London was conspiring against me last Tuesday. From tube strikes to bus blockades to Boris bike bedlam, and then a small slip up on my part (there is a Japanese restaurant called Sakura at number 23…of a different street), the signs were telling me not to turn up to this lunch. But I’m awfully glad I did.
‘Sakura‘ (translated as ‘cherry blossom’) is the name of a springtime menu at the restaurant Sake no Hana, created to celebrate the start of spring, and specifically, the cherry blossom season in Japan. The theme is clear as soon as you enter the bar on St James’s Street; beautiful blossom arrangements designed by florist Veevers Carter adorned the space from floor to ceiling, and a quick look at the menu leaves you in no doubt of the central ingredient.
Cherry blossom tea, fragrant and subtle, cleansed our palettes at the start of the meal, followed by a perfectly adequate white miso soup with shiitake mushrooms. Both were enjoyable, but the anticipation really kicked in when our centrepiece bento boxes arrived. Sweet sticky seven-spiced chunks of chicken thigh were accompanied by a fresh salad of asparagus and tenderstem broccoli with sesame dressing. The chicken was well cooked and the salad provided enough crunch and freshness to compliment the soft heady sweetness of the meat. The second layer of the box was sushi and sashimi. Our rolls were expertly constructed and the balance of heat and flavour in the spicy tuna was exemplary. The star of this layer, however, was the sashimi. Wonderfully soft, each piece melted in the mouth and I was blown away by a cut I had not eaten before: Chu-toro, or tuna belly, is a rich, fattier section of the fish than the conventional steaks to which we are accustomed, and the flavour is bigger and better as a result.
Thoroughly content with our meal up to this point, desserts arrived to put the cherry on the top, so to speak. Macaroons are one of life’s great treasures when done well, and I will add Sake no Hana to my treasure map after sampling their offerings. Light and meltingly delicate, with a rich cherry ganache filling and a beautifully decorated crispy shell, these macaroons come in bowls of five, so when it comes to dividing up these treats, make sure you don’t have any underlying tensions with your fellow diners. The co-star of our final course was a plate of delights; variations in colour, texture, and taste. A rich chocolate dessert with sharp cherry centre, delicate ginger jelly cubes with pear, pistachios and a cherry blossom ice cream all came together to deliver a wholly satisfying finale. The (you guessed it, cherry-themed) cocktails which were served alongside our lunch were fine, if potentially overshadowed by the food.
I would seriously recommend a trip to Sake no Hana. You need to move quickly though as this seasonal menu is available only for the next two weeks. You could even find yourself celeb-spotting: as we tucked into our sashimi, along came Rosie off of Made in Chelsea. Higher quality of food than the clientele, in my opinion.
Special menu continues until 19 May, more information on Sakura at Sake no Hana here.
Written by a Thoroughly Modern Man, James Bomford.
