Canary Wharf is drawing the culinary crowd in London
Canary Wharf is London’s Las Vegas Strip, not just a place to win (or lose) money, but a culinary destination that draws in chefs seeking a slice of the action.
Jamie’s Italian has joined the eateries in recent weeks, along with Wahaca, Roka and Canteen. It’s good for those who work at Canary Wharf, though a trek for the rest of us for whom the Docklands Light Railway provides a smooth ride into concrete canyons where it’s easier to get lost than to follow the maps.
The first London venue (excluding Kingston) of Jamie Oliver is a crowd-pleaser, which means you may have to stand in line because there’s a no-reservations policy. It’s easy to see the attraction of the friendly faces and prices, with snacks from £2.75 and pasta mains for less than £10. It’s an operation that’s as slick as it appears casual.
The snacks include fabulous marinated sardines with fresh garlic, lemon, parsley and a touch of chili. The Parmesan chunks with balsamic vinegar demonstrate the high quality of the produce. Spaghetti Bolognese is a simple dish well done, the ragu of beef, pork, herbs, Chianti and Parmesan enlivened by crunchy bread crumbs.
Jamie’s mission statement — “That is what I’m passionate about — good food for everyone, no matter what” — might ring truer if it weren’t immediately above a list of merchandise. You can purchase an oven glove for £12.
More From This Section
While the place is noisy (80 decibels plus), and it’s easy to be cynical, Jamie’s Italian is first class for a chain.
Fun Tacos
What Jamie’s does for Italian, Wahaca does for Mexican cuisine. Both are friendly places serving food that’s stronger on flavour and fun than on slavish authenticity. I’d rather ride through Tijuana astride a donkey, wearing a sombrero, than waste time pondering how real Wahaca’s dishes are.
Pork pibil — the meat slow-cooked in a spicy Yucatecan sauce with achiote, garlic and orange juice, served with pink pickled onions sprinkled with coriander — is my favorite. The cost? £3.75 for three tacos.
The cocktails are fun and even the few wines on the list are well chosen. The downside for everyone over 18 may be the noise. Even in mid-afternoon, it was above 75 decibels, not far below the 80-85 level on the busy street at Moorgate on the way back to my office. (One staffer said he had trouble hearing himself when Wahaca got busy.) A quiet room for adults might be an idea. Still, the chef Thomasina Miers and her business partner Mark Selby are food heroes for what they have achieved at Wahaca.
Sushi and Sake
The arrival of Roka in Canary Wharf is great news for fans of the contemporary Japanese restaurant, whose original London branch is in Fitzrovia. Roka has long been a favorite of mine, both for sashimi and sushi and for dishes such as the spicy lamb cutlets with Korean spices. At the culinary center of Roka is a robata grill. The menu here also includes grilled teriyaki baby chicken, shiitake rice and roast ginger aubergine.
Good Times
Throw in a selection of sakes and you may be set for a good time. When I lunched there, a large table of about a dozen boisterous customers gave the impression the good times are back. They raised the noise level by a few decibels, but the high ceiling helps keep the volume down. This branch won’t tempt me away from the original, which feels more neighborhood, less corporate, but for celebratory meals in Canary Wharf, it’s tops.
British Prawns
Canteen is doing a fine job serving uncomplicated British food of quality. The Canary Wharf branch occupies an enviable ground-floor site, with large windows and a view out onto the patch of green that counts as open space in this environment. I tried the fine macaroni and cheese (£8), a pint of the freshest prawns with mayonnaise (£7) and a duck, chestnut and prune pie that was rich and comforting. Hmmm, I could eat that right now.