Roketsu

 The peak of Kaiseki in London

Scallops, lobster, seabream, sole

Top-class Kaiseki-style Japanese cuisine is hard to come by in the UK, and in fact, besides the Michelin-starred Umu, I can't think of another kaiseki restaurant in London. Launched in January 2022, Roketsu is a one-of-a-kind Kaiseki restaurant. It goes to the very traditional route instead of trying to engineer the cuisine to be more local friendly. The interior was built in Japan and transferred to the UK, with only 10 seats in the dining room along with an open kitchen, run by chef-owner Daisuke Hayashi. It offers a fix priced 10-course menu, mostly based on seafood.

Roji

Omakase sushi den

Grill char and chestnut

I will always take notice when a countering dining style Japanese restaurant open in the UK based on omakase sushi. Roji, the 10 seats sushi counter is by the Japanese restaurant group Chisou, and is headed up by the husband and wife team Tamas Naszai and Tomoko Hasegawa. While it is branded as a sushi restaurant, the strange thing about it is that half of the fixed price £150 menu contained a selection of sushi, while there are 6 courses of Japanese fusion-styled small plates, with soup, cold cut to grill dishes, which seem a little confusing for me.

The Harwood Arms

 Pub champion

Venison Scotch Egg

The only pub in London with a Michelin star, The Harwood Arms is also my no1 gastropub. Co-owned by the chef legend Brett Graham, the pub's food offering can easily rival other fine dining restaurants across the capital. Last year, the restaurant installed Jake, the former head chef of The Ledbury. I noticed many dishes on the menu had a Ledbury vibe, with some similar ingredients and descriptions, and at a more rustic level. it offers a 3-course a la carte at £65, and you are able to spend a little more on pre-dinner pub snacks such as Scotch egg. 

Alex Dilling at Hotel Café Royal

Sophisticated French dine dining

Monkfish tail

The opening of Alex Dilling at Hotel Cafe Royal was such a joy for me. Too many restaurants come and go, but there has not been any high-quality opening since Covid, but given Alex Dilling is one of the best chefs in the UK, you just know the new restaurant going to be something special. My first visit was a hit, and decide to return the week after. My reason to return to the restaurant was simple. Both of its tasting menus have different dishes and both looked so appealing, so the solution was simple. Head there twice so I was able to enjoy both.

China Tang London

The benchmark of Cantonese cuisine in London

Peking duck

China Tang at the Dorchester hotel is my to-go Chinese venue when I seek a classy yet traditional Cantonese cuisine experience. The restaurant has been headed up by chef Fong for over 10 years now and has created a large group of loyal customers. While many Chinese restaurants come and go, and try to come up with creative ideas or explore other regional Chinese cuisines, China Tang sticks to the authentic Cantonese route and remained very popular. It is normal that weekend becomes very high in demand and some customers have to settle for dining at its cocktail bar.