Yashin Ocean House - Japanese Head to Tail Dining and Some of the Best Sushi in the Capital!

Name: Yashin Ocean House

Where: 117-119 Old Brompton Road, South Kensington, London SW7 3RN, http://yashinocean.com

Cost: The dinner menu is small but well thought-out, with appetizers from £4 to £12, sashimi dishes from £8.50 to £32, hot mains from £11.80 to £29. The Omakase Sushi offerings (chef’s choice) are always worth exploring in Japanese restaurants, and at Yashin Ocean House, there are 3 selections of 4, 8 or 11 pieces of sushi (£13.50, £30 and £45 respectively) served with the roll of the day. The Express Lunch Menu is excellent value at £19.50 for 3 courses (appetizer, sushi and main courses) or £24.50 including dessert. An Express Dinner Menu is also available between 6 and 7pm for £24.50 for 4 courses.

About: Yashin Ocean House is situated in a beautifully restored Victorian stables in one of the plusher parts of South Ken. With a large central sushi station surrounded by a turquoise ceramic counter-top and a massive refrigerated cabinet with plate glass for displaying and drying out the fish for which they are known, the restaurant features a rather stunning and contemporary setting.

Opened as recently as 2013 as a sister restaurant to Yashin Sushi & Bar on High Street Kensington, Yashin Ocean House specializes on fish and seafood and the concept of “head to tail” dining which makes use of every aspect of the fish from roe and flesh, to skin and bones to create some of their signature dishes.

In Japan, nothing is wasted and the concept of “mottainai” (waste not!) is something that is deeply ingrained in the national psyche. It is socially unacceptable to be perceived as wasteful in Japanese society, “mottainai” is not only about physical waste, it also refers to thought patterns that give rise to wasteful behaviour.

Yashin Ocean House was founded by business partners Yasuhiro Mineno (ex-head chef at Ubon by Nobu) and Shinya Ikeda (former head chef at Yumi). The kitchen is headed by senior sous-chef Daniele Codini, a talented Italian chef who trained at some of the most prestigious kitchens around the world including L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon in Paris and The Fat Duck in the UK where he worked for the last 3 years before joining Yashin Ocean House.

Service was efficient and discreet - our waitress Paulina was impressively knowledgeable about every aspect of the menu, and gave some very good recommendations for drinks.

What We Ate: The amuse bouche on the evening we were there was sugi white fish with truffle infused soy sauce, sake and mirin, fig compote and pineapple mint, served with a glass of ginger infusion. For me, the myriad flavours in this amuse bouche did not quite come together as a whole – the fish tasted strongly of tinned tuna, and was unfortunately not a great start to our dinner.

Luckily, things picked up quickly from there with our choices of appetizers - Zuke Ikura (£11.80) was a stunningly presented little golden bowl of salmon caviar (ikura) seasoned with truffle soy, and delicately smoked, the caviar pearls were topped with a hefty serving of truffle. I had never tried the combination of ikura and truffle before but thoroughly enjoyed this rich appetizer. Perhaps some carbohydrate in the form of rice or some crunchy, julienned daikon might have further enhanced my appreciation of this dish.

The Miso Cappuccino (£3.50) was our 2nd appetizer. Charmingly served in an old English teacup and saucer, this was a delicate but well flavoured miso soup topped with deliciously thick soya milk foam. I loved this and must try and replicate it at home.

To follow, we had the dramatic Omakase Sashimi without Soy Sauce (£32 for 2 people). Beautifully presented on a glass bowl and a great deal of white smoke, this included a selection of 6 different fish, each with a respective accompanying sauce, jelly or other flavouring - yellowtail with homemade kizami wasabi, fatty tuna with truffled ponzu jelly, salmon with Tosazu jelly, wild sea bream with plum sauce and rice crackers, prawn with coriander sauce, and wild seabass with tomato salsa. These were some of the best sashimi I have had outside Japan, warranting a visit to Yashin Ocean House on its own right.

Next came the Cod Cheek with Chilli Amazu (£7.80). The cod had been sliced into bite sized pieces, lightly battered and deep fried, and served in a deliciously chillied sweet vinegar broth (amazu), with a scattering of crispy leeks. Similar to a nanban dressing, lightly sweet but with refreshing acidity and a hint of heat, the dressing cut through the meaty cod cheeks’ crispy batter, this was a delicious dish and one of my favourites of the evening.

The house special, Head to TAI-L (Tai translates as sea bream in Japanese - £26 for two people), featured a whole, dry aged and grilled sea bream, served complete with head and bones. The dish is designed to be eaten to the last morsel - head, bones and all.

The dry ageing made the flesh quite firm, and more intense in flavour, while the grilling of the skin, bones and head made every bit of the fish edible, although the bones were extremely crunchy.

The fish was served with a simple but magnificent dressing of Tosazu jelly and grated daikon radish (Tosazu translates as Tosa vinegar). Tosa is the ancient name for an area in Shikoku (one of Japan's main islands), a place where fishermen have long pulled in bonito (katsuo) - so the name suggests an infusion of primarily katsuobushi (dried shaved bonito) with other ingredients including konbu (seaweed used for making dashi stock), soy sauce, mirin and vinegar. The bonito adds a heady dose of smoke, flavour, and rich umami, which combined with the acidity of the rice vinegar, makes for a delicious and refreshing accompaniment to grilled fish. Yashin Ocean House’s Tosazu jelly brought a wonderful acidity, freshness and texture contrast to the grilled sea bream and we loved it.

Next up, and the last of our savoury courses, was the Omakase Sushi Eleven (£45). This comprised eleven pieces of sushi served with the roll of the day - salmon, cucumber and pickled ginger, with a wasabi dressing.

The sushi was outstandingly good – one of the most important elements of sushi for me is the rice – Yashin’s was well cooked and seasoned, light and with perfect texture. The fish was obviously fresh (a given in any decent Japanese restaurant), and the tiny dabs of relishes, spice or sauce on top of each sushi brought a new dimension and interest - each one unique, like a Faberge egg.

Some of the stand-outs were the Wagyu beef on crispy rice (great flavours and textures), summer truffle and miso foie gras; yellowtail with sun-dried tomato and parmesan (thanks Daniele!); salmon with tosazu jelly; fatty tuna with truffle oil, salt and pepper; razor clams with seaweed butter (a revelation!); grouper with spicy cod roe; wild seabass with dried miso flake; mackerel with grated ginger; shrimp with coriander sauce and rice crackers; and tuna with kizami wasabi.

Desserts were chosen from a refrigerated cabinet surrounding the sushi bar displaying an array of tantalizing choices.

The chocolate and vanilla mousse with candied hazelnuts coated in chocolate, edible flowers and gold leaf, served with vanilla ice cream was a deliciously rich dessert, expertly made and beautifully presented, this is a must to any chocolate lovers.

Our second dessert was a gorgeous and refreshing Yuzu mousse with white chocolate and shochu jelly served with sorbets of watermelon and sochu. We were impressed by both desserts – they were magnificent. I enjoyed the combination of light pastry, crunchy candied nuts, ice cream and jelly, myriad flavours and textures on a single plate – well judged and executed, they showed real skill and a highly sophisticated palate by the in-house Japanese pastry chef Seiko-san.

What We Drank: The restaurant specialises in sake, and has a range of sake cocktails, as well as a comprehensive list of sakes including sparkling sakes, and a flight of three shochu made from sweet potato, barley and shiso for £11.

The house Champagne is a Dosnon & Lepage for £64. There is an extensive wine list, particularly featuring European wines, with whites starting at £28 for a Picpoul de Pinet. Red wines start with an organic Clos du Tue-Boeuf, Cheverny Rouge Rouillon 2010 for £37.

We started with a 300ml bottle of Mio sparkling sake (£23) from Shochikubai Shirakabegura. This is only 5% alcohol, and off dry with fine bubbles and a delicate on the palate.

To accompany the sashimi, sushi and main course, we had the Chavy-Chouet, a Puligny Montrachet 'Les Enseigneres" 2012 (£80) - we had a 375ml carafe for £40.  With a heady nose of apple, citrus and tropical fruit, the palate was richly complex, with layer upon layer of flavour, fresh acidity and a long satisfying finish.  This was about as far from the high street Chardonnay as it is possible to imagine, and utterly magnificent.

We finished with a cocktail - Kagurasaka (£9.50). Yashin's version of a Manhattan, this had single malt Japanese whisky, with Junmai sake, Cointreau and shiso leaves.

Likes: Both the sashimi and sushi Omakase selections were excellent and stunningly presented. Some nicely and quirky presentational touches. A small but well considered Japanese menu. Comprehensive wine & sake lists. Excellent value Express Lunch and Dinner Menus for £24.50 (4 courses).

Dislikes: Some of the stools around the sushi counter are less than optimal if you would like to see the chefs in action, and these were unfortunately where we were seated, so apologies for the poor quality of images in this post.

Verdict: An elegant Japanese restaurant, Yashin Ocean House serves some of the most creative sushi & sashimi I have tried outside Japan, as well as excellent cooked options. With highly skilled cuisine and pastry teams, and superb wine and sake lists, Yashin Ocean House ticks all the boxes for me, and I cannot wait to return. Very highly recommended.

London Restaurant Reviews - Gessler at Daquise

Polish Fine Dining in Central London (Updated on 20th March 2011)
Co-written with Marta Karcz

An old-established Polish family of restaurateurs, the Gesslers own some of the top restaurants, delis and confectioners in Warsaw. They are highly regarded in their native country and their flagship restaurant "U Kucharzy" is the only one in Poland to have been awarded a Bib Gourmand for two years running by the Michelin Guide.

It was only in 2008 however that the Gesslers took over Cafe Daquise on Thurloe Place, South Kensington, giving the foodies in London the opportunity to see how they truly measure up. Since its opening in the 1940s, Cafe Daquise has been the place where the Polish community based in the UK would go for a reminder of their homeland and to dine on some of their favourite national dishes.

I have made quite a few Polish friends in London over the years but I have to admit knowing little about their cuisine. So when I was invited to review Gessler at Daquise, I called on some expert knowledge from Marta Karcz, a Polish food blogger (Muscovado Cafe) and friend I had met at a recent London Cooking Club dinner. Marta kindly agreed to dine with me at Gessler, educate me on her native cuisine and has also co-written this review.

Marta writes candidly about her first impressions of the restaurant - the early, nostalgic smells of her childhood - vinegar, beetroot, fried onions and bread, coming back to her as we entered the dining room. The simple, if somewhat austere decor, reminded her of similar home style restaurants with antique, dark wooden cabinets contrasting with the plain white tiles, soft lighting, and the starched white linen. At the entrance, a large wooden table laden with desserts, cakes and bread helped to give an invitingly informal feel to the restaurant and a glimpse of the delicious food that was still to come.

The menu has many of the classic Polish dishes, all sounding very delicious, making it hard for us to come to a decision. But soon after Marta's brief introduction to the more unusual dishes and our host’s (Rafal) suggestions, we chose the two starters, soups, and main courses of the evening. It was notable that most dishes were brought to the table in their cooking pans with some being finished there - adding a real sense of theatre.

We started with a mixed portion of "Pierogi" @ £10.  These are freshly made dumplings with fillings of meat or cheese, potato and onion. Traditionally served with melted butter, fried onions and sometimes sour cream, they tasted authentic and were delicious. Both fillings were well seasoned but the cheese filled one was our favourite. It tasted of lightly caramelised onions, butter, black-pepper and with a tangy, savoury quality from the "twaróg" (Polish curd cheese).

The "Tatar" @ £10.50 (or Steak Tartare) was next. The beef fillet was patiently minced and seasoned with a myriad of ingredients including capers, onions, gherkins and an egg yolk by a chef at a small table next to ours.

It was a fun thing to watch - the beef tasted fresh and the finished mixture if slightly under salted for my taste was also very good.

The "Zurek" Soup @ £7 (Sour Rye Soup). As tradition dictates, the soup was served with hard-boiled egg and chopped fried sausage and had a distinctive sour taste from the addition of soured rye flour. The combination of flavours (smoked sausage, sour rye flour and boiled eggs) was delicious and hearty.

The "Barszcz zabielany" @ £7 (Red Borstch)– was a creamy beetroot soup – served with a separate plate of generously buttered mashed potatoes studded with bacon and fresh dill. Rafal explained that the soup had been infused with orange and cloves and tasted sweetly aromatic.

He also explained that while eating "barszcz" we should take some of the potato mash on a spoon and plunge it into the soup so that we had a perfect mouthful of both. The mash was intentionally salty to contrast with the sweet beetroot soup.

For mains we shared "Kaczka Pieczona" @ £19 - roast duck with mashed potatoes, red cabbage, apricots, baked apples and cranberries and "Ges Pieczona" @ £24 - roast goose with stuffed buckwheat and served with red cabbage, raisins and fresh cranberries.

Once again, we witnessed a culinary performance – a couple of chefs came out of the kitchen with a table laden with pots and whole roasted birds, and gradually we saw our plates being filled with generous carvings of duck and goose, servings of mashed potatoes and cabbage, buckwheat, baked apples and the topped with the concentrated jus from the roasted meats and a luscious cranberry sauce.

Other dishes I was very interested in trying were "Krolik Duszony w Tymianku" @ £18 (saddle of rabbit stewed with thyme, served with egg noodles and carrots stewed with honey and ginger) or "Golonga z Dzika" @ £22 (knuckle of wild boar stewed in juniper and served with egg noodles and roast beetroot). There is also an evening three course tasting menu at £30 (starter, soup and main) or four courses including dessert for £34. The same tasting menu is also available at lunch time for £19.90. To view their full menu, click here.

By this stage we were replete, but succumbed to Rafal’s suggestion of pancakes with cheese filling for dessert. Unlike in Poland, where pancakes are served with a thin layer of jam or "twaróg" mixed with cream and sugar, pancakes at Gesslers were definitely a rather sophisticated affair. They were lovely and thin, filled with cheese, raisins and cinnamon and  served with a warm sauce of stewed cranberries.

As a digestif, Rafal brought us a glass of "Wiśniówka" @ £3.50 – cherry vodka – which was the perfect end to a magnificent meal.

Cost: The London Foodie and Marta Karcz were guests of Gessler at Daquise. The tasting menu is priced at £30 for three courses or £34 for four courses. I estimate that a three course meal from the a la carte menu will cost between £35 and £40 per person (excluding drinks).

Likes: I liked all the dishes we ordered, but particularly the soups, roasted birds and "pierogi". I also enjoyed having my food served hot from the cooking pot, and the attentive, unhurried service we had. It does seem a little pricey, but then the ingredients are top quality and the portions are very generous. Gessler has nearly all of its produce imported from Poland.

Dislikes: The wine list is a let-down given the quality of the food. There are many bottles below the £20 mark which is commendable but the lack of detailed information about the provenance of the wines is unfortunate in a restaurant of this quality.

Verdict: I was very impressed by my introduction to Gessler and Polish fine dining. Good, authentic food with delicious and unusually interesting flavours in a very charming setting. I cannot think of a better cuisine for this wintry London weather and look forward to returning soon. Very highly recommended.

...What Others Are Saying...


Jo Kruczynska on 20th March 2011: After reading your blog about Gessler at Daquise in South Ken, we took my Dad there for his birthday yesterday. It was such a lovely evening especially as the food is very traditionally Polish and brought back so many memories of my Polish Grannies cooking. They really looked after us and plied us with special flavoured vodka's. Thanks for the recommendation!