Three months of
endless tapas in Salamanca was fun, but after a while the taste buds yearn for
something that doesn’t involve chorizo. Okay, so that’s a little exaggerated,
but still- in a city that doesn’t even do a decent curry takeaway, this was a
somewhat challenging period for my adventurous appetite. No surprises, then,
that I couldn’t wait to eat some sushi upon my return to London. And what
better restaurant to jump back into the city’s great metropolitan eating than
Roka, home to exquisite contemporary Japanese cuisine. Zuma’s little sister on
Charlotte Street (there’s also another one in Canary Wharf) serves up the same
menu at a slightly more affordable price (don’t be fooled- the menu prices are
still a little eyewatering). The restaurant’s centrepiece- a huge robata grill-
plainly visible from outside through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows-
divulges the promise of a great culinary experience. To kickstart the evening,
we sampled their cocktail menu downstairs in the Shochu lounge bar- the pear
suppai, in particular, is worth ordering for its powerful, fresh taste. Our
appetites perfectly whetted, we wondered upstairs for dinner, holding our
breath in greedy anticipation. Just like the restaurant itself, the focal point
of the menu is the robata grill- trust us and order the grilled black cod
marinated in yuzu miso: each flake of this beautifully cooked cod is a wonder
to behold. The softshell crab maki roll, alongside the yellowtail tuna sashimi
with truffle yuzu sauce, is also another dish worth trying- magic in your mouth.
We ate our bodyweight in sushi and then (maki) rolled our way back downstairs to
the bar, where a cocktail bizarrely named “Lawnmower” more than adequately rounded
off the evening. Zuma may attract all the stars, but Roka proves that all
little sisters learn from the best.
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