Sake No Hana (Japanese) - Review Two - London, England (8.5/10)

After my somewhat controversial meal at Alan Yau’s Sake no Hana last month, I duly returned with a dining companion who hadn’t been before. I was far more relaxed this time, as I now knew where the mysterious dark entrance was. And vegetarian husband wasn’t there to rage about the minute portions.

I was also familiar with the routine of being greeted, led up the narrow escalator to the restaurant, and having to take my shoes off before sitting down at the sunken tatami table, which I had requested upon reservation. And I also knew not to go to the toilet unless I was desperate, as this consists of an approximately 10 minute round trip (down a tiny, hot lift with the lift attendant).

Finally, I didn’t take any new photos, as I was told not to last time. You can see all the photos in my previous review, which incidentally is the first Sake no Hana review written by anyone. It’s also the most searched restaurant review on World Foodie Guide. And as far as I can tell, my photos are also the first unofficial ones of the food there.

It was quiet at 6.30pm, with only a couple of the tables occupied, although it became much busier later on. But I wanted to avoid eating during peak time, because it takes a while to choose the food, and I didn’t want to feel rushed. Like last time though, it was a little disconcerting to have around fifteen or so waiting staff standing around near our table, doing very little.

My waitress realised that I’d eaten there before as I explained the menu to my companion. It’s a little complicated, as the dishes are listed under various Japanese headings, including tsukuri (sashimi), yakimono (grilled), agemono (deep-fried), mushimono (steamed) and takiawase (simmered). It’s also not obvious which are miniscule dishes and which are substantial. And you have to select the dishes in the order that they appear on the menu.

The menu had changed since my last visit, with an added small selection of sushi and sashimi, although the sushi bar downstairs is still not yet open. I chose otoro (fatty tuna) (£6), hamachi (yellowtail) (£5.00) and hirame (turbot) (£4) - 3 pieces of sashimi per portion, which I thought was far better value for money than the nigiri sushi, which was about £5.00 or so per piece.

Next I ordered the tori nitsuke, chicken, sake, soya (£4), which I had absolutely loved on my first visit and just had to have again. It’s a good sized portion - compared with some of the miniature dishes that were served - simply prepared, but outstanding. I also chose the korokke, potato and beef croquette (£4.50), which I wanted to try last time, but it never arrived.

The final two choices were big dishes, as I was determined to eat properly and not leave feeling hungry - the poulet noir ni, black leg chicken, soya bean, carrot, sugar snap, yuzu pepper (£24.00) and the unagi no hitsumabushi, grilled eel on rice (£13.00), the latter which was one of my favourites last time.

Sake sommelier Stuart wasn’t there, so the Japanese manager whom I met last time stood in for him. Although his English isn’t so good, he’s wonderfully charming and helpful. I’d already warned my friend that the sakes were expensive and told him that we wanted the Akai sake, which I’ve had before. Made from red rice, it’s delightfully smoky (£14.00 for a small 180 ml carafe). After this, he recommended one of his personal favourites, the Azure, (listed under Mild), which is made from rice and sea water. On the sake menu, the small carafe option is not listed, but Azure is available at £17.50.

It didn’t take long for the food to arrive, unlike last month, when it took about an hour (it was opening week after all, so I was patient). The sashimi was delicious, and the otoro (fatty tuna) just melted in my mouth. My friend found the hirame (turbot) the most interesting in terms of texture (slightly firm and crunchy, but not at all strange). Hamachi (young yellowtail) I’ve had before at Nobu, and am still somewhat undecided about it. Best of all, the wasabi was prepared from the grated fresh root (as opposed to the stuff out of tubes), and so when it was placed in the soya sauce, it immediately dissolved. Mmmm.

Next came the tori nitsuke, which was as delightful as last time. The meat was tender, succulent, simply prepared and an absolute bargain at £4.00 (you get about 6 slices). While we were tucking in, the poulet noir ni arrived, along with about seven people to serve it. Luckily all but one waitress soon faded away. She laboriously picked out all the bones before serving it out on two small dishes. The chicken, which tasted like it had been slowly cooked for hours, was also beautifully tender and full of flavour, while the vegetables were still firm and crunchy. We had two plates each. I would highly recommend this.

The korokke arrived - two hot croquettes served with a drizzle of bulldog sauce and a dollop of mayonnaise, the traditional accompaniments for korokke. Perfection.

Finally the unagi arrived. This time, it was served in a different way. Instead of laying the unagi flat on top of the rice, the waitress mixed it all up in our bowls. I prefer my unagi on top though. Again, there was more than enough for two bowls each, and we couldn’t finish it all.

By now, I was stuffed, a very different experience to my dinner in December, but we couldn’t skip pudding. As I had the warm chocolate torte last time, we chose the shiso souffle with soya ice cream (£6.50) and the kuzu mochi with black sugar syrup and sweet soya bean powder (£5.00). The souffle was very light, with the delicate shiso (like Japanese basil) flavour beautifully complementing the soya ice cream. My mochi was lovely, not at all heavy or chewy like other mochi I’ve had before. Sublime.

In total, the bill came to £107.25 without service charge. Fortunately, my dining companion gallantly paid for me! I left feeling completely satisfied, and pleased that I’d ventured back. The simple conclusion is that there is nothing at Sake no Hana for vegetarians, but plenty for everyone else. I can’t wait for my next meal there, hopefully when the sushi bar is open…

Another Japanese restaurant recommendation is Roka (Japanese) - 9/10

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

Contact Details:
Sake no Hana
23 St James Street
London SW1A 1HA
Tel: 020 7925 8988
reception@sakenohana.com

Helen Yuet Ling Pang @ World Foodie Guide