Summer’s here! Sort of. Well, let’s pretend at least that it’s an opportunity to go out, try new things and explore the city of Brighton and Hove with some staycation experiences, even with the inclement weather we’ve been having. I’ve been working round the clock recently, so was happy to stop and take some time to try new things and treat myself to some new sensations through a visit to the very soignee and luxe Ivy Asia in Brighton recently.
This adjunct to the much loved The Ivy (in Brighton, the restaurants sit side by side in the South Laine area) takes those seeking a sumptuous visual feast through a journey of the senses inspired by south east Asian influences with even the floors being part of this theatrical dining experience.
It’s a beautiful venue to be spending an afternoon in Brighton, which is really a big part of the attraction for this venue. Adjacent to The Ivy on Ship Street, this area has become a popular location for eateries to set up, and blends tourists and locals alike.
To welcome the summer or what there is of it at least, this season, the Ivy Asia has crafted a new seasonal limited edition dinner and accompanying cocktails across all The Ivy Asia restaurants including our very own Brighton one.
I visited with a pal to sample the newly launched Experience Menu (£48pp), designed to be shared by the whole table. Executive Chef, Simon Gregory has created a sampling menu which celebrates Asian cuisine, showcasing a fusion of traditional and contemporary dishes. This place was pretty busy for an early evening with a mix of young and old plus a DJ to add to the weekend feeling.
Available all-day every day, this selection of The Ivy Asia’s most loved dishes this menu was described to us by a staff member. The staff were all so lovely here, it really made the experience much more pleasurable. We began with avocado, cucumber and asparagus maki rolls (VG) – sushi rolls made with seasond sushi rice and served with served with wasabi and pickled ginger and a soy dipping sauce.
Next came a bowl of fresh endamame beans as a palate cleanser, and then two dishes arrived together – tiger prawn tempura with a spicy chilli, coriander and lime dip, alongside my personal favourite the oyster mushroom gyoza (who doesn’t love a dumpling!) with a spiced Yuzu dressing alongside crispy rice and crushed peppercorns.
We both loved the sauce – this is a combination of yuzu fruit, soy sauce, mirin, and includes kombu and bonito flakes, to add depth of flavour. 
Dumplings and Tempura at The Ivy Asia Photographic Credit: Kev Grimshaw
Next up was another pair of dishes, this time a clay pot chickpea and green pepper curry with added toasted coconut, choi sum and chilli oil. Whilst this could have been warmer, it was still a tasty addition to the meal and the side of steam rice and wok fried greens meant we started to feel full pretty quickly! The sesame crusted chicken breast karaage came with a herb salad and kaffir lime sauce.
I really like the Ivy Asia sauces, they’ve got this aspect of their menu bang on. The menu is versatile enough that you can eat dinner comfortably with whichever eating preference as there is plenty for both omnivores and vegetarians to enjoy eating together.
By this point I was stuffed, but we manfully tasted the dessert which came in a cloud of smoke for extra theatrical points. This was soft serve vanilla Ice cream, round sugared doughnuts, raspberries and a hot pouring chocolate sauce. I couldn’t finish this but my companion bravely did this on my behalf. What a hero!
We paired our dinner with a cocktail each from the accompanying summer bubble tea cocktails menu. I sampled the Bubble Breeze cocktail which blended Tanqueray gin, butterfly pea tea, elderflower and apple boba pearls which was an unexpected delight!
I’ve missed the bubble tea phenomenon but the pearls in the drink were so appley in taste, and the drink itself was fresh without being sweet and perfect for a Friday night outing.
My companion tried the Jangmi Pop cocktail which mixed film star George Clooney’s Casamigos Blanco Tequila direct from Oaxaca, Mexico, raspberry, rose and ginger tea, strawberry and lychee boba pearls. These were both real showstoppers and we sampled each and I could easily have carried on with either… or both!
This £48pp Experience Menu is available at all The Ivy Asia sites, all day every day, excluding St Paul’s,
Mayfair, and Manchester. View the full menu here.
Venue
Amenities
- Fully accessible bathroom and restaurant.
