Gyoza Bar

Million miles away

Soy based broth with ebi gyoza

I love dumplings, usually it contains a mixture of meat and vegetable, all wrapped in a savoury pastry. gyoza is a type of Japanese that are usually doubled cooked, steaming followed by pan fried to get a moist texture on the inside but crispy on the outer layer. So when Murukami, a Japanese restaurant has created a new restaurant concept, specialising in gyoza, I was one of the very first person to check it out. As gyoza is one of the most popular street food items from the Far East, and I can imagine it will gain a loyal fan based provide if it does the gyoza justice.

Pan fried pork gyoza, Garlic vinegar, umami soy

Deep fried pork samosa dumpling wrapped in lettuce

Char siu pork in bun served with lettuce, pickled jalapeño

The prawn gyoza was served with a soy based broth, the pastry was thin as it should be but the seasoning was far too aggressive, which overtaken any of the flavour from the prawn, at £9.50, it was hardly worth it. The char siu pork bun was clearly one of those dishes that is riding on the current popular Taiwanese bao trend, but it was poorly executed. The meat was dry and one dimension in taste, and the bun was only lukewarm when it was served to us. Seafood ramen was another underwhelming dish, the broth lacked flavour and tasted like one of those powered soup from an instant noodle pack. The salmon was was also overcooked and was rather unpleasant on the palate. The only saving grace was the prawns as it was sweet and fresh.

Char siu pork ramen , shoyu tamago, menma, spring onion

Seafood ramen, salmon, prawns, shoyu tamago, menma

Apple cinnamon dumpling with vanilla ice-cream

The meal at Gyoza Bar was far from polished, I was fully aware it was a soft launch so it can't be always perfect. But the issue for me was the level of the cooking vs the price has been just totally bizarre, the pricing was far too ambitious. For example, you can get a much higher quality ramen from places like Bone Daddies for the same cost. A plate of pork gyoza of similar standard would set you back about £5, comparing to the £7.50 that Gyoza Bar is charging. Also, what I didn't understand was why the ramen dishes on the menu is so much greater than the gyoza, while the restaurant positioning itself as a "Gyoza Bar". Service was at least decent, kind and knowledgeable. To sum it up, the restaurant has a great concept but it is million miles away from fulfilling its true potential.


Food 1.5/5

What I paid: 
£19 per head with beer

Average cost without drinks and services:
£20

63-66 St Martin’s Lane Covent Garden London WC2N 4JS

http://gyozabar.uk/