I've been craving some high quality fine food more and more. The cold weather has kept me locked up inside for too long. Even take out is becoming a burden with it's bland and repetitive taste. I decided to take up Engawa Restaurant, the prestigious luxury restaurant at the Ham Yard Hotel in central London.
Known for it's unforgettable Wagyu and sushi, it is the only restaurant outside of Japan bearing it's name.
I chose the all encompassing platter which consists of pretty much... everything. This is something the Emperor of Japan would have been served for each of his meals, but with even more variety.
My favourite is of course the tempura. I'm no stranger to Sushi, but for some reason my stomach disagrees with raw fish in large amounts. Thankfully, the fried and cooked options easily outweigh the raw.
Aside from the eclectic selection of food, the restaurant itself is a fine example of interior eye-candy. The dim lighting is perfectly suited to the romantic setting. It has a soft ambiance only bolstered by the reflective glasses of the wine cabinets and wine glasses.
For it's 'dim sum' style dishes, I was more than impressed with the plating which was not only delicate, but artistic at the same time. Considerable effort has been put into the presentation, and this is positively received as it makes the food seem just that much more tasty.
This is without a doubt a Japanese restaurant that can live up to it's origin.