Inko Nito London | Soho | Japanese Robata | Map

I cook a lot of Japanese food at home, and I’m pretty good at it, if I do say so myself. So when a new Japanese restaurant opens up in London, it takes a lot to get me out of the house and believe in the hype. Well hello Inko Nito, a Japanese fusion robatayaki (fireside cooking) restaurant based in the heart of Soho. I was recently invited to their press event, and after reading the contemporary menu I was intrigued. In fact I was more than intrigued. I was drawn in by the promise of flavour explosions – and an umeshu negroni – all in a minimalist scandi setting. Basically, my dream kinda restaurant – I was there with bells on!

What did we eat?

• SALADS
  • Edamame, soy, mirin, ginger, sea salt
  • Avocado, quinoa, edamame, green bean, apple wasabi dressing
  • Romaine lettuce, spicy cashew nut miso
• NIGAKI
  • The cali; Portland crab, avocado, wasabi tobiko, yuzu mayo
  • The veggie; avocado, yuzu, garlic, crispy rice
  • The chirashi; salmon, yellowtail, wasabi shiso
• HOT
  • Panko fried chicken, chili garlic yogurt
  • Fried shrimp, spicy Korean miso, sesame seeds, lime
  • Tofu kara-age, miso mayo, nori
• MEAT
  • Chicken wings, ume-boshi, green chili, mint, sansho
  • Bone marrow, smoked soy, garlic toast, shallot
  • Prime beef short rib, peanut chilli oil, spring onions
• FISH
  • Grilled prawn toast, sesame, wasabi mayo, katsuobushi
  • Cobia collar, brown butter ponzu, lemon
• VEGETABLE
  • • Cauliflower, garlic soy aioli, parmesan panko
    • Tenderstem broccolini, onion wafu
    • Baked potato, yuzu kosho sour cream, spring onions
• THE SWEETEST THING
  • Charred coconut soft serve, soy, pocky, Japanese granola

Final thoughts on Inko Nito London

I wish I could go into detail on how much I enjoyed the individual dishes we ate, but no one has time to read a blog post that long. Instead I’ve highlighted my personal favourites (above) and will give you a short summary.

Alongside the spacious interior at Inko Nito, you’ll find a pretty vast menu, but don’t let that deter you. Honestly it’s the kind of restaurant where you’ll enjoy any dish that you order. A lot of well known Japanese flavours are featured on the menu, as is to be expected. However you’ll also find a whole bunch of innovative and moreish fusion delights to please your palate. Would I go back? Definitely! Price-wise it costs around £30pp, which isn’t too bad for a decent meal in London. In fact since I was invited to the press launch I’ve already been back with friends, and paid with my own money. If that doesn’t say how much I enjoyed eating at Inko Nito London, I don’t know what will.

Check out more: Where to Eat in London

Galvin at The Athenaeum | Mayfair | British cuisine | Map

On possibly one of the hottest days of the year, I decided to brave the tube. Why? Because at the other end of the line, Galvin at The Athenaeum was calling. Based in the Mayfair hotel, the restaurant comes from Michelin-starred London chefs Chris and Jeff Galvin. Known for their French-inspired menus, the brothers have stepped away from their trademark for the first time. All in favour of championing Britain’s delicious homegrown produce, and supporting independent farmers across the UK.

We arrived feeling slightly overheated, so of course a drink was in order. We headed straight to the beautifully designed THE BAR at The Athenaeum. Plush interiors cooled us down, whilst the small nooks invited us to take a private seat. Our choice of drink, gin & tonic; from their substantial collection of premium gins. As we sipped away, and nibbled on bar snacks, we chatted about what we would order on the menu.

So what did we eat?

• Terrine of ham, chicken and foie gras with red onion marmalade
  • Chunky meat and subtle flavours complimented well by a sweet marmalade.
• Smoked duck, plum, poached egg & hollandaise
  • A step-up from your usual ‘benedict’ – I definitely had food envy after stealing a bite of the smoked duck.
• Fish pie (daily special)
  • Fish pie is one of my go-to comfort foods, so I can be critical. That said, I was let pretty satisfied after trying this one. It was packed full of cod, prawns and salmon, with a thin layer of mashed potato. My only con was that it didn’t use eggs, and I would have liked to have seen some smoked fish in the mix.
• Sunday Roast
  • The roast here comes with the option of chicken, pork or sirloin beef. Ben went for sirloin, which was cooked pink and seasoned well. It was superbly tender and melted in my mouth – I couldn’t resist trying some.
• Dessert/Cheese buffet (unlimited)
  • A novel idea, the dessert buffet was full of well-known favourites and a few surprises. I was personally delighted to see ‘Apple, pear & almond tart’, which I piled onto my plate alongside sugary meringues and freshly whipped cream.

The Weekend Lunch Menu comes with unlimited bubbly.

Final thoughts on Galvin at The Athenaeum

Our visit to Galvin at The Athenaeum was the perfect way to spend a Summer afternoon. We were completely won over by the bar, and as you can tell from above we fully enjoyed our meal too. My only regret is that I filled up on my starters and mains, and I would have loved to sample more of the desserts and cheeses (I was too full to try any) on offer.

Would I go back? Oh yes! After experiencing the weekend lunch menu I’d love to see what else Galvin at The Athenaeum has to offer. Perhaps afternoon tea, or dinner? Almost definitely drinks and bar snacks!

Check out more: Where to Eat in London

——————————–

This post is in collaboration with Galvin at The Athenaeum, however all images, words and opinions are my own.