Sea Bream
Nobu - London

Nobu - London

19 Old Park Lane London, W1K 1LB, United Kingdom

Sushi • Asian • Seafood • Japanese


"I remember when I was younger the idea of eating raw fish seemed quite strange and at that time it wasn’t hugely popular in the UK but in my late teens eventually sushi boxes started to take the place of sandwiches, Yo! Sushi became a regular haunt and I started to fall in love with Japanese food. My sister was my partner is sushi-crime and we loved the fun of the Japanese ‘Kaiten’ and sharing selection boxes from Marks Spencer and other high street places. But soon our fondness for sushi rolls meant we wanted to try the real deal. Back then there wasn’t the plethora of sushi restaurants in London that there is now but we set our sights on the very best…Nobu, Old Park Lane. Once there we clumsily held our chopsticks and we feasted on the freshest succulent sashimi, marvellous maki rolls and crisp shrimp tempura.And then the black cod arrived, the delicious flesh of the fish marinated in miso, had a sweet, buttery taste on the tongues of us young sushi novices…it was incredible…that was it…we were hooked. I’ve now revisited Nobu Old Park Lane many times, always remembering it was the first time I ever had proper sushi…But Nobu has become a bit of an addiction for me and not only do I also love the Berkeley Street branch in London but I’ve actually visited Nobu restaurants on four different continents. My favourite being Nobu Malibu, a beautiful open restaurant where you can sit nibbling on edamame beans whilst taking in a stunning view of the ocean."

Koji

Koji

58 New Kings Road London, SW6 4LS, United Kingdom

Sushi • Asian • Japanese • Vegetarian


"It's no secret that I love Japanese food. And even less of a secret is my fondness for a good cocktail. So put the two together and I'm a very happy girl. Koji which ticks both these boxes in Parsons Green, seems to be a bit of a secret.... I'd never heard of it until researching sake cocktails for a piece I wrote for Time Out, but when they read my piece they invited me down to sample the cocktails and food in person. I went along with Lucy the night before heading to Tresco to do a weekend of pop ups, and we had the most delicious feast of delicate yet punchy Japanese food with punchy yet delicate cocktails!Koji have an ex Nobu chef in their kitchen and you can really tell there's someone who knows what they're doing there. Every dish was exquisite, and the whole experience heightened by being in such a gorgeous setting if you want to impress a date then head straight to Koji. We started with cocktails in the elegant bar area, which is lit by huge feather covered lights. When you go to Koji (which you really should if you're anything like me about good cocktails and Japanese food) order the lemongrass and chilli martini. The perfect balance of zesty and spicy it left our lips tingling in all the right ways. We didn't get round to trying it but the watermelon martini also sounds divine.The food at Koji is Japanese,with a modern twist. The menu's divided into snacks, hot and cold tapas, robata grill and various forms of sushi and sashimi. Being the good (greedy) reviewers that we are, we tried to sample something from each section. Starting with the most wonderful soft shell crab and asparagus summer roll. Light, fresh and expertly rolled it was a great start to what turned out to be a top notch meal."

Momo

Momo

25 Heddon St., Mayfair W1B 4BH, FSA Food H, London, United Kingdom

Bars • Coffee • Drinks • Moroccan


"My wife and I visited Momo for the first time tonight (8pm). I was a tad apprehensive at first as prior reviews had highlighted potential service problems and excessively loud music. Our experience proved my apprehensions completely unnecessary. Music was lively but kept at a comfortable level. Service was quick, staff personable and attentive. The only point with loud music was a charming 2 minute intermission wherein the staff began to dance, chefs banged on (presumably) pans, and chanting ensued. Livened up the place and ended well before it had overstayed its welcome. Crucially, the food was delightful. The lamb hummus was packed with flavour, and I just had to order more pitta for it. The briouats trio was similarly delicious, though a small portion size (6 bites worth) but to be expected for a starter. The tagines made the night (my wife and I shared the beef and lamb tagines). Tender lamb, broth full of flavour and perfectly balanced spice added depth while highlighting the flavour of the lamb. The beef's pomegranate glaze was a refreshing, modern twist which I found perfect next to the classic flavours of the lamb. Chocolate namelaka for dessert, which had a welcome simplicity in its flavours chocolate ganache and buckwheat ice cream, tiny dollops of jam, and chocolate crumble like my mother used to make. Less is sometimes more, and after the complex flavours from starters through to mains, I found the simple dessert to be the perfect way to send us off."