From Fish to Dish: Andalusian fish at aqua nueva

At aqua nueva head chef Yahir Gonzalez thinks it is important to use the whole fish and not waste anything. Therefore, he gets whole fish delivered to the restaurant and his chefs fillet them and use each part for various dishes, from stocks, to sauce to whole fillets on his small plates menu.

Every week Head Chef Yahir has a delivery of whole cod and hake, we took this opportunity to watch him and his chef Dani prepare the fish for the dishes that day. In particular, we documented the creation of the classic Pescadito frito - Andalusian style deep-fried fish.

First step is filleting the fish. This process looks complicated, but the efficiency and knowledge of Dani meant it all happened rather fast! Next, the fillets are cut into small bite sized portions.

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Father’s Day treat: cigars and whisky

For Father’s Day, on Sunday 19th June,  we have a special treat lined up for all the fathers coming to aqua kyoto – a Glenfiddich whisky tasting with cigars specifically blended to go with each dram.

All Dad’s dining with us at aqua kyoto for our celebrated Infinity Brunch will be treated to a complimentary whisky and cigar tasting hosted by Bars Manager Nico Peratinos on our stunning terrace. There will be three sessions throughout the day at 11.30am, 2.30pm and 3.30pm so you can join before or after your meal.
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Sunday Brunch, fermenting and the 6th flavour ‘kokumni’

The first weekend of May saw aqua kyoto’s Executive chef, Paul Greening, appear on Channel Four’s Sunday Brunch. Paul cooked one of his favourite dishes, suckling pork belly with scallops and jade oil. Read more +

Celebrating Japanese Cherry Blossom

The beginning of spring is often noted with the burst of new flowers. In Japan, the ritual of Hanami, which is the act of enjoying flowers in particular the cherry blossom, marks the turn of the season. At aqua kyoto we are taking the time to appreciate this iconic flower and have created a menu that celebrates this blossom. Each dish is available individually or served as a fragrant and balanced menu.

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JING Tea training at aqua kyoto

To coincide with the launch of our new tea-infused menu at aqua kyoto, JING tea experts Kat and Tamara led a training session for the aqua kyoto team. The training session started with Kat explaining that the difference between white, green and black teas is where the tea leaves are picked from as there is a variety in both tea bushes and how you process the leaves. Kat presented two plates of tea leaves to show the selection of teas that we will be offering guests.

The first tea we tried was Darjeeling 1st Flush, clean, crisp and light with a rounded, satisfying finish. The sharpness of the tea marries the rich flavours of the Sencha tea asparagus tempura, wasabi sauce perfectly. Jade Sword, a green tea was the second tea we tasted; smooth but full flavoured with hints of grassy textures, which accentuated the umani flavours in the matcha tea maki, compressed cucumber, spicy tuna and green tea caviar.

The only white tea available on the menu is White Peony, an extremely delicate and delightfully refreshing tea which was extremely popular with the team. The well rounded notes of white peony that have a vegetal sweetness, is an ideal light partner to the bold flavours of the Hojicha braised octopus, mizuna salad, tensu yuzu foam. Read more +

New Year’s Eve at aqua London

Are you deciding where to see in 2016? Let us help you make your decision. We’re delighted to announce that our New Year’s Eve tickets are now available.

You can choose which restaurant to dine in; innovative Spanish cuisine in aqua nueva or contemporary Japanese in aqua kyoto.  Dinner tickets are £130 and include a glass of Veuve Clicquot Champagne on arrival, entertainment during dinner and a DJ until 3am.

Bar tickets are also available for aqua spirit at £35 which include a glass of Champagne on arrival and DJ entertainment from 10pm.

The Mayor of London’s fireworks can be viewed from our stunning terrace overlooking the capital; the perfect way to welcome 2016!

New Year’s Eve is always a fabulous night at aqua london and this year promises to be one of the best ever – we look forward to celebrating with you!

To book, please call us on 020 7478 0540 or email newyearseve@aqua-london.com

‘Inspired by Goya’

To coincide with The National Gallery’s unmissable new exhibition honouring arguably Spain’s greatest artist, Goya, our head chef Alberto Hernandez has created a unique menu inspired by Goya’s works, Spain’s rich, artistic heritage and the region of Zaragoza where Goya was born.

Alberto met Dr Xavier Bray, the curator of Goya: The Portraits exhibition, to discuss the inspiration behind his dishes.

Alberto explains, “I spent time researching Goya’s works to find inspiration for the menu and to gain a deeper understanding of Goya’s use of colour. I wanted to capture the real essence of the paintings by using rich ingredients and vibrant colours throughout the menu.”

Inspired directly by Goya’s masterpieces, Zarzuela de pescadito y mariscos, a Spanish fish and seafood stew, is based on the ‘Still Life with Golden Bream’ painting, combining bream, mussels, octopus, lobster and prawns in a traditional Spanish broth. Read more +