No13 [Restaurant] So much fusion

So much fusion

So restaurant is a Japanese fusion restaurant hidden in the black alleys of Piccadilly Circus. It serves modern Japanese food fused with European cuisine, which is mainly French and Spanish influenced. So’s award winning chef, Kaoru Yamamoto, trained in both Japan and France and this is clearly reflected in the menu, serving such delights as “Foie gras Nigiri sushi”.
One of the tastiest starters on the menu is the Lotus root chips with roasted seaweed mayonnaise. Lotus plants not only produce beautiful flowers but the root of the plant is also edible, being both nutritious and delicious. It has a texture very like potato but with a mild coconut flavour. The beautiful lotus chips are served in a twist of paper with a roasted seaweed mayonnaise that is delicate and tangy. Another highlight of the menu is the Hijiki seaweed and Edamame salad, dressed in soy sauce and Mirin. This wonderfully light, fresh and beautifully coloured mountain of purple and green leaves is a great summer dish. If you do not fancy that then the scallop and daikon salad makes for a brilliant alternative and is served with finely sliced Japanese radish and yuzu mayonnaise. Yuzu is a sour mandarin citrus fruit, similar to a lemon, which grows wild in China. It gives a lovely sour citrus tang to the mayonnaise; a perfect accompaniment to the scallops. The stand-out features of this restaurant are the creativity in its menu, an attraction to detail in the presentation of the food and some amazing flavours. The Iberico pork marinated in miso is a must when dining here. It may well be the finest pork dish you will ever eat and really is an example of fusion at its best. The pork is cooked in an open kitchen on a rather special yoganyaki grill over vulcanic rocks from Mount Fuji, resulting in a unique flavour. The succulent pork melts in your mouth and each slice is juicy, pink-centered perfection. Miso adds the allure to its deep, sticky-sweet plumminess to give the meat a lovely flavour, especially around the edges which are glazed, crispy and well done. The staff are friendly and will knowledgeably suggest dishes and complimentary drinks for the less experienced diner. The decor is very minimalist with dark wood and beautiful traditional Japanese crockery on display in cabinets. There is a lively sushi bar upstairs and a selection of daily specials. Everything is on display here as you can see the chefs prepare delicious sushi while sitting at the counter and also watch them cook the fusion dishes from behind a glass window in the more formal downstairs sitting area. Do try and save space for dessert though, as you will not be disappointed. The dessert platter is great for sharing and you get four mini desserts, beautifully arranged on a long wooden board; sesame ice cream, green tea flavoured sponge cake, a light strawberry mousse and an exotic fruit medley. So also has a full range of sake and shochu and an extensive wine menu. Their green tea comes directly from one of the oldest teashops in Kyoto and the coffee is superb. Whether you are after good quality sushi or fusion cuisine, So has something to offer everyone.

Luke Bissett

Reference:
So Restaurant
www.sorestaurant.com