Pacific Oriental sits in the heart of the city on Threadneedle Street, with a focus on serving fusions of modern Pan Asian foods. Its tall ceilings, long drapes and brightly lit bar provide an impressive backdrop for an aperitif before dinner, or for the casual dining on cushioned seats or high tables on the ground floor. They also offer a more formal dining experience on the second floor.

I remember their drink menu being fairly extensive, with the cocktails often containing many sorts of Asian ingredients such as lychee, ginger or chilli. As probably as inappropriate as it was, I decided to order cocktail from their decent selection of non-alcoholic ones named ‘Bankrupt’, full of berries and refreshing ingredients. It was a reasonably sized drink for the £6 they charged, particularly when I thought a place like this would serve everything in small glasses.

I asked for the menu and I’m lead to believe they have a different menu downstairs than they do upstairs. I had a mandate to eat noodles that day, so I ended up with one of my favourites, Singapore Noodles. Had I more of an appetite, I would have been tempted by their decent selection of side dishes or appetisers.

I have to admit their noodles weren’t the best that I’ve had – with maybe not enough curry powder or chilli for my liking, even after asking for some more on the side. I was impressed they used some good quality ingredients for the noodle dish though, with three or four large king prawns as well as fresh vegetables (most other places would use the smaller prawns). At £8 for the dish, it’s not the best valued Singapore Noodles I’ve had, but it’s also not the most offensive I’ve had.

I’d probably return to this place, if anything just to hang out at their bar. I don’t think their menu is significantly different for me to want to visit them specifically for their food, but the ambiance downstairs and the bar is definitely worth it.

Name: Pacific Oriental
Found at: 52 Threadneedle Street, EC2R 6HP
Contactable on: 0871 704 4060 or http://www.pacificoriental.co.uk/
TheKua.com Rating: 6 out of 10