Humble Chicken

When it first opened, Humble Chicken was a yakitori counter, full of open flames and twirling skewers. These days the 18-seater counter on Frith Street has shapeshifted into something more formal and fine dining-y. It’s still pretty good, if less fun, no matter how much Craig David is played. 

The head chef, Angelo Sato, has worked with Clare Smyth and trained at Eleven Madison Park. So it isn’t surprising that skewers have been swapped for little Japanese and European-influenced dishes with a story. From a cartoonish and delicious mini pig trotter bao to moreish fontina dumplings with chestnut pureé inspired by his German mother. The snacks on this long-winded menu are excellent, with arguably the best mussel in town, and the deconstructed cheesecake with grated frozen mandarin is a mad scientist creation that impresses in every way.

photo credit: Humble Chicken

photo credit: Humble Chicken

photo credit: Humble Chicken

While some of the dishes are superb, the vibe is so-so. Your ears might cringe at the sound of Blue’s One Love playing over the speakers and, despite the intimate space, it feels like a lot of separate experiences going on at once rather than one shared one. At three figures for dinner and just under for lunch, you should expect excellent food, and some of it certainly lives up to that. For a fancy-ish and inventive experience in the middle of Soho, there's probably nowhere better—and it's a fine place to dip your toes into the world of tasting menus.