LDNReview
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
Donia
Included In
London is heaving with restaurants obsessed by trends and tradition. They sheepishly conform to Nocerella olives or solemnly commit to open-fire cooking. Donia doesn’t care about any of that stuff. Filipino in essence but as London as a packet of Buzz Sweets, the Soho restaurant is doing what many try and most fail at: its own thing.
You’ll find it where you never want to be: on the second floor of Kingly Court, above a hellish courtyard of tourists stomping in fresh Doc Martens. It’s an awful location, but Donia is a special restaurant. The gallery-ish space is comfortable, the pally servers wear Nike TNs, and everyone sits comfortably with Tirzah playing over the speakers. Sure, the napkins are paper but what stands out here is the food. It doesn’t just sing, it absolutely belts—and it does the most improbable of things. It makes you want to come back to Carnaby Street.
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
This restaurant is from the same people as Mamasons and Panadera in Kentish Town—where founders of the Maginhawa Group, Omar Shah and Florence Mae Maglanoc, also draw on their shared Filipino heritage and London roots. These restaurateurs don’t join the hype, they create their own. Donia is the pinnacle. Here, traditional caldereta is interpreted into a shimmering lamb shoulder pie, and cloud-like pandesal bread is served with glowing chive butter. Everyone in the minimalist room is taken away by an exhibition of maximalist flavour.
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
Of the hit-laden menu, that pie is most likely to make you rekindle ex-relationships for the sake of an extra stomach. Mind you, the ube choux isn’t far behind it. Years ago, this restaurant might have been called fusion. In a nightmarish past, Jamie Oliver would declare it ‘a remix’. It’s better off enjoying Donia for what it is: the best of London-Filipino cooking. Made in the Philippines, raised in Kentish Town and, now, making serious moves in Soho.
Food Rundown
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
Pandesal
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
Chicken Offal Skewer
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
Prawn & Pork Dumplings With White Crab
Aubergine & Tomato Ensalada, Pomme Anna
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
Lamb Shoulder Caldereta
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
Chicken Inasal
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
Lechon With Liver Peppercorn Sauce
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch