The Cocochine

I have written previously about the background to The Cocochine and its chef/patron Larry Jayasekara.

The meal began with some canapes.  A take on a cheese and onion crisp featured a crisp with golden oscietra caviar. Mashed potatoes are spread very thin in trays, dehydrated and then cut into strips and deep-fried to keep their shape. Cream cheese is seasoned with home-made onion powder (using onion from Rowler Farm). This is all topped with golden oscietra caviar from a supplier in Paris. A tribute to the classic dish coronation chicken, this version instead used langoustine, citrus gel and kafir lime. A coronation mix was made with diced apple, curry leaves, home-made curry mayonnaise, raisins soaked in Earl Grey tea, toasted nibbed almonds and coriander. This was then mixed with langoustine claws, served on a thin crisp, dusted with toasted curry powder and a thin julienne of kaffir lime leaves. This was an innovative and successful tribute to a classic dish. There was also a doughnut filled with 36-month aged Comte cheese and black truffle sauce, topped with finely grated 40-month aged Parmesan from Bologna. The doughnut was made from wheat flour from Rowler Farm, and aerated with a syphon to get air into the doughnut. This was similar to a gougere but without the choux pastry, a warm sphere filled with cheese flavour and light in texture. Lovely. The canapes were comfortably 17/20 level on average.

Two breads were offered. One was a brichoe, served warm. This was flavoured with caramelised onion, curry leaves and toasted cardamom. There was also sourdough with Rowler Farm rosemary Butter, glazed with kithul (a natural sweetener from Sri Lankan palm sap) and sea salt. Both breads had excellent texture. The first formal course was a very large hand-dived scallop, served with mushrooms, pandan leaf and black truffle. The huge scallop was cooked just on one side, and retained its natural sweet flavour very well. This was complemented by the truffle fragrance and the aromatic, slightly nutty scent of the pandan leaf (17/20). 

Next was a luxury take on kedgeree. Native lobster from Scotland was barbecued at the table in a banana leaf. The resulting lobster meat was then added to a rice pot flavoured with spices. The lobster was barbecued over Japanese charcoal and glazed with ginger and lobster sauce, then garnished with micro-planed fresh lime zest and citrus gel. The dish was finished with tomato, lobster, fresh tamarind sauce and the rice pot. The rice used is Samba rice from Sri Lanka that is cooked in spiced lobster stock and butter. This is mixed with lobster claw meat, topped with soft poached quail egg, garnished with micro coriander from Rowler farm, and a lobster and citrus emulsion. The overall effect was lovely, the lobster very tender and the touch of citrus bringing freshness (17/20). 

The final savoury course was a 40-day dry-aged sirloin of beef, from Rowler Farm. This was served with parsley puree, caramelised cipollini onion, parsley and pickled Biquinho chilli (a mild red chilli from Brazil) and black pepper gastric. The red wine jus used veal knuckles roasted until golden in colour. Then several elements were added to the stock pot: caramelised onions, carrots, leeks, celery and garlic. Additionally, white peppercorns, bay leaves, thyme and fresh tomatoes were added, covered with white chicken stock and cooked for 24 hours. The stock is sieved and reduced to the desired consistency. In a separate pot, the kitchen reduces six bottles of pinot noir to a syrup, then adds this to a red wine reduction made from another six bottles. This is reduced by half, and then added to the veal stock, along with caramelised shallots, caramelised mushrooms and roasted beef trimmings. This is infused for an hour, then passed through a sieve, seasoned with cherry vinegar, black pepper and finished with a little roasted beef fat. The beef had lovely flavour and was carefully cooked, with the chilli-based accompaniment cutting nicely through the richness of the sauce (18/20). This was a great example of the classical French technique used in the kitchen here, combined with a touch of Sri Lanka to reflect the background of the chef.

The ingredients for the pre-dessert were displayed in a little box. The dish was inspired by the chef’s memories of travelling on public transport in Sri Lanka, where vendors sell mangoes or pineapple with salt and chilli to bus and train passengers. In the version here, Sri Lankan pineapple is served with lime and lemongrass sorbet, coriander oil, sea salt, finger lime and topped with Sri Lankan long red chilli flakes. On the bottom of the cup was fresh diced pineapple and lime segments. This was a very enjoyable pre-dessert, refreshing and nicely balanced, the hint of chilli an interesting touch (16/20). The final dessert was dark chocolate crémeux, Sri Lankan cardamon ice cream and a delicate chocolate tuile. This was a nicely made classical dessert (16/20).

Service was excellent. We sat at the kitchen counter and were able to interact with the chefs, which made for an intimate dining experience. I was being treated to this meal and didn’t see a bill today, but a typical meal here might cost £215 including wine and service. This could be a lot less if you opted for the set lunch, which is a bargain at £39 given that it currently includes dishes like lobster ravioli. The Cocochine has access to ingredients of a quality that most restaurants can only dream of due to its exclusive access to the farm and fishing port of one of its investors. Combine this with high-class technical cooking, a smart setting and good service, and you have a strong overall offering. The Sri Lankan influence in the classical French cooking also makes it unusual and interesting.

Further reviews: 22nd Jan 2026 | 11th Dec 2025 | 18th Nov 2025 | 09th Sep 2025 | 15th May 2025 | 22nd Mar 2025 | 05th Apr 2024