Capitalizing on success at their two year old Soho location, this second Inamo venture brings their “interactive ordering system” and “Oriental fusion” menu to Mayfair.
With its living wall, water feature and Japanese garden feel, the new restaurant is an attractive setting to dine. The food's good too. Londonist has no qualms recommending a small dish of truffle marbled beef (thin slices with truffle vinaigrette and crispy garlic and mixed cress, £7.95) and are adamant in suggesting you try the gorgeous Berkshire pork neck (with confit of apple, and a spicy chocolate sauce, £12.50). Cocktails are tropically fruity yet sophisticated; the wine and sake list more than adequate – we particularly liked sipping on a few post-dinner glasses of Gls Shirimani sweet potato shochu (£4.00). We enjoyed other items from Inamo's kitchen and bar during our launch party visit as well but reckon it's preferable for you to discover the rest yourself while perusing the cursor prompted E-Table™ projection menu.
Depending on your disposition, Inamo's “interactive ordering system that uses overhead projection technology to give the customer complete control over their dining experience” can be a lot of fun or a little frustrating (how many servings of kelp marinated sea bass did we actually order? Oops!). And if you get bored looking at the pictures of food and drink, you can play a game of Battleship with your dining date or click on the chef cam for a peek behind the scenes.
We found the ordering system easy enough and kinda cool. Service was gracious and pretty quick, if a bit overwhelmed (but it should be noted that the place was packed with launch party munchistas as keen to fidget with the ordering system and drink for free as they were to have a meal). Also worth mentioning is the communal seating which, when mixed with techno-table tapping shenanigans, makes the right atmosphere for friendly chats with strangers.
Inamo is the brainchild of owners Danny Potter and Noel Hunwick, two foodie geeks who met as undergrads at Oxford. Backing them up at their new resto is an impressively pedigreed line up: ex Soho House, ex Sanderson Hotel, ex Buddha Bar, ex Nobu, ex Hakkasan and folks from other notable joints in town.
Inamo St James is located at 4-12 Regent Street, SW1Y 4PE. Visit the restaurant online at www.inamo-stjames.com.
Photo/Chris Osburn
