The Middle East meets Japan…now that’s a culinary fusion I’m sure you’ve never heard of or expected, however, new restaurant
JIJI
is proving that their innovative concept is destined for success. Nestled in Islington’s Esther Anne Place,
JIJI has become a fixture in a part of the brand new redevelopment of the Islington Square development on the site of the old Post Office sorting office.
“I believe dishes from both cuisines complement each other perfectly”, Janina Wolkow, founder of JIJI and the restauranteur also behind celebrity hangout spot, Sumosan.
The restaurant is stunning and sleek. Upon entering, diners walk through a vast al fresco style terrace, before entering into the swanky indoors adorned with marble, brass and metallic toned decor. The electric artwork of the three Japanese-inspired female figures is especially, impressive. There’s a stocked up bar, an open plan kitchen to watch the chefs in action and plush booths that run along the left side of the restaurant.
The menu, developed by Sumosan’s chef Bubker Belkhit, takes the diner on a journey from sushi, to sashimi to shawarma, cocktails and everything in between. There are small plates such as salmon and aubergine carpaccio, large plates including robata baby chicken and tender grilled salmon, a select list of desserts and of course, sushi.
Our charming and knowledgeable waiter recommended his favourite dishes which also happened to match my exact picks, so I knew that were on to some winners. We opted for the tuna & avocado tartare with creamy truffle sauce, scallop with unagi sauce creme fraiche and salmon roe, fiery sesame yellowtail tartare, softshell crab roll, crispy seabass with truffle and jalapeno roll and a crunchy yellowtail roll. This smorgasbord of sushi was served as a large Instagram-ready platter. The construction of each roll was intelligent and personal. Each sushi roll is a tasty blend of flavours and crispy, crunchy textures with attention to detail such as the teeny tiny green, blue and yellow tobiko (salmon roe) which beautifully garnished several of the rolls. The fish was so extraordinarily tender and sheathed with such skill that eating became more like an art performance with the delicate use of chopsticks rather than devouring it mindlessly.
We then went on to share the moreish JIJI
style flatbread, baked on the robata grill, glazed with olive oil and zaatar - pillowy, chewy and smoky making the perfect accompaniment to the lamb shawarma. This was a meltingly tender slow-cooked meat, pulled and served with a signature JIJI
spice mix, yoghurt tahini, tomato jam and zhug.
Room for dessert? You bet. The rocky road was sublime. Smooth, rich chocolate praline cremeaux, milk crumble decorated with fluffy s’mores, caramel popcorn and blueberries. I couldn’t think of a better ending.
Did we leave convinced by the Japanese Middle Eastern cuisine? Yes, but not in the typical sense of a “fusion”, more so as two quality cuisines that run parallel to each other for diners to pick what tickles their fancy. The food here is exquisite, each dish made to perfection with a decadent backdrop that omits any of the pretentiousness one may find in Mayfair. If you’re looking for top-notch sushi….and a side of grilled flatbread, because, why not?
JIJI is your best bet.
