I have always had a hate relationship with mozzarella – boringly tasteless and stringy in my view. But then a friend and I lunched at Obikà. And whilst I still hold true to my original premise I now know that authentic Mozzarella di Bufala is fabulous.
In search of lunch we had ventured into Obikà an interesting looking restaurant on Draycott Avenue about mid-way between Knightsbridge and Sloane Square. It was a mild September day and we were shown to a table at one of the open floor to ceiling windows. Our first impression was that the interior was very black! It is, but it’s also very elegant, evidently influenced by Japanese design. One wall was a tempting looking wine wall; in the middle of the room a large bar with lots of activity going on.
The service, as provided by Antonio and Francesca, was terrific – a carafe of iced tap water adorned with slice of cucumber appeared instantly, a fresh napkin delivered on a plate to J. each time hers slid off her lap onto the floor and friendly help offered with regard to the menu.
We shared a platter of cured meats and Obikà’s mozzarellas. Their Mozzarella di Bufala is delivered fresh from Italy three times a week from producers within areas of Protected Designation of Origin in Italy. It is hand made using buffalo milk and is available in three versions: Classica, Affumicata (naturally smoked) and Burrata (creamy). My favourite with its delicate hint of smoke the Affumicata.
We decided to share a light, crispy pizza and sea bass so as to make sure we had room for the three-dessert tasting platter, and we each indulged in a very nice glass of Italian white wine.
Obikà was established in Rome in 2004 and now has 19 locations globally, including Rome, Milan, Firenze, New York, Los Angeles, Toronto, Tokyo and Istanbul. There is another London branch at Canary Wharf.
The restaurant offers a made-to-order service, where the different varieties of mozzarella can be ordered and collected. At least now I know where to buy delicious mozzarella, and I’ll probably linger long enough for lunch there too. A.H.
96 Draycott Avenue, London SW3 3AD. Tel: 0207 581 5208