These are easily two of the greatest restaurants in Brighton…Sussex…England! The fact that they’re next door to each other makes it even more significant, especially when it comes to picking which one to visit. Fortunately, we visited both!
To start with, we came along to try the Ivy Asia Dragon Set Lunch menu. A couple of weeks later, we came to the Ivy to try the Festive Set Menu.
Ivy Asia: The Dragon Set Lunch menu
Firstly, before I jump in, I have to highlight how visually stunning Ivy Asia is. We were gobsmacked, from the moment we arrived we just marvelled up at the incredible cielings, the artwork and the decor.
They even had a Samurai costume mounted against the mirrored walls with a golden cieling shining down on us. The bar looked beautiful with its eye-catching tiered roof, whiel the hanging lanterns were also a cool sight.
Plus the famous floor is something everyone talks about, apparently a consistent sight you will find at other Ivy’s across the country.
Ivy Asia delivers a visual feast from the moment you step through its giant doors. The beautifully designed interiors, with jade-green floors and glowing cherry blossom trees, set the stage for an exotic culinary adventure. The Dragon Set Lunch Menu (£19.95, Monday to Friday 11:30am-5pm) offers surprisingly exceptional value, showcasing their inventive take on Asian cuisine.
To start, they brought over crispy wontons and poppadoms with a spiced coconut yoghurt dip, a scrumptious appetiser to get us in the mood for what was to come.
For my starter, I chose the seared beef tataki, an absolute masterpiece. The tender slices of beef paired perfectly with the crispy shallots, spring onion and ponzu dressing was marvellous. This was hands down the best dish I’ve had all year!
Raquel opted for the teriyaki chicken yakitori, three sweet soy-glazed chicken skewers garnished with chives and pickled radish. The balance of sweetness and umami in her dish was superb. I’ll admit I had to pinch a bit of hers for comparison.
For mains, I went for the Keralan chickpea and shishito pepper curry. The creamy curry, loaded with pak choi and green peppers, was so aromatic and delightful. Despite being a vegetarian option (not my usual choice), it absolutely hit the mark, I love curry so I expected this to be good but I was surprised by how nice it was. I definitely need to get this again.
Raquel chose the saamjang robata chicken, a chargrilled half chicken coated in a smoky Korean BBQ glaze and served with pickled red onions. The flavourful char on the chicken made it a must, while I again had to have a little nibble…For testing purposes obviously.
We shared two sides: steamed rice and wok-fried greens with chilli, ginger and crispy shallots, which complemented our mains beautifully.
To finish, I had the warm passion fruit and coconut doughnuts, which were fluffy, indulgent and paired magnificently with the yoghurt dipping sauce.
Raquel’s coconut panna cotta was just as remarkable, topped with pineapple, passion fruit, toasted coconut and pandan.
It was a great twist on dishes we’ve had before, leaving us intrigued for a future visit to Ivy Asia.
The Ivy Festive Set Menu
Next door at The Ivy, the atmosphere was equally inviting, with its sophisticated décor creating the perfect festive setting.
There were giant snowmen at the door, which parents walking by had to snap with their kids, while a huge Christmas tree was at the opening. Their three-course festive set menu (£55, served from 11:30am until close) even included Christmas crackers which was a nice touch.
For starters, I opted for The Ivy 1917 Cure Smoked Salmon (I’m slightly hooked to salmon), served with black pepper, lemon and dark rye bread.
The rich, smoky salmon worked perfectly with the soft rye bread, making it an excellent choice for salmon advocates such as myself.
Raquel went for the robata grilled chicken skewers with bang bang peanut sauce, sesame, coconut, lime and coriander. We’re both huge fans of bang bang chicken, and this didn’t disappoint.
For mains, I decided to opt for something I wouldn’t normally go for. They had a twist on their unbelievable Shepherd’s Pie, but I’ve had that once before, so I thought I would go for something I rarely eat. I enjoyed the pan-fried fillet of sea bass, accompanied by creamy potato, samphire, tomato concasse and saffron sauce. The sea bass was perfectly cooked and succulent, with the saffron sauce providing a lavish touch.
Raquel chose the 8oz sirloin steak, Himalayan salt wall dry-aged and served exactly to her liking, while she also had a side of chips (steak and chips, it’s always a winner).
We could wait to order desserts until after we’ve eaten our mains, but we were too excited when we arrived, already having sifted through the menu while at home. I had the Christmas crème brûlée, a decadent treat topped with a winter berry cinnamon compote and shortbread. I just love cracking the top of the caramelised sugar barrier.
Raquel couldn’t resist The Ivy’s iconic chocolate bombe, a melting dome of chocolate filled with vanilla ice cream, honeycomb and hot caramel sauce.
I wish we had our camera ready, as the waiter began pouring the caramel sauce onto the chocolate bombe, and the chocolate melted off to reveal the ice cream inside. It was visually spectacular and tasted equally as nice (Raquel says, my spoon was blocked from reaching over).
We paired our meal with a couple of glasses of Nyetimber Cuvee sparkling wine, a perfect tipple for a luxurious evening. I also treated myself to a latte, sure it’s late in the evening by this point but it’s the perfect pick-me-up for the journey home after such a big meal.