THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Saga

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Saga Restaurant Review:

One of London’s oldest Japanese restaurants has been reborn under new owners, manager Mr. Leroy and chef Mr. Funakoshi. Off-white walls and brown woodwork preserve the ambience of a rustic inn but it is now brighter with larger tables and fewer partitions. Private rooms, not tatami, seat five to twelve at tables with comfortable chairs instead of backrests. There are set dinners from £26 to £42 and lunches from £8.50 to £25. In the long à la carte, side dishes and starters are rather confusingly listed under various headings. The frequently changed ’recommendations’ might include marinated herring in rice vinegar, oil and seaweed, its flavour resembling mildly salted Scandinavian herring; or full-flavoured, grilled fillet of beef with miso paste, garnished with marinated onion and carrot. But finesse is the keynote of Funakoshi’s kitchen, as seen in the wappa dishes (seasoned rice with various toppings steamed and served in cedar bowls), or in ultra-delicate chawan mushi, savoury custard. An unusual soup is asari jiru (soya with clams). The long menu of the ground-floor sushi bar is also available downstairs. Abalone, boiled and marinated, is one of the specialities. Drink a special saké, perhaps the superlative warm ’very clear’ Masumi with its exquisite flowery-fruity aroma and matching flavour. Set lunch from £8.50; set dinner from £26.