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A traditional Isakaiya offering a superb selection of fresh fish dishes. It doesn't look much from the outside but the weather in Tokyo at the moment is nice and warm and this place offers outside seating, albeit on uncomfortable crates.
Because they are always packed, they don't want you to hang around, so chairs are crates, tables are tiny, you are squashed up to your neighbours but despite all this it's still great! Service is super swift and the atmosphere electric, a bit like the eels.
I tried all sorts of strange dishes, but notable was the tuna sushi, the freshest I've ever had and the fried Fugu, or blowfish, which can only be prepared by qualified chefs. It looked and tasted of fried chicken.
Overall a fun place to start the night and close to the hustle and bustle of Roppongi.
9-6 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Nearest station: Roppongi
Looking for escapism? Something a little bit different? A bit upmarket? A bit snazzy? Molton House might just be your place. It is all of these and more.
Quite frankly this is one of the most interesting venues I've visited for quite some time.
Situated on South Molton Street, the home of shoe shopping in London, is Molton House, a newish (it opened last November) members club, bar and restaurant that is far from 'soul-less'. This building used to be another members only club which I was invited to a few times and never really liked. The new owner is Nick Valentine and he has a track record of creating upscale venues that you actually want to spend time in.
Despite the credit crunch, I am told that Molton House has over 500 members, all paying £500 a year for the privilege of being a member here. For us Londoners that like to try something different, but don't want to pay hundreds in subscriptions, the good news is that anyone can book a table in the bar or restaurant, so long as you give them a bit of warning and the bouncers don't decide to take offence to you at the door. Members do get priority over non members of course, but pick a quieter night like a Wednesday and you'll be almost guaranteed a table.
The beautiful Georgian house at number 43 South Molton Street hides 4 floors of decadence. Reception at ground floor level makes you feel like you've entered an opium den for the very rich. It is warm, sexy, mesmerising and the girls welcoming you with a smile aren't bad either. Downstairs is a small club. We were too early for anything to be happening but it looked very nice. Up the sweeping staircase and you'll find a small bar to the left, stocked well with spirits and barmen. They'll make you anything you desire and are good with suggestions. Across the hallway you'll find the cosy dining room. We sat down about 8pm and were the first table, but it soon filled up.
The menu consists of a selection of dishes that are ideal for sharing. All dishes are priced around the £10 mark with 5 or 6 choices of vegetarian, fish and meat. Every dish is recognisable but with an interesting twist and everything we had was absolutely delicious. Wine is reasonably priced from about £25 upwards.
But honestly, I would not come here just for the food. Tasty? Absolutely. Good service? Definitely. Reasonably priced? Yes. But Molton House has so much more that eating is just the entree. Just a way of fortifying yourself before turning up your mojo and getting it on with the beautiful people milling around the bar upstairs and the club downstairs. It's like eating here gives you a pass to enjoy the darker delights that this club has to offer, without the expense of the membership.
I should also mention that one flight further up the staircase will bring you to a private dining room that can also be booked without being a member. It seats about 10 and would make a perfect venue for a birthday celebration with close friends. Let's hope my wife reads this...
Molton House
43 South Molton Street
London
W1K 5RS
t: 020 7 493 1688
w: www.moltonhouse.com
Flavours of Spain has reinforced its reputation as the UK’s leading supplier of artisan produce from Galicia and Northern Spain, with the introduction of an exceptional selection of charcuterie.
The new range features delicious dry cured and smoked meats from Iberia and Galicia, including superior hand-sliced lomo iberico bellota, jamon iberico bellota and chorizo iberico bellota sourced from Iberian producer Sierra de Monesterio. Based in the southern region of Extremadura, this area is home to centuries-old oak trees that yield some of the world’s sweetest acorns, giving the meat of the traditionally raised, acorn-fed Iberian pigs its distinct texture and full flavour.
Master craftsmen trim, massage, fillet and salt the hams, using time-honoured techniques in preparation for their entry into natural drying rooms. Each ham spends 3 years under the care and supervision of the master craftsmen to enable the curing process to take place before being individually hand-sliced.
Perfectly complementing their existing range of Galician produce, Flavours of Spain now offers a number of exclusive charcuterie products from Xamons A Paradanta – a small producer located at the foot of the A Paradanta Mountains in Galicia. The region is synonymous with traditional ham production, with producers working closely with local people who possess lifelong experience in creating the finest hams and sausages.
The Atlantic mountain climate – hot, dry summers and cold winters – combined with the cutting-edge technology the company has developed to enhance traditional production methods without diminishing quality, is ideal for curing pork products. As such, Xamons A Paradanta is rightly revered for its hams and sausages throughout the Galicia region.
Teresa Homes, director of Flavours of Spain, said: “Our new charcuterie selection is a wonderful addition to our existing range of Spanish produce; including unique seaweeds and seafood preserves, limited production wines and award-winning extra virgin olive oils.
“We embarked upon numerous comparative blind tastings to ensure the taste, texture and quality of our cured meats is second to none, reassuring our customers that they need look no further than our website when purchasing artisan Spanish produce – we’re a one-stop shop!.”
Flavours of Spain’s new charcuterie range is available via the website: www.flavoursofspain.co.uk.
Prices:
Chorizo Iberico bellota 100g (£4.45)
Lomo Iberico bellota 100g (£7.80)
Jamon Iberico bellota 100g (£13.50)
Galician chorizo – mild (£4.80)
Galician chorizo – picante (£4.80)
Galician cooking chorizo (£5.30)
Galician onion chorizo (£4.20)
About Flavours of Spain
Flavours of Spain was founded three years ago by a UK-based Spanish/English team who are passionate about the many undiscovered and delicious artisan products Spain has to offer, primarily from Galicia and Northern Spain.
The company’s exciting artisan range includes organic figs in chocolate, olive oils, vinegars, olives, nuts, salts and seasonings, limited production wines (including organic and biodynamic), seaweeds and gourmet fish and seafood preserves, such as sea urchin caviar.
All products are made using the highest quality, freshest seasonal ingredients with an emphasis on those produced by small, family run businesses through organic and sustainable farming. Flavours of Spain has been the proud winner of five gold awards at the Great Taste Awards 2007, winning the Best Spanish Speciality category overall. Since September 2008 the company has held a regular stall at London’s Borough Market.
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