The Japanese restaurants I tend to go to do the usual classics of ramen, sushi, and rice bowls, but Yatay Soho was different because it focused on Japanese street food, which was less known. Was it any good? Time to find out…
Ideal for:
When you want to try many Japanese specialities as it was tapas style.
Trying something different in the world of Japanese cuisine.
A quick bite to eat in Central London before a night out.
Ambience & Décor
You would be forgiven if you missed Yatay on first glance, given its black façade and obscured gold “Yatay” writing obscured by the parapet. This theme continued inside with the black walls, pillars, and the black wrought iron chair bodies. The mahogany benches and furniture made it look classy, with some contrast coming from the light-coloured seat tops and wooden eating surface adjacent to the open kitchen, which was the pièce de resistance of the décor. The sights and smells from the kitchen were glorious. The meek ambience was because of sitting on the counter adjacent to the kitchen and away from the main restaurant but made conversation easier.
Service
Service was friendly and attentive, despite sitting away from the main restaurant. It was great seeing the dishes coming straight from kitchen to table.
Food
The Japanese street food came in small plates; hence we ordered a selection. The Gyu Gyoza was filled with beef and bone marrow, with su-shoyu (sauce) on the side. The quintessential Japanese ingredients were a tasty combo. The three skewers ordered were Buta (pork, yuzu miso, "shimichurri” sauce), Ishinagi (Stone bass, yuzu miso, sea urchin butter) and Kohitsuji (koji-cured lamb, yuzu-kosho, cheese crumble) (see above and left). The stone bass was the best; cooked beautifully and the sea urchin butter was innovative, inspired and genius. The Kinoko Gohan (baked mushroom rice, poached egg, crispy shallots) was amazing without being gelatinous, and the rich mushroom-y flavour that coursed through this dish was divine. The shallots were a nice texture twist.
The miso-cured ricotta ball with black sugar syrup and kinako (roasted soy flour that tastes like roasted peanuts) sprinkled on top was different yet delicious (see right). The neutrally flavoured, whipped, and light ricotta balanced the almost treacle-like consistency of the sickly sweet syrup. The syrup was well tempered by the ricotta and kinako, whose crumbly, gritty feel gave texture depth. Yatay’s flavour combinations were bonkers (cheese and lamb!), but they were inspired. The uniqueness, along with the high quality, cheap prices made Yatay Soho a hidden gem. My dining companion did have minor issues with his dish, and hence I give Yatay a comfortable A rating.
Photos of Yatay Soho and more can be found on Instagram here.
Final grade: A
Final comment: Japanese street food was a great concept, and Yatay did it justice!
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