So Far So Good

I had heard that So was a feast of Modern Contemporary Japanese cuisine with a few European twists thrown in for good measure and I wondered what was quite “so” (sorry couldn't resist!) special about it.

Based in the heart of Soho on Warwick Street So is within close proximity to some of the best sushi venues in the capital dotted around Brewer and Wardour Street. Lime green walls are set against a compact table top counter with a fresh fish display and a shelf of sake sitting proudly on top. The downstairs section is elegant and refined with a warm mix of contemporary dark browns and beiges coupled with a smattering of dark wood. The "yogan-yaki" customized open grill, with volcanic rocks shipped in from Mount Fuji, adds to the ambiance.

When we arrived the venue on a Tuesday night was eerily quiet but then the pace quickened as diners came in to fill up the upstairs. We ordered a bottle of Riesling from the Alsace region but the wine list is extensive with a mainly European feel that also has a few standout numbers including a Pommard Premier Cru from Burgundy at £72.

To start, the Tebasaki of French black chicken fried wings was beautifully marinated in a dipping sauce that contained a mixture of soy, white wine and sesame. The meat was soft and moist underneath the crispy skin. Meanwhile one of their most popular dishes the smoked duck was particularly subtle; cooked and smoked on a bed of Jack Daniels wood chip where the smokiness of the wood chips enhanced the flavour of the duck.

Our server came next with an additional plateau of sushi which was exceedingly fresh. With an excellent array of Japanese delights ranging from sashimi and urumaki to temaki and Chirashizushi, a typical dish of sashimi that sits gently under a bed of traditional sushi rice head chef Kaoru Yamamoto should take a bow. (On a separate note you can even take sushi master classes with the good man himself.)

Back to dinner, the salmon came topped with salmon eggs that seemed to burst on the tongue.