ANZU PERMANENTLY CLOSED 30 JANUARY 2019
Conveniently located on a pedestrian street just south of Piccadilly Circus in the snazzy St James’ Market development, Anzu comes courtesy of Emma Reynolds and Kensuke Yamada, the pair behind the Tonkotsu ramen chain. Anzu is an altogether smarter proposition: an elegant space of full-length windows, charcoal grey-upholstered chairs and acres of wood; the feel is more Scandinavian than Japanese. While you could come for ramen (pork or seafood in chicken broth, say) and Tonkotsu’s famous chicken karaage, the house speciality is the concept of teishoku, a set meal with the main dish served alongside rice, miso and pickles. We went classic, ordering a crisp-crumbed pork tonkatsu with hispi cabbage, but this being St James’s, there are upmarket ingredients available for your teishoku in the likes of Label Anglais chicken or king oyster teriyaki. Star billing however must go to the marble-fleshed treat of Wagyu carpaccio served tataki-style. To drink, there’s an easy to navigate wine list divided by style, as well as Japanese whiskies and sakés. Prices are a couple of notches up from Tonkotsu, but Anzu is far from being the most expensive Japanese in the neighbourhood.