Finding the entrance to Circus alone conjures images of illusion and mystique, making one feel they are attempting to enter a parallel world. Where I believed the venue to be, there were merely two ominous, black doors staring back at me. Did I tap on a brick to get the doors to open? Would a talking bullfrog appear and pose me a riddle which intimated one of the doors led to inevitable doom? Had I, in fact, written down the address incorrectly after becoming distracted when my friend sent me a link entitled ‘First World Cat Problems’?  But no, trust me, while there are no clear signs indicating the name of the establishment, pull open one of the imposing black doors and the joys of Circus await.

The venue is pleasantly intimate but not crowded and the venue plays host to a variety of changing acts each night; the talents of said acts are never revealed before the evening itself in order to conjure up that element of surprise. Our first act was a young man dressed up as Elvis whose talent was hula-hooping. I know how this sounds. Like the type of act you see on Britain’s Got Talent where it seems so tackily ridiculous you wonder which of Satan's lairs the performer wouldn't crawl down for 10 seconds of fame. However, from seeing this a few metres away, I can assure you, it is damn impressive. A lot of people I know struggle with the basic art of one hula hoop. This man had hula hoops a-spinning on all limbs. At one time, MULTIPLE hoops on various limbs. At one point, he did a HANDSTAND and had hoops whirling around his legs as they dangled in the air. Someone once told me that if you were a good hula-hooper it meant that you were good in bed. I have no idea of the veracity of this but if it is true, this man’s sexual prowess is frankly terrifying.

A following act changed the pace with a trio of dancing girls in feline attire. A sensual yet not gratuitous dance ensued to The Pink Panther theme. It’s interesting how whenever girls want to dress us to be a sexy animal, it’s almost always a cat. I’m not sure how cats developed that reputation. Why do we never see the sexy wasp? God knows, they must love it, there's enough of them out there.  The dance soon morphed into another highly impressive display of fire-eating talents which the performer exhibited in a charmingly effortless way. Fire-eating is one of those things where, although I know no magic has been involved, I still can’t understand exactly how it’s been done. Kind of like my attitude to most Conservative-voting members of the electorate.

The final act contained two contortionists whose flexibility and poise were a feat in themselves. As with my experience of the hula-hooping, one appreciates technique and elegance so much more when physically closer to the performers. I’m in awe of anyone who can twist their body backwards in such a way that they form a complete circle. Upon returning home, I erroneously decided to see if I could attempt this which, I'll be honest, resulted in a lot of screaming from myself and those around me. In hindsight, this was both foolish of me and flippantly reductive to those who have spent a lifetime of training to get so limber. 

Dinner was equally impressive where guests were offered a selection of delight from a Pan-Asian menu. The Yellowtail sashimi was exquisite and artfully presented, as was the Sirloin steak, served on hot rocks, with a side of buckwheat noodles and shitake mushrooms. To finish, we enjoyed the mini-Magnum and donut duo which created a coupling more perfect than several actual human couples I know.

To conclude, once you have figured out how to enter the venue, I really recommend a night here if you are a fan of Pan-Asian cuisine and don’t mind paying a little extra to have your meal interspersed with such talented and artistic (yet never pretentious) acts. Also, as a hint, the main sink in the restrooms work by way of a little button hidden underneath the top of the sink structure. At first glance it appeared motion-sensitive and I subsequently spent a while just holding my hands under it, beaming expectantly. However, I suppose such quirks as this and the entrance appositely fit with the mysterious ‘Circus’ theme. At least, considering the high quality of the cuisine and entertainment, that is the excuse I’m prepared to give.

To find out more about Circus and to book a table, please click here