Restaurants

When this Smithfield restaurant and bar first opened in 2006, it caught the headlines with gimmicks such as paperless loos and automatic noodle-makers. But the reason it continues to thrive is no gimmick – just sophisticated, seasonally based Japanese cooking from a very capable kitchen. The moody basement dining room features central communal seating arranged around an eye-catching garden of white pebbles and stalagmite candles, but most eyes are on the sensitively crafted sushi, the miso-marinated black cod, and the lobster tempura in black vinegar. On our visit, service oscillated wildly from on-the-case to lost-the-plot, but the food was consistently good. Slow-grilled iberico pork cubes with teardrops of miso sauce were tender and long-flavoured, and a salad of thinly sliced octopus with gomasu (sesame and garlic sauce) was a textural treat. We adored the simplicity of new season’s green asparagus with mizuna, the crisp crunchy nuggets of chicken tatsuta, and the loll-about richness of negi toro (fatty tuna rolls). And if it’s true you can tell how good a Japanese restaurant is by the quality of its rice, then this is a good Japanese restaurant.

Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2009