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Considering the number of residents with young children in East Dulwich, it’s a wonder anyone here has the time or energy to take advantage of its vibrant restaurant scene. However, it was clearly date night when we visited Yama Momo – we’d scoffed at the maître d’s insistence on a two-hour dining window for our Wednesday-night booking, but by the time we left, the long, dimly lit dining room was crowded with couples ooh-ing and aah-ing over Yama Momo’s pimped plates.
There are lots of these. The restaurant is run by the folks behind Clapham’s acclaimed Tsunami, but ditches Japanese authenticity in favour of eccentric presentation and flavour-fiddling. Agedashi dofu – cubes of bean curd so large they threatened to escape from the chopsticks before reaching their destination – were deep-fried in flaky potato starch, itself fried in tempura, placing the primary focus on the contrasting textures of wobbly tofu and crisp coating. Nasu goma, rounds of roasted aubergine with a sickly-sweet sesame filling, were stickily moreish if equally unwieldy. For mains, there are riffs on teriyaki, including a truffle sauce ribeye steak.
The saké list looks impressive, with more than a dozen examples organised by style. Unfortunately, on our visit, only the house pours were available. But nobody likes a hangover on a school night, especially in the land of night feeds and early rises. Give this new local a go; it’s fun, but perhaps not quite special enough to warrant paying an expensive babysitter.