Hare and Tortoise

Happy Monday lovely people – I’ve a new restaurant for you to sink your teeth into!

The other evening I met up with Heather to celebrate her moving into her brand spanking new abode (which is pretty gorgeous it has to be said!), we met after work and went to Hare & Tortoise, a chain of restaurants serving a crossection of Asian dishes (Japanese, Chinese and Malaysian) which I’d never been to before

We met at 7pm and got straight down to business

The menu gives you loads to choose from – sadly, neither Heather nor I eat much fish, so the majority of it was wasted on us! But I can tell you that the couple next to us ordered a plethora of sushi and it looked sensational, they also mmm’d their way through it all, so I feel it’s safe to say, the sushi here is a winner!

I really liked how you could see the kitchen down the end of the restaurant, the Chefs were cooking up a storm while chatting away to each other and it made for a really lovely atmosphere, without being too full on either!

We kicked things off with a *clink of Pinot Grigio

And in no time at all, our starters were ordered and delivered to the table with a flourish. I went with the Edamame Beans and Heather chose the Chicken dumplings, but to be honest, we shared the lot – it’s always more fun that way I think!

Both dishes were an absolute treat, the chicken practically melted in the mouth and the soya sauce complimented the dumplings beautifully

I am a massive fan of Edamame Beans, so by the time our plates were cleared away, there wasn’t a single one left!

I got the impression that the Hare & Tortoise is a bit of a hot spot for the business crowd, you know the “we need to have the fastest-lunch-meeting-ever” or “yes we’ll meet for dinner, absolutely! (so long as I can be home by 8:30pm as I’ve to be up for that boardroom meeting at 7am!)”. I say this because the dishes were absolutely flying out of the kitchen and the tables all around us were turning over really fast – it was mad – but absolutely perfect if that’s what you’re looking for!

That being said, at no time throughout our stay did the staff make us feel like we were holding things up by taking our time, they were all really pleasant, polite and efficient – yet relaxed, all of which massively contributed to the light and contented feel of the place

The mains were delicious, I ordered the Chilli Beef in Black Bean Sauce with veg and steamed rice

While Heather tucked into the Katsu Chicken Curry also with steamed rice. Both dishes were really, really nom!

I would definitely recommend trying this place out – whether you’re in a hurry or not! They have a few around London, so find the one nearest to you, grab a pal and get ordering!

Rxx