15 Bury Street, SW1Y 6AL
It's hard to keep up with the opening and closing of restaurants in London. So anywhere open over 10 years is a rarity, while 20 years is somewhat an institution that is outside of all susceptible trends. Matsuri, is one of those places that is surviving the test of time with a quality ingredients for sushi and teppan-yaki. Teppan-yaki is either a 'love it or loathe' it, where your chef cooks in front of you on the griddle, which is sometimes given a bad reputation for over zealous theatrics for clapping seals that mask average quality ingredients. Thankfully not at Matsuri for some of the most flavoursome beef I've had in the capital, and there was still a fire show at the end.
No Japanese restaurant would be complete without sushi, however never been something that's really blown me away. I like it, I readily eat it and can appreciate the skill to prepare it but cooked food just has an edge over it's counterpart. Sorry sushi, you're nice, but you're just not hot enough for me
Onto the Teppan-yaki. First up was alaskan black cod subtly punctuated with ginger. I'm thankfully this piece of fish had made it this far across the globe to end up in my stomach. It is no surprise that it is also called butterfish with it's moist and succulent texture. Certainly something you should seek out if you've never had it before, it's on another level from normal cod. All rise.
Next up was the Galician beef, from Spain, something I've not had before, cooked long on the grill a kilo worth of rump with a thick layer of sea salt on the top. It had an obscene yellow fat band that can only mean a healthy upbringing on grass. Served with some green and white asparagus and a few extra slithers of that scintillating fat this beef was so flavoursome, while the fat was unlike what I've had before. And I've had my fair share of beef fat! The simplicity on the plate is what I like, there is nowhere for ingredients to hide, their flavour has to shine or be cast away to the land of forgotten meals.
Theatrics was left to the end with the 'ice cream on fire' to go with pancakes and some rather nice grilled pineapple. All a bit over elaborate, but good fun and I'm glad the chef still has his eyebrows in tact! Golf clapping all round.
It's quite an experience, and definitely somewhere to go with a group of friends or family for an occasion. However, due to it's no doubt expensive overheads (it is in St.James's), expect to cough up a pretty penny for it. The service is exceptional, and the staff very polite. Aswell as the food Matsuri also has a great wine and sake list. If you go for Sake, don't miss out on the Houraisen WA Junmai Ginjo Sake, so smooth.
NB - I was a guest of Matsuri
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