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db brunches: Sexy Fish
db heads to Sexy Fish in Mayfair for an Asian-inspired brunch, featuring the likes of ‘sexy eggs’ benedict with lobster, green tea waffles with blueberries and a Bloody Mary served in a giant copper fish.
The concept: The Sexy Fish Brunch pairs an Asian-inspired brunch menu with both music from world class DJs and the glitzy exuberance for which the Mayfair celebrity hotspot is well known.
Chef director, Bjoern Weissgerber, designed the menu with dishes including Sexy Fish benedict and the Sexy tofu BLT – BLT purists should look away now as the bacon, lettuce and tomato are set aside in favour of tofu hash browns, smoked salmon, cucumber and crème fraiche.
Taking place throughout May and June, Sexy Fish will be hosting Sunday ‘brunch parties’ from 11:30am – 4:30pm – probably in part a response to the growing popularity of the concept in the US.
The décor: Sexy Fish doesn’t do subtle. Responses to the décor range from amusement and bewilderment right the way through to Tanya Gold of The Spectator‘s cutting remark: “It is like being punched in the face by Abu Dhabi.”
My reaction was a mixture of the first two emotions, and it’s not hard to see why. The interior, designed by Martin Brudnizki, famously cost an eye-popping £15 million and includes (deep breath): swathes of onyx marble flooring; coral-pink wall fabric panels and a colourful ceiling mural designed by Michael Roberts, fashion and style director of Vanity Fair magazine; glazed lava stone bar counters; bespoke burnt peach banquettes; two Damien Hirst bronze mermaids and a relief panel rendered in blue patina; white, textural fish lamps and a glossy black 13ft wall-mounted crocodile made by Frank Gehry; a Carlo Scarpa designed staircase; a floor-to-ceiling water feature behind the bar and two giant fish tanks packed with shoals of tropical fish and coral.
With the DJ set already in full swing on entry, this is not one for the extreme colour-coordinators, the hungover or the deadly serious. Sexy Fish has, in my opinion, certainly succeeded in creating a stimulating and, most importantly, fun, brunchtime experience.
The food: The brunch menu, like the interior, is rather daunting, with the 62 savoury dishes and three side options (plus a separate dessert menu) divided into snacks, sashimi & sushi, maki, ‘sexy eggs,’ salads, raw, fried & tempura, warm, grande, soup and rice sections. Guests are advised to approach the menu as you would tapas, ordering a selection to share from several categories.
Portion sizes were larger than expected, so on this occasion, less is most definitely more.
Signature dishes: The best dish was one of the least expensive on the menu: crispy edamame and wasabi croquettes. We like to consider ourselves quite the ‘croquette connoisseurs’ here at the drinks business – my esteemed colleague Lucy Shaw frequently enters the office raving about a particularly stunning batch that she devoured the night before. Sexy Fish’s attempt did not disappoint. Simple in presentation, the creamy, verdant interior, balanced by the pleasing tickle of the wasabi, very much delivered on flavour.
Other highlights included the chunky tuna tartare with barley miso and ginger. Morsels of raw tuna, diced cucumber and radish shavings were flecked with white and black sesame seeds and enhanced by a piquant sauce. My only criticism was the fish to bread ratio; there was simply not enough of the herby, fish-shaped brioche to eat with the dish.
The lobster ‘Sexy Fish benedict’ was deliciously decadent – the oozing orange yolk combining with the yuzu hollandaise and soft, sweet lobster in what can only be described as ‘mmm’. At £26, £32 if you add truffle, it is on the pricey side.
The drinks: Bar manager Matteo Cazzaniga, together with Absolut Elyx vodka, have created a special brunch cocktail menu, featuring signature concoctions such as Sexy Fizz and the Sexy Fish Bloody Mary.
My guest and I opted for a spicy Bloody Mary – Absolut Elyx, a house spice mix and tomato – served up in a gaping copper fish with a cherry tomato, skewered with a cocktail sick, balanced on its lips.
Also on offer was a Red Snapper, the Bloody Mary’s gin-based cousin, which combines Beefeater gin, Dupont Calvados VSOP, a house spice mix, tomato, lemon and rosemary. Of the two, the complex and herbal Red Snapper came out victorious.
We were also treated to a bottle of Terrea de Felanis’ Bla Bla Bla Premstal, a crisp, minerally white with notes of white peach and blossom. I hope that I won’t do it a disservice in saying that it was the perfect ‘brunch wine.’
Who to know: The point here was actually that you didn’t have to ‘know’ anyone. The service was impeccable and tables did not appear to be given a specific waiter. As such, instead of looking out for one person, making eye contact and waiting for he/she to come over, glasses were kept topped up and questions were answered by different members of staff working the floor.
Don’t leave without: Trying the desserts. It is definitely worth leaving room for the green tea waffles with Japanese black sugar syrup and large, juicy blueberries. Equally comforting were the ‘cookies and milk’ – two soft, nutty cookies paired with a malted milk ice cream.
Green tea waffles with blueberries
Last word: Sexy Fish is unashamedly loud and OTT, but what has caused some to tut and roll their eyes, in fact made me smile. Even for those, like myself, that are not ardent fans of ‘clubby music,’ with good company, the sun shining and the doors flung open overlooking Berkeley Square, it did work.
That said, it wasn’t perfect. The tofu hash brown missed the mark – the BLT works for a reason as the salt and fat from the bacon is lifted by the acidity of the tomato and freshness of the lettuce. Whilst the cucumber did provide some balance, the dish was too heavy. The miso glazed sea bass with cauliflower, although well cooked, did not dazzle or merit its £35.60 price tag.
Sexy Fish is expensive, hardly surprising given the location. However, the experience, atmosphere, quality of the food and service does counteract the strain on the wallet. Ideal for a special occasion, with DJ line ups including Rafferty Law, Jodie Harsh and Mary Charteris, the Sexy Fish Brunch should prove popular.