Kurobuta

While researching London Pop-up restaurants I came across Kurobuta, it seems to have created a significant buzz on the dining scene so I was pretty excited to check it out.

I visited the branch that is nestled away in Connaught Village just off the Marble Arch side of Bayswater Road but they also have a pop-up in Chelsea.

Walking in the atmosphere was electric (if a tad noisy), tables of people deep in conversation, eyes wide at arriving food or satisfied smiles and glasses of rosé. Early as usual my friend was already at the bar.....(he was standing so you can get an idea of how busy it was)

We got placed at a table pretty quickly on the quieter side of the restaurant which perfect for the amount of catching up we had to do.

Good company and delicious food makes for a cracking night out. In food here is what happened at our table: 

Pretty extensive menu we were spoiled for choice and went with most of the waiters recommendations

With Tapas style portions you are recommended to start with 3-4 dishes between two and then add more if needs be.

Tuna Sashimi Pizza with Truffle Ponzu, Red Onions and Green Chillies: £9.50

Good sharing size, adding Truffles to traditional Japanese Ponzu gave the dish a unique flavour. 

BBQ Pork Belly in Steamed Buns with Spicy Peanut Soy: £13 2pcs

This seems to get the most rave reviews, I thought it would be more Dim Sum but obviously the Chef has put his own spin on it. Spicy Peanut Soy was delicious, Pork was succulent well cooked but £13 for two little steamed buns...hmm...thank God I was being treated. 

Maybe you can justify cost with this video:

Free Range Chicken Kushi-Yaki with Japanese BBQ Sauce: £8.50

I really enjoyed this great flavor, not to pricey and well presented. Bar dessert this was probably my favorite. 

Tea Smoked Lamb with Smokey Nasu and Spicy Korean Miso £15.50 

Tea Smoked Lamb sounded pretty interesting so covered up the price and just went with it.

Defiantly smokey with a delicate tea flavor. The lamb was cooked to perfection (tender, fall of the bone kind of stuff). Delicious dish :-D

As always I did leave space for dessert which again we were recommended to try by our waiter. I opted for the Apple and Lavender pie (I didn't manage to get the full name unfortunately) and my friend went for the Pistachio Chocolate Forest.

Apple and Lavender Pie- This dish was beautifully presented. Very creative in its design and the somewhat layered structure made for a very interesting tasting experience. 

First Layer was a delicate lavender flavoured mousse embedded with crisp apple slices. This was on top of a crumble like topping. The best part was hidden underneath this crumble. Discovered only as your spoon broke through a burnt caramel topping revealing a rich crème brûlée base...Just Divine!!

Overall Kurobuta was a one of a kind experience and the menu was so extensive that a second trip is require to sample it all. You can tell a lot of thought has been put into the menu in order to offer something different from your typical Japanese restaurant. 

Price wise (well for me anyway) Kurobuta is more of a treat but it won't fail to offer you something special with a few glasses of wine and a cocktail our bill came to around £170

I would suggest visiting on a weekday as weekends are chock-a-block and pretty noisy either way booking would be advisable.

N.B- Kurobuta you must turn the dimmer up on those lights especially after dark :-)

Location: Kendal Street, Connaught Village W1

Category: London/ Travel