and everything seemed to be very in control. The wide distance between tables in the new dining room also gave more personal space which I enjoyed when I really wanted to focus on the food

There were 13 courses began with small bites, gradually moving to entrees, meat and jollof rice, and finished with a few desserts. I opted for the new tea pairing which included 8-9 teas and it worked remarkably well with the dishes at Ikoyi. Everything will be explained in the subsequent posts in more details.

The meal lasted about 2 2/2 to 3 hours, they changed my candles 3 times but I enjoyed it so much it passed by so quickly!

Now it is time for me to share my journey at Ikoyi 2.0!

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Sweetbread, Mackerel, Groundnut & Kumquat
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Another excellent meal earlier this year at @ikoyi_london ,with excellent company @gastro1 .It’s been nearly 6 years since my first visit to Ikoyi where we terrorised @jeremychanikoyi by turning up with the likes of Gerhard Huber, Margaret Lam , Robert Driscoll and a host of other foodies to enjoy what was a superb lunch during the @oadtop100 week back then. It’s been fantastic to watch the restaurant evolve over those few years and to be rightfully awarded a second Michelin star this year (22’) I’m glad that Michelin are finally starting to recognise delicious food (Ikoyi, Ynyshir, Pine etc) rather than seemingly fixating on white table clothes, snooty soms and whether or not the table was de-crumbed before your pudding.
Jeremy and the team have now moved to a larger site where I’m sure they will be able to truly express themselves without the restrictions of such a small dining room and kitchen. To get two stars out of that tiny kitchen was truly amazing.
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Michelin Guide - ⭐️⭐️
OAD - 75
W50B - 49
Best Chef Awards -
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(SWIPE FOR MORE PICS) Part 2/3 of Ikoyi 1.0: Something that made me fall in love with Ikoyi 1.0 remained unchanged after Covid. The colorful vibrant palettes of sauces, flavors and spices, like the Moorland beef topped with confit grilled scallop served with emulsion of saffron and onion and spring green sauce (pic1-2). Sometimes I got send to other side of the spectrum where aged turbot poached in smoked oil and quickly grilled was served with razor clams poached in razor clam stock, penja pepper cream and vanilla scallop emulsion (pic 5). I might get my steamed yam with caramelized benne seed cream, uda oil and aged caviar (pic 6) that projected an almost smoky tobacco flavor profile 🤯, while the new plantain caramelised in ginger & kelp with uziza jam (pic 7) no longer fired my tongue like the first version but projecting more depth in flavors (pic

I found myself constantly being placed in the extreme of different directions where Jeremy was pushing the limit, sometimes the flavors, sometimes the textures, even the colors, often all of the above. I found every meal so exciting.

The comforting satisfaction of eating is something I always long for when eating out. At Ikoyi they gave me that sense, whenever the crab custard jollof rice came, which was so versatile as it could be paired with lobster sometimes (pic 4) or plantain the other time (pic 3).

I am so glad that even though Ikoyi was elevated it did not become pretentious or compromised on the attractive elements that made the foundation of the cooking principle - being delicious and satisfying. (To be continued)

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I will continue Kataori after but tonight is a special night because it is the opening of Ikoyi 2.0 at the new location. Although I am not in London, I am just so thrilled for the team. Before they open their door I want to share some of my thoughts about Ikoyi 1.0.

Looking back at my 1st Ikoyi meal 5 years ago, the evolution of the chef, the concept, the team, the approach, the cooking philosophy and the goal was significant. A restaurant often being (mis)labelled as modern African / Nigerian cuisine at the beginning had established a clear identity - it would be incorrect to categorize Ikoyi into a specific type of cuisine / nationality because there is no boundary to what they are serving. Jeremy owns his own cooking style and putting it into a group will not be appropriate.

A lot of changes at Ikoyi came in progression but the differences were the most noticeable after covid. First was the pursue of extremely pristine ingredients by season and by terroir. This allows Ikoyi to highlight ingredients in simple yet refined touches such as the fresh picked Sun Gold Tomato dressed with Tomato oil (pic 8), the stunning ikejime trout with shiso and gola peppercorn (pic 7).

Great ingredients can only shine with proper preparation, and the cooking techniques by Jeremy had elevated so much after covid. The aged wild turbot grilled a la minute (pic 3) in two different meals were the best turbots I had in both trips; Confit Limousin Sweetbread with a "buffalo sauce" made with homemade hot sauce emulsified with butter, beef gelatin and homemade soy sauce (pic 4) remained to be one of the most intriguing sweetbread dishes I had in my memory.

The spontaneous creations by Jeremy also made the food at Ikoyi much more exciting and alive. Lobster just slightly kissed by heat with tomato veloute had wonderful balance of acidity, sweetness, umami and just the right amount of kick (pic 2). But it was the Lobster Head Crepe inspired by Lobster Thermidor(pic 1) filled with cheese fondue and crepe glazed with burnt onion and black truffle that got me mind blown. Improvised dishes can be risky but also a sign of confidence and skill turning into genius creations (to be cont’d) Less

@jeremychanikoyi did not start his career as a chef with the usual story of being inspired by his grandma or family, or trying to carry a tradition or heritage. Perhaps that is exactly why he could free himself from doing a certain style of cooking or stick to the cliche of being authentic. Ikoyi is a breath of freshness in today’s cooking world as the original cooking style and creative dishes have clearly distinguish themselves from the majority of the peers who are doing what have been done and proven to work to the mass.

Ikoyi has evolved over time and during the covid years I think Jeremy has confirmed his direction and honed his cooking skills further to support his vision, allowing more freedom in the way he expressed his thinking through the dishes. I could completely feel that leap in the kitchen as a whole which was reflected in the several highly inspiring meals I had within last year.

To be able to cook delicious food is not an easy job, but to establish a unique identity is way harder. Ikoyi 1.0 has achieved that which is incredible for a young team and a young restaurant.

Every chef will reach a point where they find themselves the need to make changes to further grow and elevate. I think that was the time when Jeremy and his partner decided to reach for the next stage, which is Ikoyi 2.0.

Thank you Jeremy and your team for all the delicious meals and memories I had with my friends at Ikoyi 1.0. I can’t wait to visit Ikoyi 2.0 and get wow’d by this amazing team again

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This was my first time to try the African cuisine genre. I was surprised to learn that this restaurant has already been awarded two stars.
The taste was strange, unique, and interesting.
The taste was completely different from that of the so-called "umami" Japanese cuisine. It was an interesting course.

アフリカ料理というジャンルを初めて食した。既にこちらは二つ星獲得しているとのこと、驚きである。
味わいは不思議でユニーク、面白いな、という感じ。
いわゆる和食のumamiとは全く別物の味覚。実に面白いコースであった。
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Another stellar meal @ikoyi_london back in June, where @jeremychanikoyi is killing it as always. I never tire of this restaurant.
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Michelin Guide - ⭐️
OAD - 69
W50B - 87
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Posting about this meal brought back so much memories. It was quite an adventure for me to get there, and back to Paris the next day on the 7am train for another lunch at Arpege (to eat double the desserts I missed in the lunch the same day as Ikoyi due to time rush to train to London 🙈) .
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But it was worth the hassle. The meal was sensational. Full of originality, full of bold flavors, layers of umami, contrast of textures. It was beyond my expectation. I could finally try the whole tasting menu at @ikoyi_london, not as a collaboration or pop up. Even compare to my first visit during which we did a la carte, Ikoyi and Jeremy’s cooking has changed so much. It is more liberal, not fixated on just Western African flavors. It embraced a mix of techniques and concepts from different culinary cultures, blended together intelligently to make a kind of cuisine unique to Ikoyi.
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The direction is more clear, identity more visible. It is broader yet more focused. More creative yet more controlled. Right now the most original kind of cooking by young chefs is probably here. I admire him even more.
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After all these years of travelling I sometimes still do silly things. I listened to my heart, and I had no regrets. Probably regret it more if I did not come.
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Thank you so much for my 3 most wonderful friends to do crazy things with me. You guys are the best.
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A night I will never forget ❤️💕 #littlemeg_best2019
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Thank you Michelle you made this happen ❣️
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So after you got all these beautiful boxes of ingredients (or got yours from supermarkets), what do you do with them? Obviously you cook.
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For home cooking, @ikoyi_london chef @jeremychanikoyi is posting recipes similar to what @taksekin is doing. Ingredients and instructions all written in a way that is meant to be followed without too much difficulty even during lockdown and help others to cook real food.
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Well, he had me at chicken rice 🐔🍚 🔥❤️💓😍 #covid19 #fightcovid19 #littlemeg_fightcovid19 #recipes #homecooking #littlemeg_london #littlemeg_ikoyi #food #foodpics #lifesaver #sunshine #jeremychan #london #chicken #rice #porkchops #pork #pasta Less

I am around two months in arrears in terms of posting meals, but I had a lunch yesterday in ‘that’ London that has prompted me to forget about posting my meals at Mugaritz or El Celar de Can Rocca or indeed the insanely good 3am kebab from ‘Big John’s’ in Aylesbury that I woke up next to this morning.
I’ve been to Ikoyi a few times now and it was a restaurant that it seemed (from my point of view) that there was a certain buzz about. I mean, show me another West African restaurant with a Michelin star in London....or the UK for that matter. Or Europe? If you can, I’ll go there.
Jeremy Chan and Iré Hassan-Odukale cornered the market for soon to be Michelin star West African food in the centre of London. All well and good. The foodies and press were all over it for a time. And rightly so. They may well still be, but I haven’t heard a peep.
I decided to go for lunch yesterday very last minute. I was in bed in Aylesbury at 10am just flicking through the Internet as you do. I’d posted the day before about a very mediocre £55 steak I’d had at ⭐️⭐️The Hand & Flowers the previous day and someone suggested that I come and try the beef at Ikoyi.
This is what prompted me to jump out of bed, shower off the kebab remnants and hop on the train into town and have one of the tastiest lunches I’ve had in quite a while.
It really is a rare skill to be able to produce a tasting menu where 90% of the dishes are spot on delicious. The type of plates that you wolf down and can’t get enough of. This is speaking from someone who, for better or worse, actively travels the world in search of good food. So I’ve had a lot of lunches🤷🏼‍♂️
This was a great lunch.
It seems that Jeremy Chan and the team are really buzzing now. I see him travelling and doing collaborations, and this seems to have had a very positive impact on the menu at Ikoyi.
I urge those that haven’t been to go, but most of all I urge those that went a couple of years ago to go back. It’s much more confident now. I know some found it maybe mediocre before, but the menu I had yesterday was exceptional. (And no I wasn’t comped to write this) Less

Wild rice & Fonio
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Another visit to the fantastic ⭐️Ikoyi in London to try their new(ish) tasting menu format. Needless to say that it was of course fantastic with the usual vibrant flavours and interesting use of ingredients. .
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Michelin Guide - ⭐️ OAD list - 117 (2019)
W50Best- .
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Ikoyi opened in mid-2017 and gained a Michelin star in the 2019 Michelin guide. The cuisine uses African ingredients and puts a modern twist on them with British produce through its ‘blind’ menus (no menus provided, just the option of how many courses and allergens /intolerances checked). My lunch here was a set 3-course menu of savouries for £35 with an additional dessert course offered at the end for £8.50, meaning £43.50 for four courses; therefore a set lunch with dessert and coffee plus service charge will cost in the region of £53. This is quite expensive bearing in mind I thought the portion sizes were small and I left hungry, however, the skill and handling of spices I thought was very good here. A cosy restaurant in St James’s market and well worth a drop in.

The meal started with smoked plantain with raspberry powder and scotch bonnet (chilli peppers). This packed a fair punch but the cooked down bananas of the plantain and other parts worked nicely together. Next up was malted barley bread with mushroom stuffing, turnip tops pumpkin seeds and egusi sauce (made from egusi seeds). This was another lovely collection of flavours and a pleasant change from the norm.

The meal started with smoked plantain with raspberry powder and scotch bonnet (chilli peppers). This packed a fair punch but the cooked down bananas of the plantain and other parts worked nicely together. Next up was malted barley bread with mushroom stuffing, turnip tops pumpkin seeds and egusi sauce (made from egusi seeds). This was another lovely collection of flavours and a pleasant change from the norm.

Lamb saddle came with hibiscus, miso coffee and fried shiso. The lamb was tender and with reasonably good flavour and again, the combination of fermented parts and shiso had no real negatives. A side of the signature smoked ‘jollof’ rice with a crab custard. There are a huge number of spices that go into this (along with the other dishes) but the overarching flavour of the jollof rice is of spiced tomato and garlic. This rice was actually very good on its own as a dish and another well-done dish. Roasted walnut ice cream with coffee oil with white chocolate with crumbs was a pleasant way to finish off the meal.

Jeremy Chan, who has worked formerly at Noma is the mastermind behind this unique and innovative restaurant, in league with his African business partner. The result is definitely a pleasing one here and there is much effort that has gone in to design of each dish. This was good on the eye and the flavours were all hitting the right valves, but the main negative here is that I left still hungry. This is the cardinal sin of some restaurants, especially expensive ones which I would class this as. It’s also the main reason that prevents people wanting to take the plunge into fine dining in my opinion. That said, I would happily come back here; I think the thing to do is put a long session in the books, save up a bit more and accept more money is needed to be thrown at it.

https://major-foodie.com/ikoyi-st-jamess/
https://instagram.com/richardbagnold Less