Review: Nizuni

7.5/10

22 Charlotte St, Fitzrovia, London, W1T 2NB

Contemporary Japanese food, from the guys who brought you Koba. It's not their slogan, it's just an easy way to remember their approach to cookery. This is also reflected in the sleek, dark decor which is everpresent throughout this restaurant. We first went for the tako (octopus) starter with tosazu (vinegary) sauce. To be honest, it was a wee bit disappointing - the octopus was a tad tough and the sauce didn't quite match the sweetness of the ocean-dweller's flesh.

Better, however, was their tuna tataki (seared tuna) with ponzu jelly. The citrusy dressing, slippery jelly and succulent tuna were a masterful combination of flavours and textures. Another winner was their salmon skin roll; a beautifully crafted maki roll studded with the crispy hits of the salmon skin and fresh crunch of spring onion. As a filler, we went for their katsu don (pork cutlet with egg on rice), which came with a few non-standard frivolities like potato-croquette type things. Tasty, but then again it's hard to go wrong with katsu don.

To finish, we went for their chestnut cake with matcha (green tea) ice cream. I didn't quite get it at first, but after the first few bites, the sweet, muffin like consistency of the cake had actually found a reliable friend in the form of the bitter ice cream. Pretty good pairing, I'd say. With efficient service and the price totting up to just under £25 a head, I'd say Nizuni represents fair value - though I would have preferred the portions to a on the slightly more generous side.