Jan
01
Roka, London
I had something fashion related ready but it’s taking me a bit longer than expected to finish (I’m almost done), so instead I am posting more restaurant related posts. It’s sad but I’m not really in the kitchen much anymore, but I’ll try to get back into it once I have more time…
Roka is like the Yakitori equivalent of NYC, you know, meat on sticks Japanese grill style…sashimi appetizers and what not…but this placed is more ‘tricked out’ if you know what I mean (caviar and truffles are ingredients that are included in the menu, something you won’t see at Yakitori or Kenka on St. Marks street). Every time I come here there is a line out the door and the hostess is always saying the same line.. “Sorry there is a 1-2 hour wait, but you can go downstairs to the bar and have a drink“..I don’t know whether this is a ploy to get you to spend more money, or if there really is that long of a wait…I know this place is very popular but I really did not enjoy waiting 1.5 hours on a night that I actually made a reservation. If you come here, don’t fall for the “go downstairs to the bar for a drink line”, just patiently wait where the hostess can see your glaring eyes! The food is delicious and the sashimi is surprisingly fresh for a meat-on-sticks kind of place. I hate the club/bar downstairs though.
Edamame here is served at every table (complimentary) and they always ask if you want plain or spicy. Of course I order the spicy. The edamame is marinated in sesame oil, hot peppers, soy sauce, and vinegar. Requisite Asahi beer hanging in the background.
Next up, grilled tofu. From plain sight this dish looks very tasteless…but it is just perfect. The tofu is grilled for a long time so the outer skin develops into a crusty texture..it is also marinated with shichimi pepper, soy sauce, lime and topped with thinly diced scallions.
The sashimi is very good here, they know how to properly cut fish. This platter features a very standard mix- tuna, yellowtail, raw shrimp with caviar, toro tartare with quail egg yolk, and salmon. The selection is not exotic or varied but since this place doesn’t really specialize in sushi it’s okay.
Toro Tartare with quail egg yolk and caviar
This may LOOK like toro tartare on top of rice but it’s actually kobe beef tartare sushi. I liked this creative twist on sushi, not even sushi really because it’s raw meat but the presentation is influenced by sushi. God this was so good. I love beef tartare in general.
The raw meat is not flavorless, it is marinated with salt, soy sauce and some kind of oil.
Not your typical slab of ribs, these are flavored strongly with lime and hot peppers.. Actually the head chef seems to like lime a lot. Fine by me.
Fried softshell crab. This tasted very normal. Not impressed but that’s okay because everything else was great.
Garnished with red pepper thread.
My favorite dish here is their hot pot…the soup base for this specific hot pot is drawn from Katsuobushi or dried and fermented tuna shavings…these shavings are thrown into boiling water and that becomes the stock. This hot pot also has a lot of Japanese fern and vegetables which adds an earthy flavor..then rice is added into the soup base and boiled for a long time until it becomes thick like porridge… you can think of this as asian risotto…They also bring a fresh truffle for you and shave lots of it on top of the rice.
This is a good thing to order if there are more than two people sharing, the hot pot serves 2-4 people.
Lychee and Raspberry cake
Roka
37 Charlotte St, London
020 7580 6464
Oh god. I just ate, but I am hungry again now.
You make me so hungry everytime I come on here. My pants are wet…from drooling looking at these pictures
looks extravagant and delicious. I’m digging your restaurant posts since we have nothing like this around here.
that looks amazing. i want to go to there.
I’ve never had raw beef before. Usually this is because I’m not sure whether my stomach can handle it or not but after reading your comments on the raw Kobe beef, it definitely makes me want to try next time I get the chance.
you ever eat at Sakagura in nyc?
http://www.sakagura.com/
wow, I’m drooling now (I’m sure you wanted to know that). “just patiently wait where the hostess can see your glaring eyes” LOLL. The best sashimi I’ve ever had in my life was at a restaurant called Yi Ping in Taipei…omg so good. The lychee and raspberry cake looks delicious, I’m craving something sweet right now.
The last fruit, if i am not mistaken is rambutan.
It is easily obtained in most tropical countries, such as Malaysia. Hey i will be heading to NYC for a short study trip. If I want to have such food in NY, where would you recommend? A list of must-eats in NY in your opinion would be nice. 
Yumm!xx
The hairy fruit in the last pic is a “rambutan”. Sweet and juicy like a lychee.
Everything looks mouthwatering! How much did the dinner cost?
Fresh truffle shaved onto your rice….sounds so good right now. One of the best risottos I ever had was truffled. If I ever have the patience or the money to blow, I’ll definitely give this place a try.
the dessert looks so yummy!
bisous,
mia
heylilahey.blogspot.com
Thank you for waiting that long and give us these wonderful photos. I would never have the patience. Even for such delights… Happy New Year!
definitely making me miss tropical fruits looking at that rambutan
‘here the hostess can see your glaring eyes’
great advice, will have to try it out!
the kobe beef tartare sushi looks very appetizing, and I am not even a beef fanatic
Once again your post makes me feel hungry…Out of theses mentioned dishes ,i have eaten “grilled tofu”…It is fabulous in taste….. It is looking so yummy in the clicked pic….Now i am going to restaurant to eat this dish…Bye..
i love edamame….mmmm
Love the pictures!
I never eat tofu. I always try it but never like it. :-/
Even at my favorite restaurants, I hate waiting longer than 1 hour.
There is a delicious sushi restaurant in Austin, TX that you must try if you ever visit. Its called UCHI. They have a sister company called UCHICO which is also nice, but UCHI is my favorite. The decor is just as nice as the food (they obviously take pride in both interior decorating and food). There is almost always a 1.5-2 hour wait. But, we order a bottle of champagne and have a nice long conversation before being seated. Service is also very nice.
My favorite is the “machi cure”. Its maplewood-smoked baby yellowtail with yucca chips, asian pear, marcona almonds and garlic brittle. The food is like iron chef food! Beautiful to look at and thoughtfully prepared and chosen.
Everything looks amazingly tasty. I just had dinner and now I’m hungry again!
PS. I’m a new follower of your blog too.
Yes the fruit that is used as a garnish with the spikey exterior is rambutan, but the fruit on top of the cake is raspberry and lychee.
You should seriously become a restaurant critic! You are very talented at photography, cooking, food critiquing, fashion, etc. basically aesthetics!
I absolutely adore your food posts!! please continue doing them!! I’m also loving all this photo posts about your holidays and now these ones about restaurants. i love your blog. I come here often.
:O This food looks amazing ! I’m hungry now ! I love your blog
http://www.felifashion.wordpress.com
I don’t like the sound of the waiting in the bar bit, but those pictures look seriously incredible! I am so there…though looks like it’s painfully expensive, how much was it all?
wow the food looks absolutely delicious! and edamame are never serve free here in malaysia, and they only steam it! spicy edamame must taste heavenly…
Hola,
Perdonen por lo que me entrometo … comprendo esta pregunta. Se puede discutir.
Doggy
That looks so delicious I must try this restaurant out!
!!!!!Mouthwatering!!!!
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