Walking into Muriel’s Kitchen around noon on a weekend, you might be surprised to see a vibrant, full restaurant filled with locals, tourists, dating couples or even people walking on their laptops. You might think Soho is only famous for its nightlife but Muriel’s Kitchen is bringing in the crowds at all times of the day.
The decor has a cosy, garden-friendly feel with areas that remind you of a garden shed that your fashionable mother or grandmother would own. Warm mosaic tiles and pastel shades make this a welcoming dining space, which is easy on the eye. The staff are disarmingly charming and eager to please here with a solid knowledge of their menu offerings.
They are open from early breakfast to late evenings. I tried their sharp-looking and tasting scotch eggs from Clarence Court. The yolk has that distinctive rich, intense orange colour that turns ordinary recipes into extraordinary dishes. Thankfully, it is a delectable tasting starter dish, as the menu is structured in a way, where few items look like starters but are more like snacking dishes for in-between meals.
They do have a fine selection of wines and alcoholic beverages, but perhaps in keeping with the healthy design and feel of the menu, I opted to try their all day energy smoothie. With bananas, oats, dates and yoghurt, it felt like having a liquid cereal drink which was both filling and healthy at the same time.
For the main course, I opted for a fish cake which felt very homemade using the freshest of ingredients like grilled asparagus and organic Clarence Court poached egg; it was pleasing to see chunky flakes of salmon used in constructing the fish cake. The smoked lemon mayonnaise had the right amount of acidity to match the saltiness of the fish. Other highlights from the menu include gourmet sandwiches, healthy salad creations and signature dishes like their famous beef lasagne and the MK double burger.
Pudding-wise, they have numerous irresistible options to ponder over such as the rich sounding chocolate nutella corner and chocolate and orange lava cake. I opted for their famous carrot cake, which looked like it has been stacked twice as high layer-wise than it normally should be. The taste is moist and classical in construction, just like the recipe your Nan would have kept for generations.
Soho is livening up again thanks to welcoming restaurants like Muriel’s Kitchen which is open for most hours of the day.
baldwin@townfish.com