Roketsu restaurant, review: A special little piece of Kyoto in Marylebone

Sign up to IndyEat's free newsletter for weekly recipes, foodie features and cookbook releases Get our food and drink newsletter for free Get our food and drink newsletter for free SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. open image in gallery Hayashi prepares Cornish brill that has been grilled over the fire behind him There’s only a handful of, if any, kaiseki restaurants in the city, and with only 16 seats at the counter, a two-month waiting list and a hefty price tag, Roketsu joins the ranks of some of the most exclusive dining experiences in London. Like any kaiseki menu, Roketsu changes with the seasons and already several iterations of the menu will have graced diners’ plates since my visit in April, but even then – somewhat of a shoulder season before the best bits of spring really kick in – simple, seasonal ingredients shine through complex techniques and intricate presentation. open image in gallery Shiizakana, a hearty egg drop soup with lobster, was a standout course Other highlights of our meal included the grilled course, Yakimono, featuring chunky fillets of Cornish brill seared over an open fire in front of us, topped with green onions and served with sweet, pickled rhubarb; another soup course, Futamono, sees a piece of red mullet steamed in a sakura, ginger and burdock broth; and Mizumono, a dessert of spongy mango pudding and pink grapefruit sorbet, a perfect end-of-the-meal palette cleanser. And I’ll be booking a kaiseki dinner knowing exactly what I’m looking for thanks to Roketsu – whether it lives up to it, though, only time will tell.