The Shard London Bridge

Aqua Shard

Open seven days a week and during bank holidays, this is where you want to be if you are looking forward to enjoy the changing views of the London skyline from the 31^st level. Guests will be treated with contemporary British cuisine in private dining rooms and the three-storey atrium bar. They serve breakfast, brunch, dinner and afternoon tea.

TING

Two levels up from the Aqua Shard is the location of the signature lounge and restaurant at the Shard. Chinese term for “living room”, the TING is perfect for either a classic English afternoon tea or a traditional Chinese tea ceremony. Here, you can also enjoy Modern European cuisine in fusion with Asian cooking.

Oblix

In between the Aqua Shard and the Ting, this New York-style steak restaurant offers its diners a panoramic view of lovely London. This rotisserie/grill was the first to open shop among the restaurants at the London skyscraper. Menu is consists of roast, wood-fired oven dishes accompanied with European and British produce. They also serve seafood.

Gong

Located at the 52^nd level of the Shard, this cocktail bar is frequently visited by guests not only for the view it offers but for its cocktails. This Asian-themed cocktail bar also boasts of traditional Chinese architecture and has an infinity pool.

The Shard is not only known for its grandeur and views. It is also the go-to place for tourists looking for luxurious restaurants and great food.

What a special meat

Of the four wagyu races that exist, for now the only one that is exported is called Japanese Black or Kuroge Washu, the most common in Japan, which has a spectacular appearance due to the infiltration of fat, known as marbling. An extremely delicate meat flavor, with a peculiar soft and creamy texture that melts in your mouth just 24 degrees. In addition it has a high oleic acid content, which increases the intensity of the flavor. Of course, unlike the wagyu coming from elsewhere, generally tasteless and greasier, the price of authentic Japanese is very high. In Europe it can reach between 100 and 300 euros per kilo, depending on the cut.

Two wagyus

The quality is guaranteed by the labels each piece has. They come with a tracking code stating the origin of the animal, date of birth, information about the farm where it was raised, slaughter and meat quality according to strict assessment codes based on the marbling (sashi), colour and brightness of the meat and fat, firmness and texture. The highest quality is A1, and the lowest is C5. Regarding the degree of marbling or fat infiltration meat is classified between 1 and 12. The categories 11 and 12, the most spectacular, are very hard to find. Only  the meat from animals born and raised in Japan and with proven traceability is certified with the Japanese wagyu seal.

Sukiyaki style

In Japan, the most common way of eating wagyu is sukiyaki. The meat is cut into thin slices and added a mixture of sake, soy sauce and sugar to let simmer in a pan with various vegetables. It is also popular the shabu shabu, in which the meat, also thinly sliced, is dipped a few seconds in boiling vegetable broth and then goes into ponzu sauce (soy and citrus vinegar) before eating. But where better delicacy and texture of the meat is seen is when it is done in teppanyaki, which is how the art of Japanese griddle technique is known, overcooked outside and almost raw inside. Another option is to eat a niguiri (over rice),raw or slightly flamed with a torch. Logically, these preparations are made from the finest parts of beef, the other being reserved for other dishes like gyu-don, where the meat is chopped and cooked with onions, mirin and dashi broth and then served in a bowl with boiled rice and poached eggs. In any case, a real treat.

Eleven Madison Park, New York, USA

Eleven Madison Park

D.O.M, Sao Paulo, Brazil

D.O.M

Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, London, UK

Dinner by Heston Blumenthal

Arzak, San Sebastian, Spain

Arzak

Vendôme, Bergisch Gladbach, Germany

Vendôme, Bergisch Gladbach

By Nicole P.