Sitting pretty much on the roof of the Pantechnicon Building in Motcomb Street under a retractable pitched conservatory roof is the brand new Sachi restaurant. Now this may be a bit confusing because there was a Sachi restaurant in the same building already down in the basement, but things have changed and now there are, in fact, two – one on the top which is about to change from the main restaurant into something more like a Japanese tapas bar, while there is a new ground floor restaurant, too, about to become the main one. With me so far? You certainly should be because this is very much a place to seek out and it offers some of the best Japanese food in London (and there’s a lot of competition here) in a super-atmospheric space.
On a dreary November evening there was no possibility of using the roof terrace – though I suspect this will become a big feature come next summer. Inside, the lighting is subdued and the seating is comfortable; and, while the service is impeccable, the ambience is relaxed. There’s a bar where you can eat, too, and an excellent cocktail menu with a Japanese-spirits focus. At our table, Gem and I debated whether to have a cocktail or sake to start and plumped for a glass of fizz. But then we decided we’d separate for our wine (for me) and sake (for Gem) pairings to go with our food.
Sachi is big on sharing, which is just perfect for Japanese food. So we chose three starters, followed by two mains and some maki rolls. The first of the starters was Maguro No Usuzukuri, bluefin tuna loin with truffle soy, seasonal truffle shio kombu and chives – so delicate and, Gem declared, better than any she had tasted on her recent visit to Japan.
With this the sommelier had recommended a sake from northern Japan that was light and refreshing, while I had a similarly light white Cotes de Rhone and both worked brilliantly with the first course. The other two dishes were Ebi Tempura (tiger prawns) and Ank No Kara Age (monkfish). The latter was served with lime and tartare sauce and had a wonderfully light crispy coating – quite delicious.
The sommelier returned to give me a light red Grenache Syrah from the southern Cote de Rhone, while Gem had a much richer, fruitier sake. These were perfect matches to the two main courses, exquisite cubes of Wagyu served with a smoked barbecue sauce and the silky textured Hokkaido scallops that were my favourite dish of the whole evening (not an easy decision to make) and served with foie gras, ginger garlic soya and crispy leeks.
We had cups of deliciously perfumed yuzu and two perfectly sized desserts – neither of us usually eat these but one of the blessings of Japanese cuisine is its lightness. I can’t imagine feeling uncomfortably full after any Japanese meal. At Sachi (the name means Happiness, Fortune and Blessing), there is a commitment to using the best seasonal ingredients from UK producers combined with kappo-style cooking (this translates literally as “to cut and to cook”). It’s a style that sits between formal kaiseki dining and casual izakaya. Led by head chef, Joonsu Park, it embraces sushi and robata grill alongside tempura and kushiyaki dishes. Their aim, they declare, is to delight the senses. I’d say they succeed.
Sachi, 19 Motcomb Street, London SW1X 8LB. For more information, and for bookings, please visit www.sachirestaurants.com.
