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.

Oyster and gluten rice

Fried scallops and seaweed

Lobster, dashi, tofu

One of the earlier courses was oyster and rice. It was a strange one for me as the rice was hard and lacked any taste, it felt like congee that was underdone and underseasoned. The plate would have been fine with the fresh oyster alone which was nicely seasoned with lime. The grilled char was cooked perfectly, it had a sweet soy glazing and just the right level of smoke, but I didn't get the garnish of chestnut, which made the dish very heavy and the texture didn't match the fish. In the sushi zone, I for sure found some inconsistencies in the rice, with some being larger in size or pressed too hard. The seafood preparation was at least at a high level, the gray mullet was, and the medium toro had a wagu-like melting texture and was not overly rich.

Grey mullet

Cornish lobster

Spanish toro

Maybe I just had a really traditional and classy Japanese meal at Roketsu not long ago, but I found Roji was not close. At £40 gap, Roketsu is far better in every way. I think the food at Roji cost £100 at most. This is a shame, I love the decor and the vibe of the dining room. The service was great and the husband and wife duo are some of the nicest chefs I have encountered, but the food just didn't match the setting or cost. Hate to say it, but I won't go back for the £150 price tag, and I am sure it will be higher soon with the rising cost.

Food 3/5

What I paid: 
£210 per person with wine

Average cost without drinks and services:
£150

56B S Molton St, London W1K 5SH

https://ro-ji.co.uk/