Tag Archives: Japanese

Shoryu, Soho

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A modest little chain, Shoryu is another place joining the ramen trend. The layout inside is very casual, think Wagamama-style benches with seasoning and sauces on the tables. They promise to serve “authentic Hakata tonkotsu ramen with a passion” and I think they succeed.

I went for a long overdue dinner with one of my oldest friends at the Soho branch. Coincidentally, she also happens to be a big Japanese food fan and had recently spent time in Japan experiencing the culture and cuisine there. Her enthusiasm for various traditional recipes that she spotted on the menu fuelled my interest too.

We chose an assortment opting for some familiar favourites like Gyoza Pork Dumplings and crispy deep-fried Chicken Kara Age. We exhibited more daring with our main course choices ordering two different ramen noodle dishes.

All the food at Shoryu is fresh and full of flavour, there’s no need for extra seasoning as they get it just right. My Hokkaido Curry Ramen was a recipe of rich curry-soy pork broth with crispy karage chicken, nitnamago, nori, menma, naruto fish cake and spring onion. Obviously I don’t know what most of these ingredients are, so I had to take the waiter’s word that it was worth trying. It was an intense broth with numerous ingredients and numerous different tastes, delicious but still quite a foreign concept for my palate. A giant bowl, it was impossible to finish, but I was impressed by the nearby Japanese couple who seemed to easily slurp up every last bit of theirs.

It is also worth mentioning the Hirata Bun, a highly authentic speciality at Shoryu, it is basically the Japanese equivalent of a burger so unsurprisingly I loved it.

My friend insisted on ordering the bizarre sounding Matcha Mochi – a dessert made with rice flour, sugar, fresh cream, milk, white chocolate and green tea powder. I hated it, but she promised it was just as good as the variety she had tasted in Japan. I went for the more normal sounding cheesecake which was tasty but nothing special.

Shoryu is a lovely Japanese café-style restaurant, it is a great introduction to Japanese food and a front runner in the ramen trend.

More information here.

http://www.shoryuramen.com/

Hotel 55, Ealing

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It is not often I review a hotel in West London, especially not one so close to home, but Hotel 55 sounded appealing to me. Moments away from North Ealing tube, and a short distance from the central line station West Acton, it is outside the main hub of London but is brilliantly accessible and blissfully calm in comparison to more central hotels.

Firstly I must commend the company on their website, which I often find to be the downfall of a hotel. It is stylish, clear and informative and definitely whet my appetite for this little boutique property. If anything the website exaggerates the grandeur of the building and I was surprised to find it very homely and unassuming when we arrived early last Thursday evening. Inside the hotel has a slick modern edge with colourful lighting and quirky furniture, this style suits the onsite Japanese restaurant Momo perfectly.

Our room was small but comfortable, ideal for a one night business stay. Decorated in muted colours and soft furnishings with abstract artwork on the walls; it was a nice room to spend time in, relaxing and revitalising. A large double bed with plenty of pillows, cushions and blankets ensured we got a good night’s sleep. The bathroom, despite being petite, included a bath and Crabtree and Evelyn toiletries, I could have a long warm soothing soak before bed.

The hotel staff really aim to please, assisting us enthusiastically with our every need. This extends to the room facilities too, with bottled water, loaded minibar and coffee machine all available and complimentary. For supper we wandered downstairs to join other guests for an authentic Japanese meal at Momo. After an initial mix up with the menus, we were delivered some delicious Asian cuisine. Highlights were the crispy chicken pieces and vegetable dumplings and the Katsu curry main course. The food is fresh and well seasoned, and presented in an attractive fashion. With such a huge menu of familiar and unfamiliar Japanese recipes to choose from, there should be something for everyone. I should also mention the wonderful white wine, a delicate refined Reisling.

The next morning breakfast was laid out in the same dining room, a wholesome and tempting array of fruit, pastries and yoghurt. Cooked breakfast is available too. I opted for just toast and coffee but the heavenly smells coming from the kitchen almost convinced me to indulge more.

Reasonably priced, comfortable and quiet, Hotel 55 offers a relaxing haven for tourists and Londoners alike. After staying here I can’t comprehend why anyone would waste their money on an expensive West End hotel, Hotel 55 has everything you need for less cost and less stress.

More information here.

www.hotel55-london.com

Bone Daddies, Soho

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Bone Daddies has opened up shop at the ideal time… just as winter approaches hot, comforting Ramen is available in Soho. I haven’t experienced much Japanese food, aside from the westernised version at Wagamama, so was intrigued but a little sceptical about this concept restaurant.

The first of its kind, this Japanese eatery is the newest venture from ex-Zuma and Nobu chef, Ross Shonhan. It seems an unlikely story… an experienced fine Australian chef opening a casual but crowded Japanese Ramen restaurant… odd, and yet it works.

The venue is a bit gloomy and on a Wednesday evening (within a week of opening) it was a tad chaotic. We were quickly seated at the end of one of the long communal tables. A Japanese-inspired collage decorates the walls though as far as design, that’s about it… it does have the slight feel of “make-shift pop-up”. The staff are savvy and on the mark zooming around supplying food and drink efficiently and offering up well informed advice about the menu. Our waitress, though very English, seemed to know a huge amount about Japanese cuisine, and I was impressed that she’d obviously tried everything on the menu… which I believe should be compulsory for all restaurant staff.

Brown paper menus are simply clip-boarded and presented on arrival. From the snacks (starters) list, Fried Chicken is an absolute must, a more healthy and acceptable version of Kentucky Fried Chicken, it was so tasty we almost ordered a second portion. Small pieces of tender chicken is coated in a thick salty breadcrumbed delightfulness. Edamame beans were standard, and nicely salted: a good light option for whetting the appetite.

Drinks are traditionally Japanese, and though my guest approved, I didn’t particularly like the bitter cocktails. We tried Chuhai 1 and Maiken-Me – both odd mixes of fruit juice and spirits unknown to me. Of the two, I preferred the Chutai which, made with pears and apples, was slightly sweeter. On my next visit I will definitely be opting for Asahi beer.

I loved the varied assortment of condiments on the table, which included a garlic press and jar of freshly peeled garlic, very spicy chilli oil and sesame seeds. From the select choice of eight ramen, we chose the Soy Ramen with Nori and Chashu Pork and the T22 with Soy Ramen and Chicken. The Ramen is surprisingly filling, big bowls of translucent liquid arrive filled with magical ingredients. The soup has an unusually strong flavour, and I found mine overpoweringly salty… I love salt but it did shadow the other flavours a bit. The meat and vegetables were cooked perfectly, soft tender pork and stringy delicious chicken were the highlights of both bowls, though all the ingredients were delicious. All ramen come with egg, bamboo and bean sprouts; I opted for no egg, which I was glad about as it looked a bit sad in my guest’s bowl.

To finish we each had a glass of Nikaido Barley Shochu, an authentic Japanese digestif that tastes a little like Limoncello. It was divine.

So apparently I now like Japanese food and for that I have Bone Daddies to thank.

Bone Daddies is located at 31 Peter Street, with no sign you will need to remember the address to find this discreetly placed restaurant.

Bone Daddies Ramen Bar
Ad: 30-31 Peter Street W1F 0AR (map)
Fb: www.facebook.com/BoneDaddiesRamenBar
Tw: @BoneDaddiesRbar