Roka is well known in London, specializing in sushi and robatayaki cuisine. Little sister to Zuma, Rainer Becker is the founder of these contemporary and stylish restaurants.
I went to Roka in Mayfair during my whirlwind tour of fine-dining Japanese restaurants in London, and for me it’s up there as one of the best.
There are three Roka’s in London – one in Fitrovia (Charlotte Street), Mayfair (North Audley Street) and Canary Wharf (Canada square).
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I booked the Mayfair restaurant as I knew it would be a well-rewarded and convenient stop after a day’s worth of shopping. It’s a tough life eh :p.
I agree with the reviews that describe it as ‘relaxed yet elegant’. The light wood décor and open-plan suchi and robata-grill creates a warm and welcoming atmosphere, while still allowing for a very sophisticated dining experience. The staff looked after us well and immediately took our jackets as we arrived, and seated us next to the large windows. We also had the option to sit at the robata grill counter which is the central feature of the room.
Our waiter was happy to explain our menu in detail and answer all of our questions. He even brought over a ‘sake specialist’ who gave us a few tasters of sweeter dessert sakes compared to dryer, more rustic ones. We both really appreciated that extra attention.
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As first time diners, my sister and I ordered the Tokujo – premier tasting menu, which I highly recommend. We sat back and enjoyed an absolute feast of delicately prepared food appear on our table for the next few hours.
Not only was it a delight to our stomachs, but also visually, we were very impressed. We ordered 2 sake’s and 1 cocktail each (from an excellent cocktail selection) which altogether came to a price of about 100 UKP per person. It’s not cheap, but for a special occasion or treat, it’s worth every delicious bite.
First we had the an eye-opening bed of ice with sushi thoughtfully decorated on top. There was tuna with caviar and ginger, sea bream sashimi with pickled cucumber and plum, freshwater eel with japanese omelette, prawn with yuzu mayonnaise, seared yellowtail with garlic and cucumber.
Next was seared beef with black truffle dressing.
Then the waiter brought out a dish of wagyu sushi, oscietra caviar, spring onion and fresh ginger.
Followed by black cod and crayfish dumpling.
Next was scallop skewers with wasabi and shiso. These were divine! Perfectly plump and juicy. This was followed by portobello mushrooms with sesame dressing.
Then arrived little delicious and tender lamb cutlets with korean spices.
I was very pleased to see my favourite dish of all time, black cod marinated in yuzu miso arrive last.
As if this wasn’t enough incredible food, we of course had the Roka dessert platter to look forward to. This was one heck of a dessert, a huge bowl with an array of sweets and treats to dive in to. I didn’t know which one to eat first!
The only negative aspect was that my sister had asked them to bring out an additional special desert for me, which they forgot about. I guess a lack of communication. We were in a hurry to leave as we had booked a comedy-improve show at The Comedy Store (a must-visit!) so we didn’t have time to wait, although the waitress did apologise profusely and seemed rather embarrassed. Having said that, as soon as we hopped in to a taxi, reminiscing over the black cod dish soon made me forget about it all.
I love dining in Japanese restaurants, as you can enjoy an absolute feast with such a range of dishes and flavours, yet still leave without feeling like you’ve gained about a stone in weight.
I’ll be exploring more Japenese fine-dining in London each time I return, so will be posting reviews as I go along. Next on the list is Sake No Hana. For spring season, they will specially decorate their bar with a pop-up cherry blossom garden. I’d go even just to try the cherry blossom sake cocktail. It all sounds wonderful, I hope I make it in time!
Roka Info:
T: 020 7305 5644
F: 020 7499 1985
infomayfair@rokarestaurant.com
