Tucked away on a quiet Holborn side street and spread over two levels, Greenleaf‚s cool and contemporary interiors are the work of leading London-based creative agency, 7Gods. The 30-seater restaurant boasts innovative décor that features grey Œghost‚ chairs, funky lighting, marble tables, limestone floors and white wall glazing. The downstairs karaoke space is equally impressive with its chrome bar leading off to two secret rooms. Both sporting a striking high gloss black finish, the larger of these spaces can accommodate up to 18 people.
Unlike many venues that combine dining with entertainment, the food at Green Leaf is an integral part of the offering. Head chef Hu Xie‚s menu combines classic favourites with signature creations like Celery and Scallop Balls, Cheese Baked Lobsters, Oriental Beef Fillet and Mixed Tofu Pot, all prepared with the freshest ingredients and traditional spices and flavouring.
Hire of the two karaoke rooms is free of charge, subject to customers meeting minimum spend requirements on food and drink of £180 (+ 10% service charge) for the small room and £280 (+ 10% service charge) for the large. Further karaoke packages will be announced in due course.
Greenleaf Restaurant & Karaoke
Chinese Restaurant in Holborn
Ad
Greenleaf Restaurant & Karaoke Picture Gallery
All In London Review
Quirky dishes, but their standard fare wins
It’s all very minimalist, with white marble tables and pale grey studded leather banquettes. A wall covered in pennies and lantern-inspired chandeliers provide the standout décor. Downstairs, there are two karaoke rooms available for private hire.
The menu covers staples like dumplings and won ton soup, spicy Szechuan dishes, and somewhat more exotic fare. The snails for instance, are served on a bed of ice, and must be prized out of their shell with a toothpick. They look how snails do when they are scurrying across your window pane, not how they look in a Provençal restaurant. They taste mild, and their flesh is almost scallop-like, but they take on an exciting lease of life when dipped in soy and wasabi.
The more standard Chinese fare is very good indeed, like the cheese-baked lobster, covered in a delicious golden, buttery sauce. The pork ribs are sticky with a coating of vinegar and sugar; slices of marinated pork shoulder are streaked with fat, ensuring they are tender and juicy, and served cold. Even the egg fried rice is particularly flavoursome, with liberal amounts of salty turnips and shrimps.
And what of the tongues? Well, they are long and thin, with a bone in the middle meaning the meat has to be sucked off while you grasp them with your fingers. They’ve been marinated in a sesame dressing, which is the predominant flavour, and they feel a little gelatinous, which gets a little tiresome after the third or fourth. There may not be any desserts on the menu, but with curious dishes like these who needs them?
Reviewed by Leila
Published on Jan 9, 2012
User Reviews
There are no user reviews
Have your say
Add a review or useful tip for this restaurant