Can a new Japanese with Oriental style cocktails and a menu which is a lot more than your typical list of sushi bites, really cut the mustard?
They say:
Time Out: “The bar’s fun, with its unusual Oriental themed cocktails and pumped up music.”
The Guardian: “Authentic creations sit alongside a few eastward looking European items adapted to suit Japanese palates.”
We say:
Yes, first impressions count, but then again, never judge a book by its cover. I mean, so what if this a basement bar restaurant with a Japanese deli upstairs that could easily pass for an average grocery store? What counts are the better than average drinks and even better food!
As you head down, to the left is the bar – cool minimalist environs and about eighty different cocktails. So you can go from ‘sparkling’ to martini’ and from ‘long’ (including a decent Bloody Saki made with a large shochu stirred with tomato juice and original saki bloody mix at £7) to ‘old school’, ‘brain freeze’ and ‘shooters’. The mind numbing decibel blowing music gets a bit much, but it’s a fine place to chill in.
Central to the no frills restaurant is a little square shaped garden made of gravel with floor to ceiling stalagmites. But it’s the food which really makes its mark here. The menu splits into various categories such as ‘kobachi’ (tapas), ‘carbo’ (more substantial fare, including sushi) and ‘okazu’ (protein dominated dishes).
Top notch presentation is combined with light and gentle flavouring though there is a tendency to give everything a subtly sweet tinge. Minor quibble though as the chef – performing in view – seems to definitely know his stuff.
It’s probably best to graze with friends here so start perhaps with yuzu citrus scented grilled rib eye (£8.90) or a superb grilled aubergine topped with red miso (£4.90).
There’s also gob smackingly good miso marinated grilled black cod which may or may not turn out be one of the best pieces of fish you’ve ever tasted, and to round off: sushi of soft shell crab and vegetables called spider rolls (£7.50), which will certainly be one of the best bits of sushi you’ll ever have.
Desserts and the saki selection are notable too, but you might just remember this place for all the other stuff as mentioned above.
ADDRESS
4 West Smithfield
London
EC1A
tel, 020 7489 7033
POSTED...
Tue 18 Jul 2006 at 6:17pm
