Already exulting their saporous Instagrammable fame in Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham and Edinburgh, it was fated the founding brothers Adam and Drew Jones, would roll out the red carpet with their fifth ritzy eatery in London earlier this year, showcasing voguish Cantonese cooking swizzled with an offbeat, Japanese and European fusion alliance.
Housed on the sixth floor of the new Outernet building, a stone’s throw away from Tottenham Court Road station, Tattu borrows a double meaning from the Eastern ancient word ‘tatau’, translated to signify making a mark with a medley of the rather familiar ‘tattoo’, as a nod to the exquisite intricacy of the restaurant’s interiors.
Through Joyce Wang’s vision to create a dazzling rooftop beacon in the form of a time-honoured Chinese Courtyard House, Tattu’s entrance gate illustrates four mythical Tattu spirits of the Phoenix, Koi Carp, Dragon and Tiger as a symbolic accolade to bestow golden fortune on their dazzling guests.
After strutting through the ornate backdrop of Chinese motifs, immaculate marble and luminous purple cherry blossom trees, I was welcomed into the restaurant’s flamboyant cocktail bar emboldened and titled after the majestic Phoenix, where golden backlighting, feathered textiles and charred marble enveloped the space. The breezy outdoor courtyard played host to minimalistic adornments of simple greenery and white cherry blossom, to pave the way and shine the spotlight on the terrace’s unparalleled, panoramic views of the city’s West End.
Trappings of rippled glass touches and lustrous pearly shell payed homage to the natural abodes of the stunning vibrant Koi Carp in the sanctuary of the flower hung dining room, whilst the main residence played to the magnificent powerful tiger bedecked in gleaming marble, laced up liquid metal and an ornately, quintessential stone garden setting, all encircling a DJ booth setup for those pulse-pounding sunset mashups.
The jewel in the crown twinkles brazenly on Tattu’s core essence of the inner courtyard, that evoked the mystical enigma of the fearsome dragon with meticulous scale features and shimmering bronze, not neglecting the luminous neon purple masterpiece of the cherry blossom chandelier, standing statuesque at over 65-foot long.
Tattu’s sweeping cocktail contents deliver as an Android camera’s rhapsody to compensate for the minimalistic wine collection. Bitter root Negronis arrived perfumed with botanical aromas, soft blossom and sweet orange from the Roku gin, swirled with the ruby red Campari’s essence of cherries and clove and a dainty decoration of baby pink, cherry blossom trees.
Hot on the pursuit was the tropical blend of the Mandopop Bellini, swivelled with the ripe floral sweetness of peach and crystal smooth Black Cow vodka, while the glamour-puss showstopper of the Celestial Dragon oozed sweet honeyed contents of Belvedere Smogóry Forest entwined with cranberry hinted hibiscus, served in an ethereal crystal dragon with a dash of smoke for some wondrous dining showmanship.
The gourmet menu proves equally aesthetically pleasing to the eyes with a flavoursome profile to match, showcasing a delectable fusion collaboration of China, Japan, and a European appearance.
Wagyu ribeye dumplings came encased in vibrant deep red wrapping, finely diced with spicy sour bursts from hints of kimchi, whereas the chicken shumai chose a milder simple palate, gently steamed with fine truffle shaved toppings for an elevated, earthy game zest.
So delicious – they stop all conversation as claimed by the Tattu team, the short rib beef was not one to be absent from the feasting table, and deservedly so. Seamlessly slicing with the mere use of the chopsticks, lashings of glorious sweet sticky marinade enveloped each short rib morsel with a tad dab of chilli heat, whereas the wok fired, angry bird chicken unearthed gusts of sapid mixed spices, lightly crisp and rounded off with toasted sweet notes of sesame honey soy encased in a solid clay pot.
Perfectly paired sides don’t come better than some black sesame tossed broccoli, and a Chinese sausage fried rice helping fragrant from the garlic and chopped onion hints with a little scrambled duck egg for that luxe-filled touch. Vegetarian diners need not fret, salt and pepper aubergine is served soft and smoky with a five-spice piquant kick, while the shitake bao reveals an abundance of rich, earthy meat-like mushroom slices entwined in a ginger and garlic marinade.
Room for dessert should be deemed contractual, explicitly for works of art including the koi fish panna cotta. A dainty glass fish bowl unearthed a cream brimming with flavours of coconut and lemongrass, hiding under coating of vivid aquamarine jelly almost too beautiful to eat. Don’t stall in digging into the edible flowers and little fishes swimming at the top, the latter are meticulously moulded from pure creamy chocolate that will leave you giddy on first bite.
In a nutshell
The ‘u’ in Tattu represents all that is unique about the brand, as they guide you through a sensatory voyage through the time-honoured East and into the contemporary West, with no Tattu destination a clone of its siblings as they embody their #permanentlyunique motto.
Dubbed as ‘somewhere the Kardashians would enjoy’, Tattu proves a frolic fuelled breath of fresh air, far flung from the maddening commotion of the Chinatown tourist traps where diners are akin to a conveyer belt cattle crowd.
This sumptuous chic eatery vibes to injections of fun, flower sprinkled fusion food, dramatic cocktail theatricality flowing with smoky clouds and neon candy floss, and chiselled staff that invigorates the substance behind their style theory, food-critic hauteur be damned!
Factbox
Address: The Now Building Rooftop, Outernet, Denmark St, London, WC2H 0LA
Telephone: 0203 778 1985
Website: tattu.co.uk/london
