Umu Restaurant, Mayfair
Name: Umu
Address: 14-16 Bruton Pl, Mayfair, London W1J 6LX
Website: None
Location: Mayfair
Budget: $$$$
Price: £175-200 per person
What I recommend: Seasonal Kaiseki Menu, Live Icelandic Sea Urchin
We went to Umu in November to sample their famed seasonal Kaiseki menu, Autumn edition.
We were met with what I consider to be some of the best service I've seen in a restaurants in a long time, from the warm welcome to the attention to detail of the chefs behind the counter. Everything - including the poem and woodblock print made by Chef Yoshi and hidden under your Turbot Uzuzukuri - is done to ensure your experience at Umu goes beyond just what is in your plate. Michelin stars are not earned simply by food alone, the service has to be exquisite and Umu knows this well.
Highlights on the menu included the exmoor caviar and abalone, as well as the beautiful sashimi selection from Portugal, Spain and Cornwall, (both pictured below). We supplemented our menu (not that we needed to) with a pair of wild icelandic sea urchin nigiri. Beautifully coloured with a very rich flavour, they launched a conversation between ourselves and the chef on the variety of sea urchin available in Europe and abroad.
We'll no doubt return to sample the winter menu in the new year!
