Cocoon Restaurant

An intersection of Asian cuisines, atmosphere and design, Cocoon is located in the heart of Regent Street. The restaurant has been designed by Stephane Dupoux from Miami and is subtly divided into six dining cocoons, two with sushi bars and a bar and lounge area. Two Best Design Awards, and one from Harpers and Moet Restaurant Awards for "Best Scene" serve to confirm that the trade approves.

Their chefs have created a balanced menu that will take you on a journey across Asia. From Thursday to Saturday the Lounge is open until 3 am, serving a choice of dim sum bar snacks or their more opulent dishes - caviar, native oysters and fantastic chocolates - until 2 am, a veritable Aladdin's Cave of luxury tinged with a hint of decadence.

For most of the time the restaurant relies upon an a la carte menu that is geographically diverse and full of excitement. Sushi, for instance will at any one time contain a range that sets the tastebuds into top gear, with prawn, salmon roe, sea eel and snow crab on parade. Special nigiri offers two pieces marinated and blow-torched, either salmon or o-toro, fatty tuna.

Sushi rolls are always popular, with seven choices including smoked eel and avocado, kani kara, the spicy soft shell crab with cucumber and mizuna, or for sheer luxury tempura tiger prawn, wagyu beef and teriyaki sauce, a sort of pan-Asian surf n' turf.

Moving into starters proper we encounter wild mushroom spring roll with bamboo, truffle and sour cream, and tiger prawns with chilli, blackened green beans and Szechuan sauce.

A straight salad of seaweed, tofu, edamame and pumpkin seeds could be slightly overshadowed by a choice of three sashimi salads, one of which is a yellowtail with mangetout and black truffle. The main courses at Cocoon, often the first point of contact for a diner, come up with some splendid combinations, starting with wagyu beef on hot rocks with teriyaki sauce. If you sometimes wonder how the prices charged for this very special meat can be justified the answer could be to sample the Cocoon version.

However for those who do not have access to their private hedge fund more modest dishes are every bit as satisfying, with Chilean sea bass, black and chilli bean in shaoxing wine, or a baby barbequed chicken, cinnamon and sweet plum sauce to prove the point. Wasabi lamb with grilled asparagus makes a pleasant partnership and the vegetable green curry, lychee, aubergine, asparagus and coconut milk never fails to please, even sometimes with devoted carnivores.

Side dishes are sometimes deemed to be of little importance - many disagree and enjoy their green fried rice with spring onion and coriander, or stir fry egg noodles with spring vegetables and chilli garlic paste.

A hefty wine list weighs in with equally hefty prices, reflected in the excellent quality, and still leaving more modest items for those who might just be feeling the pinch.

Do click on their Website to gain a visual feel for this attractive restaurant which is offering some of the best in London.