Situated a few doors along from the Ivy, the former West Street restaurant could not help but be defined in negative terms. Put bluntly, it wasn't the Ivy. Eating at West Street, the diners were all too conscious that they were not sitting next to Joan Collins or Michael Caine. At any rate, West Street, a perfectly fine, modern Italianish restaurant, closed and now in its stead is East@West, a modern Orientalish restaurant that could not be more different to the Ivy if it tried. And it does try.
On the menu there is a note explaining the menu. 'The East@West menus,' it states, 'offer a series of small tastes designed to be taken individually and sequentially with our recommended wine partners.' There were three set menus of five 'tastes', though it's possible to mix and match, as long as you do so in sequence. Normally this kind of innovation, or faddism, excites in my taste buds a deep yearning for a three-course meal with a good bottle of wine. Nor did the titles of the menus - 'Delicious', 'Wicked' and 'Divine' - do much to ease my doubts. Surely in the post-Ali G era, use of the word 'wicked' should be restricted to people under 5ft.
I opted for the Divine, and my wife, who is over 5ft, went for the Wicked. And our food - at least the first three courses - was divine. My yellowfin tuna sashimi, toasted seaweed, shiso sprouts and ginger blossom was subtle and fresh; and the caramelised coconut native lobster egg net - deep breath - bean sprouts, pomelo and mint salad, and fried shallots that followed, was simply exquisite.
As you move along, the food becomes notably heavier, saltier, more oily. I thought at first the canape size of the 'tastes' would find me in need of something more substantial - like a proper meal. But the effect was precisely the opposite of the traditional Chinese blowout: these were small portions that left you full.
With noble effort, we both managed to stay the course to the dessert. I recommend the coconut mousse and mangosteen salad, and apparently the strawberry and pink grapefruit trifle with Campari jelly was much better than it sounds.
I don't think we would have had room for pudding had we toughed it out with the suggested wine programme. And, after five (albeit small) glasses, I don't think we would have cared.
The head chef, Christine Manfield, cites Chinese, Vietnamese and Japanese influences. But the Australian Pacific rim, from where she hails, is also much in evidence. As were Australians. Manfield is something of a Nigella name back home and the place was full of Antipodeans the night we visited.
The ground floor is a bar and its conversation-killing, thumping music floats up to the first floor dining area, where it provides a hum that could do with being a touch more in the background. The service was friendly and attentive, and yet, with its hard woods and matt black minimalism, there's a chilly austerity about the place.
It's not easy to imagine who will supply the restaurant's regular custom. Its success may depend on to what extent it becomes a novelty destination. Anyone interested in food should really pay a visit. But those interested in atmosphere probably won't rush back. A harsh judgment, perhaps, but not, I hope, too wicked.
· East@West, 13-15 West Street, London WC2 (020 7010 8600). Dinner for two, including wine and service, £120
