West London Pan Asian restaurant, Naga, has recently launched London’s first dedicated tofu bar with a menu of inexpensive bar snacks and even a selection of tofu-based cocktails.
I had a chance to sample the menu. It was good and refreshingly priced – all items were £3.50 each (a veritable steal for a dish in a Kensington eatery). I especially liked the crispy tofu with chives and sesame dip as well as the silken tofu with ginger dressing.
As for the drinks, I enjoyed a cool and creamy (and non-dairy) Tofu Colada. Too the edge off an otherwise hot and sticky evening. Another tasty concoction I tasted was the Tofu Twist. Served in a chilled Martini glass, it’s a blend of soy milk, Frangelico, Kahlua and Dark Crème de Cacao.
If you love tofu – or you’re keen to be served a decent introduction to this vegetarian staple of the East Asian diet – Naga’s tofu bar is the place. Vegan, lactose intolerant or simply curious to taste a variety of ways soy bean curd can be prepared? Ditto.
The feeling I got from my visit to Naga was that it’s a nice local eatery. Down a quiet residential road just off buzzing High Street Kensington, it seems to be a convenient yet pleasantly subdued place to drop by for a drink at the bar or a comfortable dining experience without much fuss.
Naga is located at 2 Abingdon Road, W8 6AF. Find out more at nagarestaurants.co.uk.