Dinings

This spot is a little Japanese gem. It is tiny, charming, and elegant both in interior and in taste. I prefer to sit upstairs at the little sushi counter, which has six cute stools. Although there are small tables downstairs, it seems somehow insulting to not pay respect to the three talented and very entertaining sushi chefs preparing your dinner. It is reminiscent of the tiny Japanese sushi counters in Japan, where it seems both a pleasure and an honour to be able to watch the chefs carefully and precisely slice and prepare the exquisite fish on offer. The restaurant is sweetly hidden away on a little street in Marylebourne, as if on purpose to add to it’s specialness. Somehow this food is sexy. I cant explain it, but if food CAN be sexy, then this place nails it. I also like how its not trying to be glamorous and in your face like most of the higher end Japanese spots in London do, and this chillness factor adds a lot of points. The restaurant was opened by Ex-Nobu Chef Tomonari Chiba, so some of the dishes are Nobu inspired with a lot of Japanese-Peruvian fusions going on, but its more refrained and less glossy than Nobu, more elegant and fresh somehow. The chef really likes his truffle, and sprinkles it throughout the menu, which you would not see so much of at Nobu, and it feels very well thought out and original, whereareas Nobu seems almost like an institution and a little dated.

Directly behind the sushi bar there are daily menu specials which change pretty often, with a few remaining each week depending on when you go. We chose the “four ways” appetizer with four different preparations of various fish served on cute white spoons and perfectly portioned for two people to try each bite. It also serves as a good conversation piece. The first bite was Scottish salmon with a sweet mustard miso sauce. Quite delicious, but the little baby pea shoot added for color and dimension was quite a strong contrasting flavor against the mellow fatty salmon and miso. The next bite was Cornish turbot served with black caviar, a very light yuzu dressing with finely sliced and crushed onion and garlic. The turbot had a lovely texture, firm but not chewy in the slightest, and the onion garlic ration was not overpowering which it could have been. The third bite was tuna tataki, and for me by far my favorite. It had a truffle soy dressing with bits of black shaved truffle on top. It was very reminiscent in flavor of Piemontese beef tartar. The tuna stands up to the truffle in a complete and balanced parallel, similar to the way raw beef can. Absolutely sublime. The fourth and last bite was Scottish lobster tempura served on tiny bed of sweet chili soy sauce. It was my least favorite, but only because it was served soggy. In fact, the last time I was here it was also soggy. Which is a shame as its quite delicious in flavor.

Next arrived Toro Tartar with fresh truffle soy sauce and again the shaved truffle. I could eat this for breakfast lunch and dinner for the rest of my life. The tuna literally melts in your mouth, and just like the tiny “bite” we tried to start, the truffle and tuna marry perfectly. It is at once salty and vinagery, with a sauce of yuzu for some gentle floral acidity and then is blended gently with truffle oil. Finely chopped chives cover the top like a blanket with the truffle decorating the center. Visually everything is stunning.

Then arrived four spoons of Scottish salmon sashimi served with a coriander leaf for each spoon and a light onion and yuzu sauce. This was quite boring actually and really needed some oil and saltiness. A little sprinkling of interesting rock salt or just plain soy sauce would have brought the flavors together a little better. Not bad, but completely forgettable.

Next arrived the Turbot sashimi and artichoke salad with a yuzu-kosho and jalepeno dressing. Served lengthwise on a long plate, which was a really appealing way to present a “salad”. The baby artichoke was super soft and quartered neatly in between the turbot. There were bits of ikura (salmon roe) and peppery pea shoots strewn across the plate which added color and dimension. The dressing was quite delicate and almost floral, with a very gentle olive oil to blend all the flavors together. Quite beautiful.

We then ordered the yellowtail tartar, which compared to the tuna, paled in comparison. It was paired with baby shiso leaves, chopped chives, and lemon, which I found quite overwhelming for such a delicate fish. It was also somehow to sweet with a sauce of yuzu-honey-mustard, which sent the balance further off. The whole dish seemed heavy handed, even the caviar seemed out of place.

Finally to end, some sushi. we ordered Scottish native lobster tar tar gunkan style with a yuzu-jalapeno sauce served with a nori wrapper on a little bed of rice. Absolutely delightful in every way, and for me symbolic of the whole place. Tiny, perfect, casual, gem-like. The final bite of the evening? Well one can never go wrong to end wth a little uni. So we ordered two lightly seared pieces of uni (sea urchin) sushi topped with kizami – wasabi. It was very fresh, as uni must be, and a mouth watering treat in London, as it is rarely seen on Japanese menus.

Overall this place is really special. It is at once cozy and quaint, but with delicious delicate little dishes that are really memorable and creative without putting on a fuss. It is also somehow romantic and entertaining, being snuggled up at the bar watching the chefs and tasting all these elegant strangely sexy creations…