The Bite Magazine - Autumn/Winter 2022 - Issue 32

bitecuisine Coco Grill and Lounge features a bar and fine dining con- cept, serving contemporary Anatolian cuisine and sophisti- cated non-alcoholic drinks in large glasses. Its 'redemption cocktails' are carefully designed by a leading mixologist specifically to prepare diners' palates for the Mediterranean journey they present. We were about to discover how in- triguingly delicious these cocktails were that we didn't even think about the lack of alcoholic content. After we were seated, our host Ridoy, suggested we try Am- aretto Sour, a sweet and sour cocktail with an 'almondy, lemon squeezy taste' and cherry on top. We also had Royal Spirit Dakari, a classic daiquiri with white cane and lime, offering a perfect balance of sweet and sour. He applied a cocktail bubble gun on both drinks, creating a fascinating giant bubble that turned into smoke. Both were refreshingly delicious, with a slightly sweet taste but enjoyable nonethe- less. Our starters consisted of deep-fried Korean Spicy Chick- en Wings in spicy sauce, sesame seeds, and Crispy Spiced Shrimp with a Korean glaze, grapefruit mayo, and burned lemon. Ridoy poured water into a bowl of dry ice under- neath the dish, which billowed into smoke. We also had the new Slow Cooked Duck Tacos in hoisin sauce. The chick- en wings were slightly spicy but flavoursome, the spiced shrimps were succulent and meaty, and the duck tacos were nicely flavoured. Before our main meal, we decided to try the Mango & Pas- sion Mojito mocktail enriched with tasty fruits that took me on a journey to the carefree world of the mediterrane- an, lying on an exotic beach. Bees Knees is a 1920s classic recreation of freshly squeezed Sicilian lemon juice and the sweetness of floral honey. Coco Grill & Lounge suggests we dust our dance shoes off, close our eyes and take ourselves back to Paris with this drink. It reminded me of ginger beer but without the sharpness. Regarding flame grill steaks like the Argentinian Black La- bel Ribeye and the dry-aged Wagyu Sirloin at Coco Grill & Lounge, diners can add edible 24k gold for an additional charge, making you feel like you’re eating real karat gold. We had the latter (without the gold) medium well-done with mixed leaves, sumac dressing, truffle mayo and Mal- don salt, and a side salad and mustard sauce. The steak was wonderfully succulent and flavoured, complemented by the sumac and truffle sauces. Black Cod marinated with kefir lime and miso, lemon chilli mayo, and pak choi served with sweet chilli sauce was light and soft with a beautifully browned glaze. The sautéd pak choi decorated with pomegranate seeds looked presentable, while the sweet chilli sauce added a wonderful touch. Coco Rice, lemongrass and coconut steamed rice with soy sauce, and crispy onions on top accompanied this dish. I also loved the hand-cut skin-on fries, which were tasty. For desserts, Ridoy suggested Kunafa, a baked kataff pastry Coco Rice Slow Cooked Duck Tacos Korean Spicy Chicken Wings Black Cod