London, September 2014 – Being a big fan of Zuma Hong Kong, I had equally high expectations of Zuma London, the Japanese izakaya style of informal dining with a modern twist.

The restaurant is located in the heart of Knightsbridge, on a tiny street (Raphael Street) behind The Bulgari Hotel. The widely popular Zuma London is lively and bustling. The open kitchen showcasing the robatayaki grill is the center of attention in the main dining area, which is paneled with wooden timber lattices. Patrons get a pretty good view of the Zuma chefs at work, from almost every table.

The casual dining concept encourages dishes to be shared. The menu offers an array of dishes – cold appetizers & salads, sushi & sashimi, robata grill and of course, desserts. Mr. King and I ordered a few dishes to share.

Dynamite Spider Roll – soft shell crab, chilli mayaonnaise, cucumber and wasabi tobiko sauce

Tsubu-Miso Gako Hinadori no Oven Yaki – barley miso marinated baby chicken, oven roasted on cedar wood.

Gindara no Saikyo Yaki – marinated black cod wrapped in hoba leaf

Shitake Mushrooms Skewers with Garlic & Soy Butter

Miso Eggplant topped with Bonito Flakes

Tejina – chocolate Buddha, mango and passionfruit

Although it is supposedly a more informal atmosphere, the prices are on the expensive spectrum, but the experience is worth it. Service was excellent, and each dish was flavorful.

Zuma London – 5 Raphael St, London

All photos were taken by Mrs. King.