Have you ever read a restaurant review that consisted of only one paragraph? Well that was my initial thoughts on how to write this review for Roka (Canary Wharf), due to the simple fact that, YOU MUST EAT THERE.
However no one wants to read one paragraph do they? No I suspect you want me to tell you about the amazing Kampachi Sashimi No Salada we had for starters which consisted of yellow tail sashimi with yuzu truffle dressing, mizuna and picked vegetables from the decadent Tokusen section of the menu.
I suppose you would like to hear about the Tokusen sashimi platter (Tuna tartar, oscietra caviar and quail’s yolk, seasonal sashimi with ponzu truffle dressing) we tried from the Sashimi-nigiri moriawase section of the menu, along with the Maguro no pirikara (spicy tuna, avocado with jalapeño mayonnaise) and Age Watari Gani (softshell crab, kim chi and chilli mayonnaise) maki rolls? All of which literally blow our mind and palette away in an orgasmic tasting extravaganza.
At this point we where feeling oh so regal, dinning fit for a king and don’t worry if you do not know the difference between sashimi and robata, the friendly staff are there on hand explaining the menu and dishes for your convenience. I’m not going to pretend that I am a sushi aficionado but after our friendly waiter talked us through the menu, we had that feeling of enlightenment.
Would you believe that we even managed to squeeze in the Gindara to Kani Gyoza? (black cod, crab and crayfish dumplings). All of the above was just the opening scene to this Japanese blockbuster of a movie (metarphorically speaking). If this was the opening scene, can you imagine the main scene?
The main scene consisted of Kankoku fu Kohitsuji (lamb cutlets with Korean spices), ise ebi no tempura (lobster tempura with spicy yuzu mayonnaise), Wagya Fillet (robata grilled Wagyu beef fillet with chilli, ginger and spring onion) and Broccoli shinme (tender steam broccoli, ginger and moromi miso). Your now probably thinking, how did we manage to eat all of the above? The truth is, when food tastes so good you can literally keep going, plus with a few glasses of some of the nicest tasting Sake we’ve ever had the pleasure of sampling, its very easy to get lost in the epic experience Roka has to offer.
You know that feeling you have when you go to the cinema and watch an epic movie, so epic that you wait with anticipation until the end credits have finished just in case something else happens? That’s precisely the feeling we had while waiting for desert at Roka. The end credits was served to us on an iced dish, namely the Seika Moriawase (a selection of seasonal and exotic fruit).
We could keep writing, but we thought that we would let the images do the rest of the talking. They do say that a photo speaks a 1000 words, so take a look below and see what you are missing.
Go to http://rokarestaurant.com/canary-wharf/en/home/ for more info and bookings, and why not take a look at their weekend brunch tasting bonanza http://rokarestaurant.com/canary-wharf/en/menu/brunch/ the perfect toes dipping experience into the world of ROKA.
Review by @LeonardWFoster
