From the reasonably priced likes of Sushi Kyu in Soho, to the filthy-rich-only-need-apply Sushi Kanesaka in Mayfair (a snip at £420 a head), London is brimming with sensational Japanese omakase spots.
This is tender, buttery beef as a lifestyle choice
But what of the Japanese steakhouse? For a country known for its elite cattle – the tender, moist and majestically marbled wagyu – there are far fewer restaurants dedicated to the delights of these cosseted cows than sushi. Largely, London favours fishier flavours when it comes to Japanese cuisine, but Kanpai Classic laughs in the face of delicate nigiri and volleys back a robust barrage of meat. The room, too, is fittingly butch; black, glossy marble walls and tables hench enough to contain the ungodly amount of food set to descend upon them. There’s a downstairs room too, a kind of yakiniku grill-house take on a Berghain-style sex dungeon, in which moody dates sit in semi-darkness and slurp increasingly unhinged cocktails (kumquat and shiso mojito; wagyu carre; kilted samurai).
But back to the meat in hand. Kanpai Classic isn’t just about a serious slab of steak on your plate, but a whole wagyu experience. This is tender, buttery beef as a lifestyle choice, with various cuts, all imported daily from Japan, displayed on a platter complete with name cards. There’s your knuckle, your rib finger, and beef tongue so you don’t forget which raw slice of beef is about to be converted into a buttery, creamy hunk of perfectly rare meat. Oh, and when it comes to the name cards, let’s normalise this and bring it into everyday life, so we can remember peoples’ names at parties.
But first, a series of wagyu-adjacent starters; a caviar-slathered hunk of beef tartate with a teeny splodge of gold leaf on top - not for taste, you see, but to denote that you’re about to get stuck into something special. A simple wagyu gyoza does the dumpling community proud, but we’re unsure about the wagyu spring roll, which tastes more like supermarket spag bol than a high-end snack. All is forgiven when a bowl of extremely hot and crispy fries arrives, cooked with wagyu tallow, and spiked with just the right amount of truffle.
Then, it’s time for the Jules Verne-worthy journey into wagyu. Each piece is cooked atop the mesh grill fitted into the table, some for what seems like only seconds, then snipped with scissors before it’s deftly flipped onto our plates. Though there are dips - salt, lemon, wasabi, etc - it’s almost at its best enjoyed without such fripperies; meat this good doesn’t need a side act.
The vibe A butch Japanese yakiniku (aka barbecue) restaurant.
The food Wagyu every which way, with set wagyu tasting menus starting at a not entirely mental £54 a head.
The drink Lots of Japanese takes on classic cocktails and a sturdy sake and wine list.
Time Out tip One of the best pubs in Soho, the Blue Posts, is just around the corner. Pop in for a post wagyu pint.