Ray Jayner's Reviews

In trying to complete the circumnavigation of London’s finest Japanese eateries the annual recognition of Mrs J’s birthday presented another opportunity to go boldly where no doubt many, but not the two of us, had gone before. Some positive feedback on the research front led me to book Sumosan, great location, quirky website. With the portent well heeded regarding some of the price levels, we stepped off a rain drenched Albemarle Street into the cosy, bustling atmos of the restaurant and headed straight down to the ‘jbar’ (“a valuable addition to the Mayfair bar scene” according to the quirky website). That it may be but on a Thursday night before 9pm we had the place exclusively to ourselves. No matter, an interesting and tempting cocktail list, followed through with some slick execution. Upstairs they were certainly packing them in and once our neighbour had given up using my chair as a footstool we took to the table. Statutory order of edamame, this time with added cracked black pepper an chilli, seemed to absent in the former and abundant in the latter but was a bit tricky as the chilli came in sauce like guise rather than a dry style which I had imagined. The menu is pretty standard fare for any given modern Japanese with the exception of a couple of the dishes involving foie gras or truffle oil. Commencing with a staple of Tuna Tataki and Rock Shrimp Tempura, the tataki was flavoursome but too thinly cut for my liking, the RST was spot on. We then had a roller coaster ride through the Sushi / Sashimi menu which had highs of Fried Hamachi roll, fried toro ponzu nigiri – an exquisite mouthful, and firm and fleshy Tai (Sea bream) sashimi and lows which included a very pedestrian and cumbersome soft shell crab sushi roll. To the side some vegetable tempura, all priced and selected per piece; good if you like an asparagus spear not so good if you are a carrot person. The tempura itself passed muster with a good light batter enveloping the veg . Rounding off the savoury… More

I was delighted to be told I was heading back to the Mercer this week, so fond are the memories of previous visits; where over indulging in British classics has left me swollen both in stomach and also with pride, that traditional fare was making a real impact on the city restaurant scene. All was well, the menu still similar, packed to the brim with all those cockle warming ingredients; black pudding, colston bassett stilton, game, pork belly and the list goes on, almost exhaustively. The real trick at The Mercer is to negotiate the menu successfully, and not get too bogged down between the Mains, the Grill, the Daily Specials and the ‘extra’ Daily Specials so wide is the scope before you. On the plus side tho' none of the dishes I have had or those of my fellow diners have been duds, so clear evidence of strength in depth. My goat's cheese and beetroot salad was impeccably dressed, all ingredients tossed together as opposed to the dressing fly by that you can often be subject to, the goat's cheese was plentiful as was the beetroot, another plus when such ingredients sometimes play hide and seek with the salad of the salad. The arrival of my main course, the daily special (not the ‘extra special’) of Slow Braised Lamb with pearl barley in a fairly sizeable oval serving dish with accompanying spoon had me wondering whether I should have served myself onto the plate underneath, but no such suggestion was forthcoming so I was just went from the pot. Sweet and tender lamb combined with proper tasting vegetable and a good quantity of pearl barley but by no means was the pulse padding out the dish. A shared plate of cheese for the table rounded off proceedings and then having to dash out and leaving m'colleague to pick up the bill, surely this diner was leaving a happy camper and the ensuing review was heading for some straight eights or better. Two grumbles. Firstly, whose inspired decision was it to put the plate scraping / food waste receptacle at the reception area? which… More

Should you have any scepticism of Nobu-esque newcomer Aqua Kyoto from reading the more printed reviewers I would advise you to leave it , along with your coat (and matching earmuffs during the current clime) with the obliging staff at the door. One is never quite sure what you are going to get when you take an elevator that only stops at one floor but in this case a very pleasant surprise, and the aforementioned army of wafer thin attendants who whisked way the Christmas shopping and the outer garments from myself and Mrs J. Straight through into the bar area which was packed without being really heaving, and seemed to strike the balance between ‘bar’ and ‘bar for a restaurant’. Atmosphere was not in short supply, but our drinks almost were when the discerning bar staff insisted on remaking one of the fabulous cockatils from a very pro-japanese ingredient list, due to the wrong cuvee of vodka. No doubt there is always a danger that a dining experience can always been enhanced when you are seated at , what you might consider, a great table, but if the food wasn't up to par, no panormaic view of the restaurant was going to satiate this appetite. Plenty of familiarity on the menu, and whilst it always tempting to revisit the stock favourites (eg beef tataki, which was tender and delicately spicy from the chilli ponzu) that are found in a Japanese restautant of this ilk, branching out was required. The braised octopus with taro and pumpkin was such a dish that rewards what might be consider a brave choice, and equally impressive was the Yellowtail collar, which needed better chopstick skills than mine to tackle, but was no less rewarding for it. Other highlights were the Rocket and King crab salad, it's easy an shot to plead for a better crab / salad ratio but no matter. Some more obvious fare included a good range of sushi / sashimi including the chu-toro (mid-fatty tuna), a new and most welcome expeience to this palate and a sensational kani tempura maki (crab tempura roll)… More

As an ardent fan of Mr Hix; avid reader of his Independent on Saturday pages, high praise singer of his Oyster and Chop house, and over active user of the his latest cookery tome; British Seasonal Food, it naturally follows that I should head to Soho to delight in his latest offering to the restaurant scene. The restaurant itself, is a bright affair with a wonderfully wide and long counter toppped bar, ideally suite for the casual couple or solo diner. A mild opening disappoint as we were being seated, is that in booking for five – we clearly had a table for four, despite there being larger tables but with fewer diners. Note to self: book for six and allow for one no-show. No matter, as I glanced at the menu and noted the tell tales signs of a Hixian menu, well sourced , interesting British ingredients, and plenty of undefinitive items and even the cryptic “Heaven and Earth”. Drinks were some 20 minutes in the arrival; which for a Bloody Mary (exceptionally good), an IPA (Mark's own label, served in a tankard) and a couple of Kirs is a bit tardy. To the food ; opening the account with the drinks we took some of the Crackling and Apple sauce, an indulgent heart stopper of a bar snack, but warm, crisp, salty and sweet. Starters included a fish soup, the cured meats and mussels in cider and the aforementioned Heaven and Earth, a soft black pudding accompanied with mashed potato. All passed muster with my dining companions, plenty of ‘oohs’ ,' aahs' and ‘wonderfuls’. The main events were met with similar rapture; red deer chops, veal sausage, partridge and the hanger steak. No one likes a ‘dry old do’ particularly when you're paying for the wine and locating our bottle or more importantly the waiter trying to locate our bottle seemed to be a challenge fit for WMD inspectors. Nonetheless, affairs were brought to conclusion mainly by way of the Treacle Pudding for Two, proving not to live up to its billing in size but exquisitely so in it's content, and thus we had to go round… More