Last time that I dined at Laphet was about five years ago. I know this because I’d posted a photo of it, and I’ve been scrolling on my Instagram to locate it. A little sad, but extremely useful, especially when you consider how disorganized the meaning of time has become due to the epidemic.
In 2017 Laphet was located in a small industrial building located in London Fields, which before began its journey like many great eateries in London do by launching a pop-up at Maltby Street Market. In the opposite direction there was Zoe’s Ghana Kitchen, the restaurant owned by Zoe Adjonyoh which was a pop-up restaurant that had been established as a pop-up restaurant at Pop Brixton. The restaurant was a popular hangout, but it’s no more. I am still thinking about the Jollof chicken and the scotch bonnet ice cream in actual.
To dine for dinner at Laphet for the very first time we drove from south-west London towards London Fields. When the restaurant was opened again Between lockdowns, in 2021. We drove to the newer and larger Shoreditch location Laphet relocated to receive a dine-at-home-box. That’s commitment. It was worth it.
The black tiger prawns, chargrilled, have been transformed into a sweet, smokey sweetness.
Today, I’m in the upper levels of the brand new Laphet West End restaurant in Covent Garden. When I visited the restaurant was open for 3 weeks and was full of a hive. It was delayed for more than a year as a result of what’s-up. You wouldn’t even know that there were any issues. It’s smooth sailing and it feels like it’s been around for a long time. It’s because of where it’s located, on Slingsby Place, which is sparkling new and sparkling and is a mere two-minute walk just a couple of minutes away from Covent Garden station.
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Tealeaf salad is sweet and salty with a strong umami that comes from dried shrimp however, it’s the tea fermented leaves that give this dish its true punchiness. In the end, it’s an exciting ride that you will not ignore your taste buds
The new Lahpet location opens up to a new realm of busy city workers and individuals on the hunt to grab a bite to take a bite to. Burmese food may not have been on their radars prior to. In comparison to the humble beginnings, this new site is an upgraded operation. In 2017, there was only the head chef Zaw at the counter, and Dan in the front of the house. There’s now more staff than I can keep track of buzzing about the floors and at 7.30pm each table is occupied.
The interiors are stylish and chic. There are faux plants hanging on the ceiling, hanging Tom Dixon-inspired pendants in roses hanging above, plenty of concrete terrazzo-style flooring, and a huge open bar. It’s like they slapped on the decor to ensure that the food was not good enough. The walls might appear as boring as ditch water, and nobody would be able to tell as the food is definitely worthy of a review.
Tealeaf salad is the national and restaurant’s most popular dish.
The menu has been expanded. There are the classics however, it’s a lot more. Champagne is available it wasn’t available before. The menu is based around sharing plates, from small appetizers to bigger dishes, and steaming bowls of noodles and spicy delight. If it’s tiny plates, I’m always being afraid of ordering too much. Luckily, the staff prevent you from signing up for more than you could handle.
In the beginning, on the tiny plates, it was black Tiger Prawns (PS8). The prawns are lightly charred, and have a sweet, sultry smoke. It’s a good idea to dip them into the small yellow salsa, which has an ideal heat and a sharp with limey tanginess. They’re gone in a matter of seconds. There’s no better indicator of an item’s value.
The ceviche is a scrumptious modern twist on the Peruvian traditional
It’s not a trip to Laphet should be complete without trying the famous dish that is also the most well-known tealeaf-based salad (PS9). When you first eat it, you’ll experience a true mix of the senses, tiny fireworks exploding inside your mouth. From the taste to the texture, it’s probably unlike anything you’ve ever had. It’s salty and sweet with an intense umami derived from dried shrimp however, it’s the tea leaves fermented that give it its distinct punch, while the crunch is a result of sliced cabbage that is thinly cut, along with the peanuts that have been toasted. It’s basically an adventure you can’t ignore your taste buds.
For a cooling effect, bit, the andaman ceviche (PS10) can be described as a huge chunk of seabass with skin over the salad. It’s a fresh and refreshing dish made with cucumber, lime onion, shallot, coriander and coconut. It’s given the Burmese treatment, with the addition of shrimp. It’s a much-loved modern approach to this traditional Peruvian dish.
This unique dish combines seafood such as lemongrass, fermented fish pate, noodles broth, and boiled eggs.
Further fermentation is evident from the steaming bowl of pork belly that is served in the sweet rice curry (PS17.50) along with fermented dried soybeans that are warming and warm. Another staple of Burmese food can be found in mohinga (PS16.50) which is also known as fish noodles soup. Lime, lemongrass and fermented fish paste soup blends with thin rice noodles to make an enticing bowl of yellow goodness that is topped by green beans, grilled seafood, and then topping it off with half of a boiling egg. Another build-up of excitement, and an acceptable chilli kick which you’ll be warned of when you place your order. Don’t worry you won’t be wiping your forehead in case you’re not accustomed to hot drinks.
Burmese food, as with a lot of Asian food, is a bit reminiscent of the surrounding cuisines significantly more familiar to people from the west: Thai, Chinese, Indian But, really, there’s nothing similar to it. The sourness, the fermentation and crunch texture. Now, in the West End of the capital and in an ideal location the drink is able to reach a larger public than it ever had before. It’s definitely grown in its beginnings and has found its footing: It’s firmly in the spotlight.