The main dining room at Cycene - all very neo Georgian.
What can you tell us about Cycene?
It's the new restaurant at Blue Mountain School (where Maos used to be), from founders James and Christie Brown. They've brought in chef Theo Clench, previously at Akoko and Portland, to create Cycene.
But it's a completely different affair from its predecessor?
Absolutely. While Cycene could be described in some ways as a follow-up to Maos, given that it's taken over the same space in Shoreditch's Blue Mountain School, it's really a completely different restaurant than what came before and very much Theo Clench's own thing.
Cycene is more akin to the style of restaurant that we have often seen out of town but are starting to see more of in London of late. That's where the dinner is more of a "promenade" affair - starting in the downstairs bar (brand new for Cycene) before moving through to the dining room (with a brief stop in the kitchen). That progression through multiple spaces is something we've seen in Restaurant St Barts and Kitchen Table most recently and it certainly makes the night more of an event.
The first step on the journey - it all starts in the bar.
Where is it?
You'll find it in the Blue Mountain School building, which is somewhat easier to spot given that "Blue Mountain School" is written over the building in massive letters as opposed to the small neon sign for Cycene. The restaurant is about a five-minute walk from Shoreditch High Street overground.
Where should we go for a drink first?
As the whole meal starts in the bar at Cycene, you may be best off heading there straight away. However, if you do want to meet for a drink nearby we'd probably say the best option nearby is Mr Lyan's Seed Library inside One Hundred Shoreditch. Although if you're just after a quick beer, The Owl And Pussycat just around the corner from Cycene is also a good bet.
So, onto Cycene - what can we expect from the evening?
It's all based around a single tasting menu with 10 courses (and petit fours) at £175 a head. Inspired primarily by Eastern Asia and Australasia (with seafood a big focus too), you can expect the menu to shift with the seasons. The dining room itself takes only 16 people on one night - split into two sittings, so it's quite an intimate affair (although not a hushed one).
We'll take you through how it all works and some of the dishes below - but we're not going to cover absolutely everything as we think you're going to want some surprises on the night.
We love a menu that starts with a bread course. The butters are shiitake, cultured and seaweed and the broth served alongside is deeply beefy. If you've come in from a cold night, this is very welcoming.
Things start with snacks and among them is this standout. This is a row of teeny gougeres, filled with a comte Mornay cheese sauce with pickled walnut puree and a caramelised onion tuille on top.
Part of the meal will take you into the kitchen where the chef will take you through the preparation for the next course (which you also eat in the kitchen). These are poached Carlingford oysters, seared with charcoal and served with cucumber oil and oscietra.
While you're in the kitchen you might also spy them making the final touches to this beautiful dish - a torched radish rose with mackerel and shiso
This is cavatelli with a sea urchin sauce made from sea urchin from Iceland mixed with brown fish stock and butter. We'll admit to not being great fans of sea urchin at all, but this totally won us over with its balanced touch. On top is a puffed Cassava soufflé.
For the main meat dish, there's duck served with beetroot and endive. The duck is sourced from Maison Burgaurt from Vendee in France, low roasted and finished off in the pan and is extremely tender.
The dessert is this chocolate creation which is notable for being served with a sweet potato gelato - which really does work.
And yes, there are petit fours, including this "fudge sandwich" which is one of the best sweets we've ever had. We'd like a box of this for Christmas, please.
And there's a private room too?
That's next to the main room, called The Hearth Room. It's an impressive space, twice the height of the main dining room. So if you want a more private dinner, you can book that for four to six people (£195 a head).
What about drink?
The wine list has been created by James Brown and they say there's a focus on wineries with minimalist, terroir-driven winemaking practices.
The entry-level price for a bottle is a relatively punchy £47, although given that it's a tasting menu affair, the wine pairing will probably be your best bet if you can stretch to it (£125). But there is another alternative that we tried on the night - the half wine/half soft drinks approach (£110). It's a great option if you fancy a pairing but maybe want to dial back the alcohol a little. We'll give a special mention to the honey and fermented milk which is served with the chocolate above - it was a superb pairing.
While you're in the bar, there's also the option of cocktails and we'd strongly push you in the direction of this brown butter old fashioned (£16)
Overall thoughts
The tasting menu has been making something of a comeback in London of late. Restaurants like Amethyst and St Barts have proven there's a lot of mileage in a carefully constructed tasting journey and now Cycene is absolutely proving that too. The space is beautiful, the progression from one area to the next is done very well and the food is undeniably excellent. We hadn't been to Maos and can't compare that with Cycene, so can only judge it on its own merits. Going by that, we think this deserves great success and definitely a star or two.
More about Cycene
Where is it? 9 Chance St, London E2 7JB
How to book: Book online
Find out more: Follow them on Instagram @cycene.bms.
Hot Dinners ate as guests of Cycene. Prices are correct at the time of writing.
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