Roketsu unveils kappo-style Japanese dining experience in London

When you think of some of the best Japanese restaurants in London, Roketsu always comes up in conversation. Sophisticated, elegant and downright delicious, this restaurant has been serving authentic Japanese cuisine with high precision right in the heart of Marylebone. This autumn, the restaurant is entering a new era, moving away from its kaiseki menu model to a kappo-style dining experience.

Kappo is a uniquely Japanese approach to dining where dishes are created through dialogue between the chef and the guest. Roketsu is reinterpreting this concept for its London diners, encouraging interaction between customers and the restaurant’s team.

Through these interactions, diners select dishes and shape their own flow of courses, creating an experience that is entirely personal. The chefs at Roketsu also create and plan different dishes daily, keeping in mind the seasons, produce and meat gathered for the restaurant on that particular day.The new menu is organised into categories including raw, grilled dishes, sushi and tempura, allowing guests to combine and tailor their own meal. Cooking over bincho charcoal and straw fire adds a dramatic sense of theatre. You can sit and watch the chefs prepare the meal before you with high precision, which is nothing short of mesmerising.

Start with small plates like the miso monaka, which is wafers stuffed with 10-day miso marinated foie gras, or the Roketsu salad – easily one of the prettiest salads I’ve ever seen – with seasonal vegetables and yuzu foam. Also pay attention to the hot appetisers, as the portobello mushroom with truffle is one of the most delicious things on the menu.

The raw and fried plates are nothing short of spectacular either, with the yellowtail with yuzu sauce being a highlight. Fresh Nigiri options include wagyu sukiyaki gunkan – sushi rolled with wagyu served with egg yolk, and a decadent otoro tartare gunkan – sushi rice topped with finely chopped fatty tuna, wrapped with nori (seaweed) and finished with caviar. Another dish that is an absolute winner on the menu is the lamb chops with kanzuri chilli miso. The lamb is cooked perfectly, leaving you wanting more, and the chilli miso sauce is the perfectly spicy complement to the dish. I would come back just to eat this dish over and over again.

All of this, of course, can be enjoyed with Roketsu’s extensive wine and sake list, perfectly paired with the rest of the menu on offer. The staff and sommeliers kindly walk you through every step of the menu, encouraging interaction every step of the way.

Finally, for dessert, the monaka wafers stuffed with matcha ice cream and red beans is a scene stealer in a menu that is stacked with incredible dishes every step of the way. And if you’re not a matcha fan but still want to try something adventurous, the truffle chocolate trio – in miso, yuzu and wasabi flavours – are a must-have.

While Roketsu may have moved away from its serene kaiseki-style menu, the new and reinvigorated restaurant is full of a variety of delicious dishes, a vibrant, packed and lively atmosphere, and free-flowing drinks that keep the night young. The menu concept may have changed, however, the heart of the restaurant is still the same: high-quality authentic Japanese cuisine for the soul.

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