Shiro

Finding its home in the shiny new development at 100 Liverpool Street, Aqua Restaurant Group has brought its Hong Kong sushi brand overseas to the heart of City-land with Japanese restaurant Shiro. Despite the group’s penchant for glitz-and-glam ventures, Shiro feels refreshingly low-key, a place for City-slickers to catch-up with colleagues and clients over an extra-nice lunch – think somewhere between Shoryu and Sushisamba.

We arrived during a busy midday service to a heaving dining room, with staff carting gorgeous sushi platters and frothy cocktails in haste to time-poor diners. Although the space is mostly filled with tightly-packed tables, this doesn’t have the effect of feeling cramped. Rather, large front windows delivering a flood of natural daylight creates a bright and convivial atmosphere, while a deluge of pale wood and beige tones provide a serene backdrop to what is otherwise a chocker service. The chefs are seemingly unfazed by the flurry, as they cooly curate perfectly-formed plates from the sanctuary of an open kitchen.

The lunch menu is devised as a series of ‘sets’ which makes ordering a complete meal in a hurry an easy task. Its seafood ramen, for example, is a fantastically-generous concoction of umami-rich miso broth, fresh fish, seafood and noodles, served alongside tangy pickles, nori sheets and crispy fried fish. At £21, it’s one of the most expensive ramens we’ve tried, although as far as quality and calibre goes, it’s pretty much unmatched. However, the menu is extensive, and a more comprehensive dining experience should include the rock shrimp tempura, which is coated in a light, glass-like batter and served with a punchy chilli and garlic mayonnaise. Save space for the restaurant's signature crystal sushi which is covered in a flavoured transparent jelly and is surprisingly delicious.

Aqua has chosen well when it comes to Shiro’s location in London's business district. On trend, beautifully designed, warm and relaxed, yet still offering the quintessential luxury the brand has become known for. We think it will do well here.

The Aqua Restaurant Group is known for its swanky restaurants in the capital (and across the world), from sky-high Aqua Shard on the 31st floor of London’s iconic Shard building to rooftop Japanese restaurant Aqua Kyoto in Oxford Circus. Clearly, it understands the importance of a good view.  

The fifth restaurant to join London’s line-up of Aqua restaurants is Shiro, a sushi spot housed within the development at 100 Liverpool Street. Covering two floors, the restaurant is comprised of a sushi counter, a robata counter and an outdoor terrace.  

Shiro initially gained success when it first opened in Hong Kong, where it became famed for serving its crystal sushi, an offering that saw chefs infuse slivers of jelly with intense flavours such as ponzu, dashi and sake, before draping them on top of sushi. The a la carte menu features a range of edomae and crystal sushi and sashimi, which you can mix and match as you like or order in platter form. While robata grills and mains, rich ramens and desserts completes the offering. To start, try its signature rock shrimp tempura with a spicy chilli and garlic mayonnaise, or its red prawn tataki with tsuma salad dressed in a zesty sudachi and ginger dressing. From its crystal sushi selection, there are a plethora of luxurious offerings from scallop and caviar with kimchi jelly to fatty salmon with mint and sake jelly.

While the restaurant might not be famed for its sweets, the dessert selection is well worth a look. Here, you might find a matcha green tea tiramisu, or a black sesame fondant with white miso ice cream. 

On the drinks front, a selection of unique cocktails and mocktails offer Japanese-inspired twists on classic creations. Think a Shiso Negroni made with Campari, gin, vermouth and shiso sherbert. While wines, sparkling, sake and lots of green tea are also available.