World Foodie Guide

Imagine my delight when a Japanese friend told me about new restaurant Soseki’s ’soft opening’. I love hearing about new restaurants anyway, but when I found out that the food was going to be free during this period, I immediately made two reservations for this week - lunch for one, and dinner for two.

It’s rare for me to eat twice at a restaurant within such a short space of time, but I thought it might give me a better overview of kaiseki kappo, which ‘originated in the high-class restaurants for wealthy merchants living in nineteenth century Osaka’ and is a more informal, less expensive version of the classically prepared kaiseki ryori.

Soseki, named after Japanese novelist Natsume Soseki (who lived in London for two years at the turn of the twentieth century), is situated right next to the Gherkin. I had an incredible view of it from my table, through the huge window. A word of warning though. At lunchtime on a sunny day, it’s extremely hot in the open ‘booths’, and there’s no shade at all.

It’s not a big space, but it’s interestingly divided into different sections, with ‘booth’ seating, 14 chairs around the sushi counter, a bar near the entrance, a tatami ’sunken’ table towards the back (for up to 12), and best of all, two partitioned booths raised on stilts, each with a smaller and a larger table. The decor includes 1920s antiques from Kyoto. I loved the little lanterns and the dark wood construction.

As it was lunchtime, and I was on my own, I skipped the drinks (which weren’t free). I was offered filtered water, which I had alongside my organic apple juice. My extremely friendly waitress explained the menu to me. There are several set menus, but no itemised dishes. The chefs will prepare whatever ingredients are available on the day. Soseki seem very keen to promote more sustainable ways of eating, particularly when it comes to fish, which is delivered daily (and caught around the UK).

The menus are:

• sushi course - 11 ‘courses’ - £50 (or £80 with wine)

• ume plum kaiseki kappo menu - 8 ‘courses’ - £45 (£65 with wine)

• matsu pine kaiseki kappo menu - 11 ‘courses’ - £65 (£100 with wine)

The tea tasting menu (with five types of tea) can be added for £12.

The menu didn’t make it very clear, so I’m not sure if the following are only available from 6pm for a certain time in the evening, or throughout the whole evening. There is the sushi course (9 ‘courses’) and the Western set (4 ‘courses’ including ‘Japanese Western dish of the day’), both at £25, while the prix fixe (choice of two dishes) is £35.

I didn’t choose it, but I was served the ume plum menu. Each dish was explained as it was brought to the table.

• sakizuke (appetiser) - three mini portions consisting of okra and enoki mushroom with wasabi, which was really strong; seaweed salad in a tiny cup; shallots with watercress with a dressing that I couldn’t identify. I wasn’t sure if the three really complemented each other, with their widely varying tastes

• wan mono (soup) - tomato soup with shiso leaf and watercress (peppery), plus an oyster cooked in sake. Unusual. I actually prefer my oysters raw, so this wasn’t my favourite. To be honest, it was a bit like having Heinz tomato soup with a cooked oyster. Below is the dinner wan mono, much better!

• sashimi (slices of raw fish) - it’s on the ume plum menu, but for some reason I wasn’t served this. As it was a free lunch, I was reluctant to ask!

• agemono or yakimono (deep-fried dish or grilled dish) - salmon yakimono with two sugar snap peas. It was fresh, but tasted somewhat bland after the first two courses, which were quite strongly flavoured

• mushimono or nimono ( steamed dish or boiled dish) - sansai (mountain vegetable) chawanmushi, which is steamed egg custard. After wondering whether the meal was going anywhere at all, one taste of the chawanmushi and my enthusiasm was re-ignited. It was the lightest one I’ve had in years, and so delicate, it must have taken me a hundred mini spoonfuls to finish it

• tomezakana sunomono - (??? vinegared dish) - salmon marinated in white vinegar and ponzu with Japanese citrus pepper and the mostly finely sliced spring onion. I absolutely loved this. The fish was extremely tender, and the citrus pepper gave it an exciting kick

• shokuji - main meal of rice, miso soup and pickles, which traditionally marks the end of the meal. Fried rice with egg, onion and garlic, although I could barely taste the latter. The rice was so light and fluffy, and not at all oily. The miso soup was a stronger red version, with onion and sugar snap pea, while the pickles weren’t actually pickles, but spinach with yuzu sauce. There was so much sauce, there was enough for two more portions of spinach. A light dash would have been enough

• dessert - this took over 15 minutes to arrive. Apparently the chef had to create it off the top of his head, and that this wasn’t originally on the menu (or something like that). A chunk of orange and two pieces of partially simmered apple, with an orange and mirin sauce. Not that great, I’m afraid to say

Dinner:

I returned yesterday evening with a friend to see what different dishes were available. I was pleased to be shown a table in one of the raised booths at the back! It’s so private there and great for having a proper conversation. For some of the courses, the portions were larger, such as two large pieces of yakimono, salmon and seabass.

The wan mono was a clear soup with shitake mushroom on top of a piece of fish in light batter, sitting on top of a piece of tofu. The soup wasn’t very hot though. The sashimi arrived this time, and quite a substantial portion it was too - 3 pieces of salmon, 3 seabass and 3 crayfish (I think). Incredibly fresh! Instead of the chawanmushi, the nimono of vegetables arrived to share. And the tomezakana was even better this time - morsels of marinated salmon wrapped in soya sheets, with another sauce I couldn’t identify.

The shokuji rice was different again - mixed with bits of wild vegetables, and the miso soup was even darker and stronger (not so nice). Finally, dessert was lovely compared to what I had for lunch - passionfruit sorbet with two small cubes of matcha sponge cake. A perfect way to end a wonderful meal.

I rather liked not knowing what to expect, rather than having to make decisions ordering food I’m not that familiar with. The portions were small, but more than enough for lunch, and the dinner portions were definitely larger. I was really full after dinner last night. As you can see, I preferred some dishes over others. Each course arrived at a good pace (with the exception of the lunchtime dessert).

After lunch, I wasn’t so sure whether I would pay to eat here, but after the dinner, I was sure. I think the £25 sushi course (after 6pm) sounds like a really good deal, and might try that next time. My friend, who has eaten at some amazing restaurants in Japan, is planning to return soon for another dinner.

The ’soft opening’ ends on Friday 22nd August. Let me know what you think of Soseki!

10 - Perfection, 9.5 - Sensational, 9 - Outstanding, 8.5 - Superb,
8 - Excellent, 7.5 - Very Good, 7 - Good, 6.5 - Above Average, 6 - Average

All the London restaurant reviews on World Foodie Guide

Contact details:
Soseki
30 St Mary Axe, 1F
London EC3A 5AA
Tel: 020 7621 9211
www.soseki.co.uk

Helen Yuet Ling Pang @ World Foodie Guide

Tags: dining out, food, Japanese, London, restaurant review, restaurants, Soseki, travel, traveleating