Decatur @ Pamela

4 Reviews on “Decatur @ Pamela”

• Elizabeth Russell

  This latest Pop Up at Pamela may now be over but was too good not to be written up. Vegan Chinese are not words that are often paired up. Carnivores need not shy away! The food was so very tasty and moreish that the lack of meat was hardly missed.The menu was short and being gluttonous we ordered everything and were amply rewarded by the authenticity and depth of flavour. The noodle with ‘pork mince’ dish took me back to the Shanghainese restaurants of old that my parents used to frequent in S.E.Asia. Brought a tear to my eye as I savoured childhood flavours of bygone days. This is the highest accolade I can possibly give to any Asian dish replicated on western shores.Noodles were just a touch too overcooked/soft.Just the teeniest of gripe here.The dumplings, purple broccoli and ‘beef jerky’ fried rice were particular stand outs. The fried rice had a deep smoky flavour -a good indicator that the wok was at its optimum frying temperature-a good barometer of a great stir fry.Should Mao Chow make a repeat appearance I would recommend making your speedy way there to sample these gems.

  May 26, 2020, 5:49 pm

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• Lou Paley

  I genuinely couldn’t fault my evening at Pamela’s: the intimate atmosphere, friendly and knowledgable waiters, unbelievable food (try the chargrilled Oysters and okra!). I’m usually disappointed when I eat out in London, but this really took my breath away. Definitely coming back!

  October 29, 2016, 3:37 pm

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• Marta

  Super impressed with this one here. Started with huge, delicious juicy oysters. The boyfriend had fried chicken with sausage gravy, and I had the poached eggs with crayfish sauce and salad (brilliant!). We wanted to try the rest of the menu, but were physically unable to move after this brunch. Food-coma-inducing, delicious New Orleans inspired dishes. And, for the fans, the bonus of having Pamela looking at you from the wall.

  March 6, 2016, 10:07 pm

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• Alice Gee

  I haven’t been this excited about a restaurant in London since visiting Nuno Mendes’ Taberna do Mercado several months ago. We attended the discounted soft launch, but even at full price this place is a steal given the quality of the food. This is the winter residency of a street food stall specializing in obscure American regional dishes focusing on Louisiana. The two of us shared several small plates which are between 5 and 6.50 at full price. The little bar snacks are 1.5 to 3 at full price. The amazing thing was that *every* dish was very good to outstanding both in terms of execution and concept. Flavors and textures were all beautifully balanced. Decatur punches way above its weight with respect to pricing. Cooking skills and inventiveness are on par with some big name restaurants that charge twice the price. Service was knowlegable and amazingly swift, especially for a soft launch.We started with our snacks of deviled egg made with homemade mayonnaise and pickles. We were impressed by the Pickle Plate of cucumber, carrots, radish, green beans and watermelon rinds. In particular, the sweet and spicy, juniper spiked, watermelon rinds were outrageously tasty. After waxing on about them, the waiter kindly brought us a little extra of it.Next came the Kentucky Style Beer Cheese, a spread of sharp cheddar and beer with cajun spices and garlic. Delicious and a nice whipped texture. It came with some crusty griddled sour dough drizzled with olive oil and a clove of garlic for rubbing the bread, like Spanish tostada. There were some more of the lightly pickled radishes with this dish.After that we got both the Nashville Oysters (deep fried) and the Chargrilled Oysters. I preferred the grilled oysters which were slathered in garlic-pecorino butter and hot sauce. There was still a lovely slurp of salty oyster liquor in each shell. The fried oysters had a little too much batter clinging to them for my taste but were pleasant enough and not at all greasy. The deep fried oysters at Merchant’s Tavern on Charlotte Road are a bit better, though 3 a piece instead of 2 at Decatur.Finally we got the Charred Okra and Fried Catfish. The okra was a revelation. I’d only had okra boiled before and think of it as a sort of slime rather than a vegetable. But blackened over a charcoal grill it was terrific. Okra was sitting on a mound of slightly sweetened whipped ricotta dotted with pepper jelly which made a beautiful foil for the crunchy savory veg. Fried catfish coated in cornmeal was incredibly light and crisp like a tempura. It was accompanied with a spicy tartare sauce and some lightly dressed coleslaw.We had the house red wine at 19 a bottle. This was one the best meals I have had in recent memory at any price. I liked the originality. Most restaurants specializing in food of the American South are riddled with cliches (ribs, pulled pork, burnt ends, dirty fries). Definitely not the case here at all.

  February 20, 2016, 4:48 am

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