Jun Tanaka's Mediterranean restaurant is now open on Charlotte Street, Fitzrovia. It's Jun's first outing as a restaurateur, but is it his first success? Find out here...
While countless others try to cash in on ‘American cool’, this glowing, Downtown Manhattan-styled restaurant looks and feels like the real deal. The Ninth is TV chef Jun Tanaka’s (above) first solo project, after working at the likes of Le Gavroche and (now-defunct) Chez Nico and heading the kitchen of Holborn’s ill-fated luxe venue, Pearl. Here, on a prime Fitzrovia site, he has created a fresh, light Mediterranean menu.
The entrance bar and ground-floor dining room’s blend of distressed brass, dark woods and exposed brick are bathed in soft amber lighting; upstairs, more space and brightness are suited to less intimate dining. Some chairs fall on the wrong side of shabby-chic (bring a cushion), but plump leather bar stools are perfect for a sophisticated cocktail or quick counter bite.
The food runs from snacks, salads and raw or cured selections to delicate fish and meat options; our standout dish of firm, salty beef cheeks (above) was lifted by a tangy oxtail consommé. Mackerel in a tart caper and dill dressing (below) arrives flamed (cured before given a short blast from a blow torch), keeping the flesh beautifully firm but with a tincture of smokiness. For dessert, the crisp, sticky crust on a spongy-soft pain perdu made a satisfying ending.
Occasionally meek flavouring (rabbit lasagne needed more punch from its mustard béchamel) doesn’t spoil the overall experience: The Ninth’s trump cards are service, styling and enticing wines. A Fitzrovia favourite, we predict.
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Read more about The Ninth in our Jun Tanaka interview here, or watch last week's SquareReel News video above, filmed on location at the restaurant.
Portrait and interior images by Palida Boonyarungsrit
Food images by Steve Lee
This article was published 3 December 2015