Kurobuta,
17-20 Kendal Street, London W2 2AW
10/08/2014
She
said: A new local to try. We hadn’t gone immediately as the media hype had put
me off. Why are the media so maniacal when it comes to finding the latest hip
place? It creates a run of trendies to what would otherwise be a lovely
neighbourhood spot to have good, innovative food in a local setting. We went
during the day to avoid the herd and I was surprised to find a lovely, open
contemporary space with fresh cakes sitting on the counter. Mmm, a possible
future cake spot I thought. The menu offers a good range of small
Japanese/Asian dishes (yes it’s another sharing concept place) but prices are
high for what you get. That said, what you get is very, very good. For example,
we had a Tuna Sashimi pizza which was amazing but the size of a coaster with a
£10 price tag. The Miso grilled Aubergine was outstanding and the Pumpkin
Tempura tasty (if salty). The bill came to almost £60 for just four small
sharing plates and a cocktail for him. We also took two cakes away at a more
reasonable price, with my Yuzu meringue being extremely good. So Kurobuta is a
bit of a dilemma; great space and interesting menu but prices a bit silly. I
guess that’s why it’s for the trendies rather that for the neighbours in its
very neighbourhood setting.
He
said: Kurobuta is a really interesting place serving wonderful food prepared
with a degree of meticulousness in total contrast with the self-consciously
low-fi, hang-out-with-your-mates setting. You can almost hear the chef
ruminating: ‘my cooking kicks Michelin in his big, rubbery ass, but I’m not
playing the Michelin game’. So cue the alt-rock soundtrack, uncomfortable
benches, dishes that come out whenever it suits the kitchen, and Soundgarden
posters. I suppose I respect Chef Miyagi for that; I can dig a slacker with
skills. And the skills are in full show when the plates start coming out.
There’s a whole bunch of dishes here that you couldn’t and wouldn’t get anywhere
else: everyone’s surprise hit, carnivores included, is the aubergine in miso,
and the sashimi ‘pizza’ is also great, as is the mushroom stew. On a repeat
visit later that week I tried the scallops which were killer too. I suppose
that Kurobuta is objectively expensive, there’s no way around that, but throw
in so many uniquely pleasing dishes, clearly made with the best of everything, and
you’ll be walking out thinking ‘good value’ instead. I like.
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