London: Pan-Asian & Leibovitz

       

www.cocoon-restaurants.com

Our second night in London featured a walk down memory lane with a dose of Pan-Asian flavors in a hip restaurant and a side of photography.

An old high-school friend Alycia has lived and worked in London for 5 years. I haven't seen her in probably 15+, but we recently reconnected on what else? Facebook. She planned a splendid night for us, starting with a bottle of prosecco and ending with what I called a true food expirence.

We rendezvoused at the International Bar on Charing Cross Road in central London. Alycia exclaimed she was glad Facebook had pictures, for she would not have realized I had straight hair! Yes, true confessions, all I had in high-school was big hair. I said "Ditto!" Over bubbly, we quickly caught up on the oh, let's say, last 18 years!, and by the way, this is my husband, E.

It was fun. In a rush to catch the last viewing of the night, we escaped to the Annie Leibovitz special exhibit at the National Portrait Gallery across the street. The exhibit was longer than anticipated, and we found ourselves disappointed with the ticking clock and closing hour which robbed us of the chance to study the amazing images, many of which are recognizable. (You know, the pregnant Demi Moore; a naked Lennon hugging Yoko Ono; Miley Cyrus' controversial shot in Vanity Fair.)

Stomachs growling, we walked down Piccadilly Circus and over to Regent Street to an inconspicuous door that led upstairs to one of the hippest restaurants to grace my feet (not that my feet grace hips restaurants on a regular basis). Cocoon (above) is sleek, modern and and glows with coolness. Zagat called it "seriously cool" and that about sums it up. Its the level of hip that draws celebs, like:

Drinks with mulled blackberries, cream and champagne... top-shelf Gin and long wine lists greeted us at the bar. Dinner was small plates of Pan-Asian food. I tried for the first time, after having a bad sushi experience years ago in Atlanta, the raw salmon and it literally melted in my mouth! (Thanks E for ordering it and encouraging me to try it.) The food was remarkable, with only my duck running a bit on the dry side. Here's some of the items to make you drool:

Pan roasted duck breast with candied kum quat & snake beans

Soft shell crab tempura with jalapeño mayonnaise
Oxtail potsticker dumplings with Chinese master stock
Baked black cod fillet with kinome miso & mirin glaze
Wok tossed mussels with black bean salsa

Hungry? I highly recommend the restaurant, should you be in London. And the company was great too! Thanks Alycia for a great night - and so glad you're doing well!