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London-Unattached London-Unattached - London Lifestyle » Matsuri St James’s – a Japanese Teppanyaki Feast

Matsuri St James’s – a Japanese Teppanyaki Feast

June 13, 2014 by Fiona Maclean 12 Comments

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Last Updated on June 13, 2014

Teppanyaki and more:

A while ago I was invited to a press supper at Matsuri hosted by Kikkoman.  Other commitments meant I was unable to go – and instead my friend The-Hedonist enjoyed an evening of Japanese food at Matsuri St James’s and wrote a comprehensive feature about the soy tasting for London-Unattached.

matsuri exterior

I was jealous.  I often get that way when food is involved.  This time I COULD go – and carefully blocked out my diary.  A good move, I arrived to enjoy  a welcome cup of sake while we waited for everyone to arrive.

Matsuri Sake

The evening started with an address by the president Yoshinori Hatta who explained that Matsuri St James’s was a partnership between Kikkoman and JR-Central, the high speed rail operator.  He went on to introduce the Restaurant manager Cristoforo Santini, sommelier Tommaso Riccardo Guzzardo and new head chef Ryosuke Kishi who joined in March 2014 from a career which combined a classic French training with work in leading Japanese hotels and private households

About Matsuri

The restaurant specialises in Teppanyaki – food cooked on a flat, stainless steel grill.  And, Teppanyaki restaurants are often theatrical – with the food almost taking second place to the performance skills of the chef.  Of course watching a good chef cook is, for me at least, entertainment.  Each table at Matsuri has a chef and part of the enjoyment of the evening is watching your food being skillfully prepared and then served.  The challenge, of course, is to produce excellent quality food at the same time.

Sake and Sushi at Matsuri st Jamess

We were served Horaisen Junmai Ginjo Wa Sake – a soft, floral sake to pair with the Sushi made for us at each table.  I’m developing quite a taste for Sake and particularly enjoyed this fresh, slightly nutty version.

Matsuri Sushi

Tempura has always been a favourite of mine.  One of the few things that wasn’t cooked in front of us it was served with Gerard Tremblay Chablis 1er cru, which we continued to drink through the next course

Matsuri - tempura

Alaskan black cod marinated in ginger was sealed then steamed under a copper dome

Alaskan black cod at matsuri

Delicious – very tender and perfectly flavoured with a soy and ginger marinade

Alaskan black cod at matsuri

Although before we moved on to the beef dish, I must admit to a little food envy for a fellow diner who wasn’t eating meat and so enjoyed this stunning plate of seafood

Matsuri Seafood

The beef was from a supplier in the Basque region of Spain – Txogitxu.  Selected for its similarity to Wagyu, I’d personally have preferred a leaner cut.  And, yes I know that is heresy and I’m supposed to love the melting fat – but, if I’m honest it takes a really high quality Wagyu to work for me.

Matsuri - beef

It was served with beautiful, seasonal white and green asparagus, all cooked on the teppanyaki and accompanied with a Sicilian red wine, I Vigneri Salvo Foti 2011.

matsuri Beef and Asparagus

We also enjoyed Garlic Butter Rice, again cooked on the teppanyaki

Matsuri Cooking Rice

At this point, one of our number decided that she should try the teppanyaki for herself.  Slightly scary!  This is Caroline from All That I’m Eating wielding a spatula and knife.

Matsuri - Caroline_edited-1

Well, as it happens she is a pretty good cook herself.

Meanwhile we moved on to dessert, the most spectacular of the evening’s dishes – a fireball ice-cream with pineapple.

Dessert - Matsuri St Jamess

Washed down with a splendid plum wine this was a fitting finale to a great evening

I thoroughly enjoyed dinner at Matsuri and think it would make a fabulous night out for a party or special event.  Or even for a business dinner – the cooking process means that there is plenty of time for conversation. While this isn’t a cheap place to dine out (dinner will come in at around £60 a head), it is an unforgettable experience with some wonderful food.

Matsuri St James’s
15 Bury Street,
London SW1Y 6AL

Filed Under: Mayfair, Restaurant Tagged With: Japan, Japanese, Sushi

About Fiona Maclean

London based freelance writer and marketing consultant. I edit London-Unattached.com and write for a number of other publications. With a music degree and a background in marketing across many sectors, my passions include all types of music, food, restaurants, wine and travel

Comments

  1. Bintu @ Recipes From A Pantry says

    June 18, 2014 at 12:01 pm

    I would absolutely love to go to a Teppanyaki feast especially when it involves Kikkoman (a pantry staple of mine) and fish marinated in ginger. You lucky thing Fiona.

    Reply
  2. Stevie Wilson says

    June 18, 2014 at 2:19 am

    This sounds so amazing. What a fabulous meal and evening you had!

    Reply
  3. Jess @UsedYorkCity says

    June 16, 2014 at 2:13 pm

    We have these in the states called hibachi restaurants, I do love their performances! And the rice and veggies always taste amazing right off the grill!

    Reply
  4. ManjiriK says

    June 14, 2014 at 11:11 pm

    I enjoy Sake and Teppanyaki, this sounds like a Fab event ! Love Kikkoman , its a kitchen cupboard firm must for me now!

    Reply
  5. Janice says

    June 14, 2014 at 10:06 pm

    That looks like fun. I’ve only ever had that kind of flat plate Japanese food and it was in San Francisco in 1980! I was very impressed at the time with the knife skills. Would love to try it again.

    Reply
  6. Emma says

    June 14, 2014 at 12:15 pm

    It was certainly a great night – the food great, wine superb and the company even better!

    Reply
  7. Karen says

    June 14, 2014 at 10:11 am

    I am on a real sushi kick lately and this looks fun as well as extremely tasty! LOVE the photo of Caroline!

    Reply
  8. Jacqueline Meldrum says

    June 14, 2014 at 9:55 am

    Caroline looks like she is enjoying herself. Did you join in and have a go?

    Reply
    • Fiona Maclean says

      June 14, 2014 at 10:18 am

      actually no – we were on different tables and I think her’s was just a little more lively!

      Reply
  9. chloe says

    June 13, 2014 at 8:28 pm

    looks like you had a blast, wish I liked japanese food. xo

    Reply
    • Fiona Maclean says

      June 13, 2014 at 9:13 pm

      you might like teppanyaki – it’s not like sushi! xx

      Reply
  10. Michelle Willis says

    June 13, 2014 at 8:24 pm

    I’ve always wanted to try Sushi. I love the idea of food being cooked in front of you.

    Reply

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