Blue Jasmine offers contemporary Southeast Asian fine dining on Southampton’s waterfront. Located in Ocean Village Marina, this restaurant specialises in imaginative and refined South Asian cuisine. The restaurant boasts a great location, with views onto the marina, overlooking the boats and alongside Southampton’s 5 star hotel, and a few other restaurants and bars.
Overseen by Executive Chef Daren Liew, Blue Jasmine offers a menu of East meets West. Combining local produce from Hampshire, the New Forest, South Downs and the Isle of Wight, whilst reflecting traditional Southeast Asian flavours with their spices sourced from Asia.
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Their Philosophy – At Blue Jasmine, we follow a simple philosophy: to serve Asian gastronomy that’s been elevated to fine dining standards. This ethos carries through every aspect of our restaurant, from our waterside location in Southampton’s Ocean Village Marina, to the precision with which each of our dishes is expertly prepared and plated.
Our modern take on Asian cuisine is a celebration of authentic flavours. Overseen by Executive Chef Daren Liew, our menu delivers the essence of Southeast Asia, elevated to new and innovative heights. We select the best local ingredients from Hampshire, the New Forest and the Isle of Wight, and enhance these with spices imported from Malaysia, China and Thailand.
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I want to paint a picture for you…
As soon as you walk up to this restaurant, the ambience can be felt from a distance. Greeted with a warm welcome at the door, then with Covid safety procedures (temperature check and sanitisation) Coats taken to keep safe, and you have the choice to be led to your table or to the lounge for initial drinks.
Choosing to head to the lounge for drinks, the first thing to note is the incredible décor. Luxurious interiors with golds, blues and yellows to showcase this high spec restaurant. Soft jazz music plays gently in the background.
Lets talk about the Cocktails
£6.50 – £14
“To further enhance your dining experience, we offer an exclusive Blue Jasmine cocktail list, curated by a top London mixologist. Each cocktail draws on the vibrancy of Southeast Asia using handcrafted garnishes and premium spirits, complemented by invigorating Thai, Chinese and Malaysian flavours. Enjoy your drink at the bar or relax in our lounge.”
Being shown to a beautiful area to sit in the lounge, with an interesting cocktail menu, full of South Asian flavours. We ordered the signature Green Asia cocktail flavours of Plymouth gin, Akashi Tai plum sake, elderflower, cucumber and mint – an extremely refreshing drink presented in a round gold accented glass, glorious light green and garnished with a cucumber fan. Another signature cocktail was The Jasmine Blues £13 – flavours of Beluga Noble vodka, lychee, apple, coconut, blue curaçao and lime, and presented in a tall glass with a beautiful light sea blue shade, and a really smooth drink.
Most definitely a taste of Asia, that is elegant and refined right from the start.
After a suitable amount of time to relax in the lounge and take in the views of the harbour, we are led through the restaurant to our table, again with good views of the harbour by the window. Outside seating is also available in the warmer days and evenings.
Food
“Our dishes celebrate local seasonal ingredients, while elevating the flavours of the east. Innovative, original and playful, we offer a true taste of Asia like nothing you’ve experienced before.”
A note is that some of the dishes come out as and when they are ready. To keep them as fresh as possible. We were lucky that all our dishes came out around a similar, so as you can see from the photos.
Let’s start with the Duck
Sarawak black pepper roasted duck and pancake – £38.00
This duck comes out on large plate, being carried in a carry basket by a couple members of staff. One to carry and one to place. This does give this duck a bit of an entrance, and it’s very welcomed! The Sarawak black pepper roasted duck and pancake, is 72 hours in the making, and also using ancient methods, the duck is air-dried overnight creating a delicate crispy skin that melts in the mouth. The Sarawak black pepper sourced from Malaysia. The duck is accompanied by a homemade pancake, baby cucumber, spring onion and a hand-crafted condiment using Hawthorn jelly. If you like duck then this is a dish to try!
Pork £22.00
Hampshire pork belly with orange and white chocolate – sounds interesting! This dish sounded quite unusual, so it had to be given a try! This slow cooked Hampshire pork is seasoned with a blend of Asian herbs, caramelised with a homemade white chocolate and orange glaze. I have to day – this was extremely good. Melt in the mouth, and the white chocolate and orange went so well! What a combination of flavours.
Black pepper butter crab £8.00
Fried soft shell crab, a great extra dish, very soft and juicy, with a crispy exterior.
Hampshire rib eye beef with black garlic and Sha Cha sauce £28.00
This beef was acquired from the isle of wight and made with the Chef’s enhanced interpretation of a traditional Malaysian and Indonesian satay sauce – the Chef’s Sha Cha sauce. This dish is a signature dish and it feels special. The taste is homely, with a touch of an extra ordinary something with the sauce. The sauce really makes this dish wow.
Sides
Buttered broccoli and asparagus
Singapore rice vermicelli with prawn – quite a dry dish, but great for an added side, also can be ordered vegetarian.
Atmosphere
The atmosphere in the venue definitely gives a London restaurant vibe. From speaking to the manager I understand some influence has come from a famous restaurant the chef used to work at in Mayfair. The venue oozes class and fine dining, but with a colourful fusion of eastern and western influences. A relaxing and elegant dining experience. Great for couples and groups. A private dining room is also available.
Service
This restaurant is a high standard.
Welcome, seated, service, staff, warm towels to refresh before and after meal.
Note -Disc tip is added of 12.5%.
Price ££££
Overall Rating
9/10
See more photos on my Instagram www.instagram.com/aryanapresenter
Blue Jasmine
Contact -023 8063 6387
Instagram www.instagram.com/bluejasmine_uk