Lunch at NOPI: a bucket list experience in London
that I will forever and always think about in the same breath as Tom Cruise.
A few months ago, a woman selling vegan treats at a conference told me she never ever tells people her food is vegan. “Non-vegans just don’t like vegan food,” she explained. I totally agreed. To us non-vegans, the vegan thing can be a slightly off-balance, tofu filled world, an obsession I just don’t understand.
Flash forward to this week when I got to check off a long-held bucket list item. I got to eat a meal, a late lunch, at NOPI, a Yotam Ottolengthi restaurant. Ottolenghi is an Israeli-born British superstar chef and cookbook author known for vegetable dishes that are layered in flavors. I am a huge fan of his cookbooks and wanted to try what I thought of as “the real deal.”
Turns out that Ottolenghi, himself, followed the vegan-snack-selling woman’s advice.
I was by myself in London and decided to eat at NOPI’s bar. The restaurant charmed me; it’s small and low key, with nicely spaced white-clothed tables and warm lighting.
The bartender explained that all the menu items are meant to be shared. As a solo diner, this strategy didn’t work for me. (Note to restaurants: Solo diners are people too! Please be flexible enough to portion for them.)
Ottolenghi is known for treating vegetables like royalty. His recipes tend to be flavor-forward, crave-worthy, a meld of ethnicity and spices that surprise.
My particular meal felt more like an overblown theatrical production for my mouth than actual food or nourishment. That slightly snarky comment aside, it definitely had its moments.
Kimchi Arancini. It’s South Korea meets Italy, a weird concept and a bit of a weird starter. But I couldn’t resist, as I’m a big arancini fan and an even bigger kimchi fan. The arancini incorporates house‑fermented kimchi, infused directly into the rice mix—it’s a tangy‑spicy boost alongside the creamy interior. For me, the global intention was noble but the tastes didn’t quite come together. I missed the cheese!
Aubergine (that’s eggplant) with lime achar, coconut flakes, black lime. This dish was a stand-out. The eggplant was smokey and perfectly cooked. There was a deep lime taste and the coconut flakes were low key and complementary.
Char-grilled Asparagas with chickpea puree, preserved lemon toum (a creamy garlic sauce that includes the water from the chickpeas), and togarashi (a Japanese spice blend). While I loved the garlicy/lemony toum, the asparagus was undercooked, verging on raw and the togarashi reminded me of sushi.
And here’s the kicker (for me), I learned at the end that these complex dishes were totally vegan.
And like any other meal, I liked some parts of it and not others.
After the meal, I went to see Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible, Final Reckoning.
The movie, like the meal, was ambitious, exciting and a bit overblown. I’m guessing, as time passes, watching Tom Cruise hang on to the side of an airplane flying at 8000 feet above a canyon will be more memorable than the meal.
Maybe if I had ordered the shrimp, I might have felt differently…..
Cost of the meal + 2 glasses of Prosecco: a hefty103 euros (about $118).
Cost of the movie: 12 euros ($18).
PS: The hall of mirrors in the ladies’ room, however, is worth the price of admission!
NOPI
21-22 Warwick Street
London W1B 5NE
020-7494 9584
all looks very good to me! Your taste for great food is only exceeded by your very adventurous
approach to life. #noregrets!
So fun to “live” this experience w you! Happy travels. On your way to Italy?? Can’t wait for those reviews.🥂