I think I have just discovered my favourite London restaurant. And it’s a win on all fronts. The food is Japanese – already my favourite cuisine for some time now. The setting is a delight with an elegant interior and outside a magnificent rooftop wrap-around terrace with some of the best views in London. The service is charming, the staff are knowledgeable and the sake list is the most extensive in the capital.
So let me roll back a bit here. “Kioku” means memories in Japanese, in this case the memories of chef Endo Kazutoshi. Born in Yokohama, he is a third-generation sushi master but has worked, too, in Spain and you do find the occasional chorizo accent in his dishes which is both surprising and delicious. Every plate is a work of art whether served on a wooden stand or a polished, hollowed stone. And the food? Let me give you some examples.
First – before the menu itself had even begun – came a row of three elegant canapés designed to introduce the individual flavours of rice, fish and seaweed, served with a sparkling sake and followed by a pre-starter of aged tuna with egg and pastrami that you spooned on to the top of a brioche the size of your thumbnail.
This was the introduction to the restaurant’s tasting menu, Taste of Kioku, which continued for a further eight courses. However, there’s no need to worry about quantities here – each course is small and there are pauses between each one that are just long enough. No risk of feeling bloated here – the food is so healthy you can feel your skin regenerating.
There followed a yellowtail tuna starter and a selection of nigiri – bluefin tuna, sea bream and trout served with a glass of cloudy sake, GozenShu “Misty Mountain”. Each time a new sake arrived, the knowledgeable sommelier explained its origins and flavours, serving it in a carefully chosen wine glass or in the more traditional pottery cup.
A tiny piece of wagyu steak came wrapped in a sliver of nori, put into our hands “in the traditional manner” – a single bite of pleasure. The vegetable course was potato and seaweed with watercress and followed by sea bass with Shiso pesto, koji beurre blanc and pickled celery – so quite a few nods in the direction of Endo’s European influences here.
The main Wagyu course came with pomme purée and Tokyo turnip. Served with a glass of Hakurakusei Junmai Daiginjo, this was a revelation. My companion, Gemma, a woman who knows her way around a Japanese menu, said simply that it was not like any meat she had ever tasted. Utterly delicious and with a texture like silk – I’d agree with her assessment.
There were, of course, two puddings, the first a tiny yuzu and lemon sorbet, the top caramelised at the table with red-hot charcoal. The second – and this was the only course that defeated me – was a white chocolate tart with nori and bergamot.
There’s a private dining room on the terrace reached through a pergola while the terrace itself on the roof of the Edwardian masterpiece now known as OWO (Old War Office) has views that are simply staggering – the London Eye appears almost in touching distance and the elegant towers and rooftops are beguilingly lit. It’s home to the capital’s first Raffles Hotel and a whole range of restaurants and bars – including a Kioku sake bar.
Kioku certainly lives up to its name – this is memorable, serious and delightful food. If you’re looking for a wonderful celebratory meal, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it.
Kioku by Endo, 6th Floor, 2 Whitehall Place, The OWO, London, SW1A 2BD. For more information, and for bookings, please visit www.kiokubyendo.com.
