Eclectic, original, innovative and down to earth -- although appeared to be contrary to one another, I can't think of other words to describe Chef Neil Wager's fusion restaurant. Oh, just a second, another sets of words that Chef himself employed: local and seasonal ingredients with a progressive and modern Asian influence. My editorial: ingredients that were subtly seasoned by the local herbs, which in turn, generated a sensation of comfort food that reminded us of home cooking.
We came to Dokke at the recommendation of our friend who has lived in East London for more than 20 years. On an American tourist early bird schedule, we got seats at the counter where we watched Chef and his crew working hard cooking, plating and serving, nonstop. "From 7:30 in the morning to 11 pm," Chef said, while briefly looking up to answer our curiosity. "All day," he added.
The Dokke menu had a variety of selections and they were reasonably priced. For three of us, we shared 5 dish and one dessert. Chef took the time to explain the ingredients and local herbs when each dish was served. Every single one turned out to be memorable.
First it was the Langoustines. Three langoustines or prawns were cut lengthwise, claws cracked. Sizzling as being placed flesh side down in a hot cast iron pan, the prawns also received a torch treatment on the top. Two minutes, they were served. The prawn flesh was just barely cooked to preserve its natural sweetness, no seasoning or sauce needed, they stood on their own. Next came an octopus tentacle grilled and coiled around a mound of kimchi. The hot chili sauce was barely visible but conspicuous in our mouth. The octopus has the right balance of chewiness. The tail was perfectly charred to give out a slight toasty bitter. The pork belly, a generous serving, came with crispy skin and the balance between fatty and lean meat. Dipping in the subtle green chili sauce, adding a bite a white rice, one would be in heaven. The steamed mussels were cooked just right. After finishing the mussels we fought for the spicy Korean broth - subtly spiced and savory. The Green was presented with a base of avocado mounted with asparagus tips, peas, cucumber scooped in the size of pea, and kale. There was no visible salad dressing. The salty and acidity came from local herbs like mint, salty herb and stonecrop, an herb that resembled the flavor of pineapple.
Full bellied, we wish we could eat more. We watched with our mouth watering but belly protesting for dishes that were paraded, one by one, out from the counter. For example, the lamb shoulder stewed in curry. When the lid was open, the aroma filled the air. The duck breast was grilled, sliced, and plated on top of asparagus tips and cooked plums. To our luck we were able to watch how feasts were produced. The Chef was the creative mind, and was working just as hard as his capable crews when the feast were being presented.
Highly recommend the restaurant.
Here is a link to the local neighborhood news where the Chef was featured.
https://www.inyourarea.co.uk/news/chef-to-the-stars-brings-a-list-lifestyle-to-dokke-in-wapping/ read more