Is it a pub? Is it a music venue? Or is it a restaurant? Portobello Road’s
Ukai is a hybrid that offers all three. The former pub, now a restaurant, deviates from the traditional, but not so restaurant formal. A Japanese gastropub, if you will.
Ukai specialises in robata cooking (a method of cooking, similar to barbecue in which items of food are cooked at varying speeds over hot charcoal) with former Nobu and Roka chef, Alessandro Veros serving up authentic and modern Japanese cuisine.
Ukai is pretty vibey; moody lighting, ornate Japanese murals and material dotted around the interior and a large stocked bar. The menu is extensive, allowing diners to dive in between an almost endless list of ‘hot japas’, a Japanese spin on tapas, ceviche, sushi and sashimi dishes, main robata plates, tempura and platters. The selection itself includes unusual but intriguing dishes, including the likes of lobster and shrimp gyoza, white tuna tataki and truffle, volcano salmon tempura sushi roll and Korean lamb chops…to name but a few. The drinks menu draws inspiration from European flavours with signature cocktails as well as Japanese sakes and whiskies with over 200 different vermouth and spirits. My guest and I found it difficult deciding on a dish, the FOMO was real! But first, drinks. We both opted for a sweet and delicious non-alcoholic apple concoction.
The staff here are incredibly helpful, friendly and knowledgeable, which is how we finally came to choosing our dishes. For the starters, we opted for the crunchy, marinated pieces of karaage style fried chicken served with a liberal squeeze of lime juice and a side pot of spicy mayonnaise. Whatever you do, do not leave without trying the rock shrimp - The fried batter shell around these shrimp is delicate, but with the most delightful crunch.
From the robata menu, we selected the meaty and indulgent short rib plate, the tuna tartar and caviar and the marinated eel dragon roll from the sushi section - eating it in one mouthful was recommended for this roll, given they were piled high with fresh avocado and tobiko (flying fish roe). The immaculate plates arrived swiftly, prepped with impressive skill and dexterity, the presentation and decoration as important as the dishes themselves. Taste wise, it’s all pretty good. The standout dish was the slow-cooked short rib which was the most tender and succulent fall apart beef you will ever have. A notable mention to the tuna tartar and caviar which was decadent and rich, boasting a huge amount of pure, clean, umami-rich flavour. Yum.
Ukai is a warm, laidback and unique spot where you can indulge in a few hours of occasional live music and magic courtesy of a chef whose sushi knowledge knows no bounds. Blink and it’s all over but this was a feast to remember. If you want to satisfy your sushi cravings while in West London, then this restaurant is your port of call.
