“This is really very good.” (He may have put it rather more
succinctly but less printably.) My foodie plus one and I were tasting the
Feasting Menu at Apothecary East
in London’s Shoreditch.
Inspired by Japan’s popular Izakaya bars, which
traditionally offer relatively inexpensive small dishes to accompany drinks – a
sort of Japanese tapas bar - Apothecary East is an attractive large cocktail bar
and restaurant with low lighting, an open kitchen and stylish but comfortable
ambience. With gorgeous Tom Dixon light fittings, brick walls and lovely
seating, it offers absolutely delicious seasonal Modern Japanese dishes.
I hate dining or drinking under a harsh glare so the dim
lighting was ideal for me but I noticed a table of slightly older guests using
the lights on their phones to help them read the menu. My dining partner, too,
wanted to see more clearly the beautiful presentation of each dish. There’s no
doubt the chefs here are doing a fantastic job.
And so are the bar staff. We tried the Tsuari Margarita,
both smoky and spicy, and the Okinawa Daiquiri, a delicious mix of tropical
fruits and rum.
But I’m getting ahead of myself. To start the Feast, Apothecary
East has introduced the Sake Bomb ritual. A shot of sake is balanced on a pair
of parallel chopsticks above a glass of lager.
Count to three – ichi, ni, san – before all slamming the table so the
sake drops into the lager with a pleasing fizz. Ideal for getting the party
started. And perfect for an office Christmas do.
Parties of 12 or more who book by November 17 can enjoy a
complimentary round of Sake Bombs or Prosecco (non-alcohol versions are
available), which will go some way to ease the pain of being sat next to the
office bore.
But any irritating guests will be easily forgotten
once the food emerges, it is so good. Our menu included: Lotus root crisps,
Salted edamame pods, Salmon avocado sushi rolls and individual bowls of Miso
soup; Calamari fry with black pepper mayo – a really fresh standout dish –
Green chilli tuna sushi rolls, Karaage fried chicken, Nori fries and house
pickles; Miso aubergine, Kakuni bbq pork belly – another truly excellent dish –
Shoyu garlic sweet potato and Yakisoba veg noodles.
Designed as a sharing feast, it was hardly surprising
we didn’t manage to finish nearly half of what was on offer but we did find
room for the lovely, refreshing Mochi dessert. Traditionally a slightly chewy Japanese
sweet made with soft glutinous rice and red bean paste, these were served
frozen in chocolate, mango & passionfruit and vanilla flavours. The perfect
ending to a spectacular meal.
Housed in a former Victorian warehouse with a
beautifully-lit cocktail bar, for events the restaurant can accommodate around 130
seated and parties of various sizes with a choice of semi-private areas. There
is also a private dining room downstairs seating 22 guests or up to 35 at a
reception.
The
team are planning to include festive specials such as Winter Sprout Shiozuke and Christmas
Karaage with a Chilli Cranberry Mayo andMiso Toffee Pudding Bite.
Feast menus are available
from mid-November through to Christmas, with prices from £35.00 to £65.00 per
head and the option to add Wagyu Bavette for a premium touch.
It’s going to make my turkey roast look very
bland indeed.
