Balans Soho Society is back with a bang in London Westfield (East)

Hearing that Balans Soho Society had a new re-fit and its doors were open again to the public, I did what any good Londoner would do on a sunny Saturday and hot footed it down. They say that too much of a good thing is a good thing or something like that, well we had a lot of good things and were so stuffed we couldn’t fit anything else in.

A café, a restaurant, a bar, a member’s establishment and definitely a place where rules are made to be broken – Balans Soho Society is the place to indulge. A place to go for breakfast, lunch or dinner, before or after a spot of shopping, surrounded by fellow eccentrics, bohemians and dreamers, when you feel like doing things you probably shouldn’t.

A place to indulge and escape the mundane everyday, Balans Soho Society’s menu is overseen by Executive Chef Crispin Chetwynd, a culinary superstar who has spent time touring the globe with the likes of Paul McCartney, Michael Jackson and Pink Floyd. The seasonally-changing menu shines a light on the best local produce from the likes of The Ginger Pig and H. Forman & Sons (the oldest smokehouse in London).

With all this in mind we were ravenous and could not wait to tuck in. For starters I had the Cornish Scallops with artichoke puree, black pudding and pancetta and my friend ate the Calamari with aioli. I was so involved in my Cornish Scallops I did not get to tuck into her Calamari. The Scallops were divine and offset perfectly by the crisp and salty pancetta and black pudding and the puree allowed for a delicate flavour that encapsulated the tender Scallops.

For our mains, my friend went with trustee fish and chips, but I wanted to try something I had never had before an opted for the Sesame Tuna served with Jasmine Rice, back choi, garlic and ginger soy. The tuna was divine, the only thing I regret is not going with the waiters suggestion and having it slightly rare, I opted for super well done, more out of fear than anything else. But it was still great; it added a twist to my meal especially as the choice was left field from the rest of the menu. That is something I love about Balans its eclectic mix of great tastes and different types of continental cuisine on one menu.

Stuffed to the bones we still had to fit in a dessert roll on the warm doughnuts with cinnamon apple compte and whipped cream. Can we take a moment of silence just for the awesomeness of this dessert… It was lush, the warm doughnut, the compte the whipped cream, just look at the picture it speaks a thousand words. If you turn up just for this, it will not be wasted time.

But if you just fancy a chilled drink Balans Soho Society offers that too. Try the Pornstar Martini, I can tell you from now she is a very dirty dirty girl! First pornstar I have drank in a while where we actually felt tipsy!

Make sure you head down and check out the gorgeous new interior and great food, Balans Soho Society, is fun for everyone and after a long day shopping you are worth it.

OPENING TIMES:

Mon – Sat: 8.00am – 11pm Sun: 8.30am – 10pm

BALANS SOHO SOCIETY

Ground Floor, 123 The Street
Westfield Stratford City Shopping Centre, London, E20 1EN

www.balans.co.uk
Twitter: @BalansLondon | FB: BalansLondon | IG: BalansSohoSociety