London Food Editors Highlight Koji Chicken And Twenty Layer Chocolate Cake In Weekly Review
London’s dining circuit has released its latest “Best Things We Ate This Week” selections, focusing heavily on texture-rich comfort foods and high-concept desserts in Soho and Marylebone. The standout entries include a Koji-marinated chicken from the Australian all-day dining spot Milk Beach and a massive chocolate peanut butter cake from the Italian restaurant Lavo.
Deep search into the preparation methods reveals a shifting culinary focus toward fermentation and visual maximalism. The chicken at Milk Beach uses Koji—a fungus used in sake production—to enzymatically tenderize the meat before frying, a technique that significantly increases umami beyond standard brining methods. Meanwhile, Lavo’s dessert features twenty distinct layers of devil’s food cake and peanut butter mascarpone, engineered specifically for structural integrity and social media shareability.
Background data indicates that Milk Beach has recently expanded from its original Queen’s Park location to the more competitive Soho district, attempting to translate neighborhood café culture into a high-volume central London venue. Similarly, other highlights often include spin-offs of established luxury brands, such as Bébé Bob, which pivots to a specialized rotisserie menu to capture the casual-luxury market.
However, objections regarding these selections persist within the gastronomic community. Critics argue that dishes like Lavo’s multi-layered cake prioritize theatrical excess over flavor balance, often resulting in a dessert that is too dry or sweet to finish. Furthermore, while the Koji chicken is praised for moisture, traditionalists question whether the heavy reliance on fermented chili mayonnaise masks the quality of the bird itself. The continued focus on hype-driven venues in Soho also draws complaints that these curated lists overlook affordable, authentic innovation occurring in London’s outer zones.
