Dear Sally,
So I must tell you about Eddy and my lunch on New Year’s Eve. We wanted to go somewhere a little more special considering the day and I found a place called Kurobuta on the King’s Road. It labelled itself as a ‘pop up’ restaurant because it was only meant to be there for a short time while their flagship restaurant in Marble Arch was getting set up.
At any rate in talking to the manager we discovered that they were a hit on the King’s Road and so were attempting to extend the lease. We didn’t care much about whether they did or didn’t, well not until we’d finished eating.
It was fantastic. Not cheap. But one of those restaurants you eat at that stays with you and that you end up comparing all others to. In actual fact every restaurant we’ve been to since has been a bit blah by comparison.
It was a little odd at first because the manager explained that the dishes they served should be thought of more as tapas, and so 2 or 3 should be ordered per person. I could feel Eddy’s wallet getting thiner (the 2 small Lamb Chops were £15.50).
We went forth starting with the Miso soup which was quite frankly the best I’ve had. We followed that with the aforementioned chops, and then notably the Chicken with BBQ sauce (£13), Sweet Potato Fries with a not very spicy but still delicious Jalapeño Dip (£4), and Crispy Skin Duck Confit with Watermelon (£14). A few others came and went, all delicious, all devoured.
As you know I'm not a dessert person but this one I’ve since dreamt about. Seriously, I’ve laid in bed thinking that if Eddy walked through the door with that Pistachio wonderment in toe (or hand) I’d marry him all over again.
This long rectangular plate consisted of a very clever mix of textures and flavours. Contained were Pistachios, Pistachio Cake, Chocolate Mousse, Pecans, Blackberry Candy and sour bursting fruit. I’ll just break it down because otherwise this’ll turn into an essay: Cake - moist to a fault, Mousse - rich and slightly bitter, Pecans - sweet and crunchy, the wild card of Blackberry Candy - soft like jelly, sweet (cleverly made to look like a fruit pastille), and along with the sour pops of fruit made this desert sing like your favourite singer. Just sublime.
If I could I’d go there once a week, but £90 for 2 for lunch is a little more than we can justify spending weekly. Nonetheless that hasn’t dissuaded me from returning. I’ve thought at length about the ingenuity that goes into creating a menu such as they have. They’ve mastered the art of spicy, sour, sweet and salty that Japanese food is synonymous with, but with that they’ve added texture and a little funk (not surprising considering it was opened by a Nobu chef).
It’s described as an Izakaya (a Japanese drinking establishment that also serves food) but it’s so much more than that. The food mustn’t take a back seat to the drinks, but in saying that I love the fact they put equal effort into both.
Without a doubt in my mind I’ll be back there because Mr Lease was kind to them. And with their new lease of life comes new mains. Sashimi Pizza and Wagyu Beef Sliders are part of the new ‘Junk Food Japan’ section of the menu.
The whole thing works. They march to the beat of their own drum, and I like their beat.
Kurobuta
10/10
251 Kings Road
London, SW3 5EL
Tel: 07845594910
www.kurobuta-london.com
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