Two Lights, London 10-2018

London's highest rated restaurant The Clove Club has opened a new place in Shoreditch. Two Lights (not sure where the name came from) doesn't look like anything too unusual from the outside, but the food inside tells another story. I was lucky enough to book the soft opening and get 50% off. It was the most decadent lunch I've eaten in a long time.

- Crab on beef fat chips £4.25 - I expected a bowl of chips topped with crab, similar to a type of chilli fries. Instead it was a chip of layers fried potato topped with crab and shredded elderflower. The potato, beef fat, crab and sour topping was an excellent combination. I could eat a whole bowl of those;
- Roast artichoke & sunflower seed miso £11.5 - it reminds me of the burnt cauliflower at Shawarma Bar (http://eatlikeushi.posthaven.com/shawarma-bar-london-08-2018), and instead is a kind of collection of artichoke chips that you can peel and dip into the (surprisingly mild, maybe a little too mild) dip and chew off the soft end. Then inside is the soft roasted root of the vegetable to eat in chunks. A slow and relaxing way to eat;
- Roasted ray wing with dill pickle butter £20.5 - I haven't eaten stringray since Malaysia years ago so this was a good surprise. The ray was so soft and expertly cooked to slide off the thin finger bones. The butter sauce was quite classic and married well;
- Grilled shortribs, beetroots & pickled walnuts £22.5 - soft ribs sliced easily and required minimal chewing. The dehydrated then rehydrated beetroots provided a bit of sweetness. I couldn't really detect any walnuts;
- Custard tart & smoked caramel £8 - perhaps a little disappointing, the custard was quite thick and firm. The caramel had a smokiness and was topped with salt crystals.

Overall an excellent meal with quality cooking. We sat at the window counter watching the strange strangers of Shoreditch pass by.