LDNReview
Sake No Hana
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There are a lot of ways to impress people. You could refer to everyone famous by their first name only. You could start every story with “this one time, when we were on set”. Or if you’re feeling really humble you can just perform the bend and snap with a wad of cash. None of the above are particularly subtle, but showing off rarely is. Such is the case with impressive, check-me-out Japanese spot, Sake No Hana.
There are a lot of things that will impress you here. When you first walk in you’ll see some tall orchids and two long escalators that lead you up to the restaurant itself. It’s all very stairway to heaven. If heaven is a flash restaurant with high ceilings, bamboo architecture and sleek, angular chairs. After that it might be the slabs of bright sashimi that catch your eye, or maybe even the chef blowtorching some nigiri over at the sushi counter. It doesn’t really matter, the whole room is basically one big, sophisticated hair flick, and whether you’re with a client or your mother, they’ll like what they see.
A big chunk of the menu here is taken up with big-ticket sushi and sashimi that definitely looks the part, but ranges from tasting excellent to tasting just okay. If we could invite the Zeeland yellowtail maki to be our connection on LinkedIn then we would, because this guy is a proper little powerhouse. On the other hand, when it comes to the salmon, well, we wouldn’t be too bothered if we lost their number. You’ll also find plenty of other things on the menu like king crab tempura (seriously tasty), some chargrilled Simmental sirloin (pretty decent), and winter truffle mushroom iron pot rice (sounds like the Starks’ cousins, tastes average). The good news is that if you follow our rundown, you will have some impressive food. The even better news is that even if you go off piste and end up with a menu dud, it’s amazing how enamoured grown adults can be with a functional escalator.
Really, if the extent of your ability to impress involves a Lush gift set and a reduced sticker, then Sake No Hana is a seriously useful restaurant. They have lunchtime bento boxes that are perfect for chatting business over, and a slick tasting menu that costs nearly £100 but is entirely worth it for the sake of getting to be a backseat driver, whilst everyone else feels deeply sophisticated over their wagyu beef. That’s exactly what you come to Sake No Hana for. You come here to eat some good Japanese food in a room that’s been designed for power struts, high cheekbones, and starting conversations with “this one time, on set”.
Food Rundown
Bento Box
photo credit: Giulia Verdinelli
The Kaiseki Tasting Menu
photo credit: Giulia Verdinelli
Ebi Tempura
photo credit: Giulia Verdinelli
Koebi Salad
Gunma Wagyu A5 Beef Maki
photo credit: Giulia Verdinelli
Spicy Maguro Maki
Akedashi Hirousu
photo credit: Giulia Verdinelli