Dinings

This mould-breaking newcomer is owned by Tomonari Chiba, an ex-Nobu chef who offers a menu of mix-&-match dishes sized & priced like tapas. From the cold selection, tuna tataki with ponzu had strong, clean flavours but was bettered by the beef tataki with miso & jalapeno salsa, a startling mix of rich meat & sharp sauce. On the hot front, yellowtail tobanyaki, sizzling on an earthenware hotplate, was terrific, the perfectly cooked fish pale pink inside & sitting in a zingy yuzu sauce. Japanese staples such as sushi & tempura are done well, too. Not everything is so impressive: spicy squid with butter & black pepper was a sickly misfire, for instance. Nor will the brutal concrete decor & hard wooden chairs of the basement dining room be to all tastes. Still, at least the money saved on interior design has been passed on to savings in the size of the bill (particularly at lunchtime) & the sweetly obliging staff are charm itself.