Woodstock Kushiyaki

Cuisine - Japanese

Location - 11 Woodstock Street, London W1C 2AE

Cost - £££££

Star Appetizer - Chicken heart

My Rating - 3.5

I feel like I have been banging on about too many Japanese eateries recently, and I don't want to sound like an old dusty record player, but my god - Japanese quick dining has really tickled the tummies of us Londoners. From Shoryu Ramen to Bone Daddies Shackfuyu, No matter where I go I always seem to hear about some new up and coming alternative to your traditional sushi joints, and the Woodstock Kushiyaki Bar is certainly no exception. Having only opened a little over a month ago this is definitely a place to go if you happen to be in the mood for some fresh, authentic and flavourful snacks, together with a naughty bottle of sake.

It's not trying too hard, it's not in your face, and it lets the food and the drinks speak for themselves. The Woodstock Kushiyaki Bar combines minimalistic interior design with modern Japanese cuisine and an understated menu of nibbles. It actually speaks volumes to the modest nature of the bar that the snack menu was never originally intended to be a dinner menu - but since its launch people have been drawn to this lovely little drinking establishment for more than just sake and a quick nibble.

My order

Chicken Heart

Cripsy Calamari

Soft Shell Crab

Minced Balls

Kushi Age Avocado

Grilled Leeks

Ozeki Sake Karakuchi Dry

Suntory Yamazaki Distillers Reserve

The food was a bit like a game of battle ships, one second it was a hit, and then the next it was a miss. Maybe it's just the fact that when I eat soft shell crab I want it to basically taste as if it were fallen from god's very own platter in heaven and onto my humble table (high standards?)... But hey, I do also think that when you make soft shell crab you should let the crab speak more than the batter. However, I absolutely loved their awesome little chicken hearts - small, robust, chewy, flavourful and very scrumptious! The chef just needs to apply the same simplicity of the menu and interior to the kitchen's cooking.

I would recommend this bar to anyone who needs a quick nibble between a shopping spree across oxford street, or if you are simply looking for a great little chill out bar following a long day at work. There are way too many old classical British pubs down the oxford strip, which is why the Kushiyaki bar is the perfect place to visit if you are looking for something a bit different and yet chilled out. Plonk yourself by one of their many tables and enjoy a cold glass of sake!

Admittedly there is still a lot of hard work that needs to go into the whole feel and function of the bar. If bars had the same life cycles as people, the Woodstock Kushiyaki bar would definitely be in that awkward "young teenager" phase. Thoughts such as "am I cool?", "do people get me?" and "what should I do to impress people?" are constantly running through its mind. It doesn’t yet know what it is, but it has so much potential to be great if it dares to undergo some nerve racking trial and error. As long as they pay attention to what their customers want they should have no problem growing into a game changer, but for now I will give them a timid pat on the shoulder in the hopes that they will have come even further by the time I visit them again.

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