Abbie Schofield tries an elegant restaurant serving pan-Asian small plates in the heart of Shoreditch

Where is it?

What is the place like?

What did you eat and drink?

UBA’s diverse pan-Asian menu, led by third-generation chef Pavel Baranovs, takes inspiration from Japanese, Chinese, Singaporean and Vietnamese cuisines. One minute you’re piercing into soft xiao long bao, your mouth filling with steaming pork broth and chives, and the next a sliver of tuna sashimi is melting on your tongue.

Small plates are still all the rage in London, which means you get a bite of everything, but ask your waiter about portions or risk an argument with your dinner companion over the third prawn har gow. The larger robatayaki (charcoal-grilled foods) are not to be missed. Beef rib-eye arrives in perfect pink slices, charred on the outside with a sweet glaze offset by peppery watercress and wasabi furikake (a Japanese seaweed seasoning). My favourite is the imperial black cod: flaky flesh coated in sticky chilli-lime yuzu miso, which is punchy without overpowering the delicate fish.

We order two desserts to share because we can’t decide. The chocolate layer cake comes with a scoop of addictive miso ice cream, while an extravagant looking passionfruit lychee crème brûlée steals the show, its coat of golden crystallised sugar topped with sour passionfruit sorbet.

Your verdict?

Special without eye-watering price tags and in the perfect location to end a busy day in town (or start an evening out), UBA adds a touch of elegance to the Shoreditch restaurant scene.