London - Sake No Hana
Spring 2008
Frank's view 
'Japanese fans should love it'
It’s an intriguing cocktail –
A leading London restaurateur, the young heir of a Russian billionaire, a world class Japanese chef, and a restaurant space which has so far seen nothing but failure.
Evgeny Lebedev, the heir to a multi billion Russian fortune, apparently handed Alan Yau, the genius behind London’s Hakkasan and Yauatcha, around £6m, with the brief to create a Nobu beater in a building in London’s St James Street, which has historically resulted in restaurant economic carnage.
Having opened towards the end of 2007, the Camel and companion visited on a Tuesday lunchtime in early May 08, when Sake No Hana, still had not created the level of hysteria where securing a table is more tricky than escaping from a Nobu broom cupboard with zip intact.
It’s immediately apparent where the investment has gone. The restaurant is surprisingly spacious and offers two table options. The large tables for four – six, around the windows, require the removal of footwear. Arthritic diners are spared the pain of going cross legged, as your legs dangle at ease in a well beneath the table. These are the tables for scandalous chat or the concoction of mega commercial deals, as the nearest diner will require ‘Bionic Woman’ hearing to eavesdrop.
The other option is to keep your shoes on and sit by the wall in more conventional close proximity to fellow diners.
An intricate wooden structure, like a well developed Jenga game, wanders across the ceiling and light blinds shade diners from the outside world.
Initial reviews of Sake No Hana talked of an over complicated menu, no wine, and no coffee. That has all changed. The menu is straightforward (for those familiar with Japanese cuisine) and arranged by how dishes are prepared, i.e., Fried, Tempura, Braised, etc.
Chef Kazu earned his samuri stripes in the Japanese Embassies of Bangkok and the US prior to arriving in London, and he clearly knows his stuff. The food is excellent.
The waiters are friendly, attentive and happy to chat about how the restaurant is doing. One had trampled down the backs of his shoes in order to quickly remove and replace them whilst attending to the footwear free tables.
Another was still coming to terms with the addition of wine to Sake No Hana, as he poured every last dreg of sediment into my glass.
The shoe crushing waiter persuaded us to try the sorbets. They did not disappoint, pear, guava and coconut, served on crumbs of peanut and cane sugar.
The food bill for two was around £90.
Sake No Hana deserves to succeed. It may be funded by throwaway Russian billions but they are trying to do everything right, and getting there.
Sake No Hana
23 St James Street
London
SW1A 1HA
020 7925 8988
(Alan Yau restaurants do not have web sites)
A leading London restaurateur, the young heir of a Russian billionaire, a world class Japanese chef, and a restaurant space which has so far seen nothing but failure.
Evgeny Lebedev, the heir to a multi billion Russian fortune, apparently handed Alan Yau, the genius behind London’s Hakkasan and Yauatcha, around £6m, with the brief to create a Nobu beater in a building in London’s St James Street, which has historically resulted in restaurant economic carnage.
Having opened towards the end of 2007, the Camel and companion visited on a Tuesday lunchtime in early May 08, when Sake No Hana, still had not created the level of hysteria where securing a table is more tricky than escaping from a Nobu broom cupboard with zip intact.
It’s immediately apparent where the investment has gone. The restaurant is surprisingly spacious and offers two table options. The large tables for four – six, around the windows, require the removal of footwear. Arthritic diners are spared the pain of going cross legged, as your legs dangle at ease in a well beneath the table. These are the tables for scandalous chat or the concoction of mega commercial deals, as the nearest diner will require ‘Bionic Woman’ hearing to eavesdrop.
The other option is to keep your shoes on and sit by the wall in more conventional close proximity to fellow diners.
An intricate wooden structure, like a well developed Jenga game, wanders across the ceiling and light blinds shade diners from the outside world.
Initial reviews of Sake No Hana talked of an over complicated menu, no wine, and no coffee. That has all changed. The menu is straightforward (for those familiar with Japanese cuisine) and arranged by how dishes are prepared, i.e., Fried, Tempura, Braised, etc.
Chef Kazu earned his samuri stripes in the Japanese Embassies of Bangkok and the US prior to arriving in London, and he clearly knows his stuff. The food is excellent.
The waiters are friendly, attentive and happy to chat about how the restaurant is doing. One had trampled down the backs of his shoes in order to quickly remove and replace them whilst attending to the footwear free tables.
Another was still coming to terms with the addition of wine to Sake No Hana, as he poured every last dreg of sediment into my glass.
The shoe crushing waiter persuaded us to try the sorbets. They did not disappoint, pear, guava and coconut, served on crumbs of peanut and cane sugar.
The food bill for two was around £90.
Sake No Hana deserves to succeed. It may be funded by throwaway Russian billions but they are trying to do everything right, and getting there.
Sake No Hana
23 St James Street
London
SW1A 1HA
020 7925 8988
(Alan Yau restaurants do not have web sites)
Be Frank: agree or disagree? What do you think?
