The Ivy Asia is a beautiful Pan-Asian restaurant by St Paul’s. It’s the latest from the Ivy Collection, renowned for their elegant restaurants across the UK. The Ivy Asia is the Ivy Collection’s first foray into Asian cuisine, following the likes of Gordon Ramsay with his tremendous Lucky Cat in Mayfair. 

The Ivy Asia is not just beautiful, it is stunning. Every detail in the restaurant design oozes Pan-Asian… from the décor, the floors, the bar, and even the toilet. And it is all looks quality. The service could be better, particularly when it comes to getting you to your in good time. We waited by the bar for fifteen minutes. Other then that, the service is perfectly professional. Now, the food. 

Sushi

Both were okay. There was nothing outstanding about the taste or texture of either, just enjoyable. 

Small Dishes

These were really good. The sauce was really creamy and with a good amount of spice, and the shrimp itself was really well cooked with the perfect amount of batter. 

No. These were bland. Even the avocado and jalapeño sauce was bland.

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Beautifully presented, but the taste was a tad underwhelming. It would’ve much better with a bit of spice, and the foam seemed somewhat unnecessary.

The vegetable gyoza was rather unique with its texture. It was deep-fried which gave it a good crunch, but it wasn’t oily at all and the filling was soft. Again though, it lacked spice. 

Large Dishes

I really enjoyed this. The pork belly was crisp yet tender and sweet, and the scallops were succulent and creamy. Really good balance. 

This had a ton of potential, but the beef was slightly chewy and we’d have liked more of the sauce.

The aubergine was decent, but overly battered. 

Dessert

We really enjoyed the Samurai. There was a lot to enjoy underneath the chocolate soil, particularly the intense chocolatey mousse and indulgent vanilla ice cream. 

Verdict

The Ivy Asia is almost perfect aesthetically… really, it’s beautiful… and the service is decent, but it’s let down by the above average food. We recommend for romantic dates and special occasions. It’s also much better priced than other restaurants of its ilk. 

Cuisine: Pan-Asian
Dress Code: Smart Casual/Casual
Shiima’s Star Dish: Popcorn Shrimp
Amen’s Star Dish: Scallops w/ Sticky BBQ Pork Belly
Price: £40-£50pp
Rating: 3 out 5

The Ivy Asia
20 New Change,
London EC4M 9AG
Book at OpenTable,
Or call 020 3971 2600