Japanese restaurant Matsuri St James in Mayfair opened to feed the Japanese athletes in the 2012 Olympics. We kid you not! Those athletes may have legged it (boom) but the restaurant is still in the game. We started our race with sake and elderflower cocktails and crispy prawn and vegetable tempura.
Next came the perfectly formed salmon and avocado uramaki, marbled tuna and yellowtail sashimi washed down with a soft, delicate white wine. New Head Chef Mr Kishi is clearly a front runner…
Teppan-yaki followed (because lets face it us Westerners like nothing better than sat around the hot plate, watching our meal cooking like the culture vultures we are!), our favs were blackened cod, served with a crisper white wine and fillet steak accompanied by a Tuscany rouge. Or for the high rollers there’s Wagyu beef and lobster.
Desert came in the form of Fireball ice-cream, set alight in front of your eyes it’s quite something, washed down with a plum desert wine. Traditional, fresh flavours and plenty of wines, we’ll award these guys the Gold medal alright.
Matsuri St James, 15 Bury Street, London SW1Y 6AL
www.matsuri-restaurant.com