It can be hit and miss when you arrive in the city, late in the evening and without a dinner reservation; you could either stumble upon a great restaurant, or a disappointing one. On a late summer night at the start of June, I found myself in what might have been the most surprising Japanese place I have ever been in.
After walking around Edgware Street having visited a friend, my usual craving of Japanese food had kicked in. Tucked away on the corner is a little restaurant that goes by the name Dinings. I’ll admit, its pacific aura, dim lighting and beige walls make it hard to spot in the frenzy of other cool toned buildings that neighbour it, but in a way, part of that aura is what makes it so homely and invigorating.
Dinings is run by its owner, Keiji Fuku, who converted his grandmother’s house into a restaurant. So, as you may expect, the interior of it is rather ambient, with warm toned lamps, verdant house plants and incredibly snug seating. Keiji Fuku is a man of great skill. His culinary abilities range from thinly slicing pickled ginger to shaping wasabi into intricate roses (all learnt from his grandmother of course). His specialities vary from creating new tapas consisting of tuna belly and yellowtail that practically melt into your tastebuds all the way to perfecting the art of miso cod. Fuku’s creativity is really what makes him an outstanding chef and what makes Dinings perhaps one of the most memorable Japanese restaurants in London.
So, should you go? Yes, though not for its novelty. If you’re a highly particular person when it comes to food (especially good Japanese cuisine) I’d say there’s definitely a lot to get used to. The problem is so glaringly big, that I felt it only fair to mention early on: the rice. I have heard certain critiques claim that the good stuff is “all about the rice” (through my admittedly obsessive watching of Chef’s table of course). This to me has always seemed a rather silly thing to say. How could it possibly be about the rice, when the things on top of it cost so much more? And then I tried their nigiri sushi – the thumb-length pillows of rice with slender cuts of fish on top – tuna, yellowtail, scallop. And that’s when it struck me that it really could be all about the rice. Good sushi rice should be comfortingly warm. As much as I hate to say if, the rice at Dinings just didn’t cut it: cold, claggy, under-flavoured. And while I like to think of myself as an optimist and focus on the better things in life – like their harmonious miso and cod combo, the tempura, or even the supple roasted aubergine – my attention was somehow always drawn back to the rice. And if I do say so myself, it seems to taste to eerily similar to the cold rice you might get at a self-service bar or a buffet.
On a more positive note, the chilli edamame as a starter was a hit, with a hearty amount of heat getting the tastebuds jumping. Similarly, a sweet chilli sauce made an appearance alongside a platter of deep-fried sushi. Peculiar, huh? Definitely not for the authentic Japanese lovers… though a bit of a revelation! Then, their sushi can also be ordered with either white or brown rice, which I suppose gives a waft of health over proceedings. Whilst this might be the only good thing about their rice, I thought it’d only be fair to mention it – in favour of all the granola mums and health gurus out there.
At this point, you may be wondering, what else could you possibly order at a sushi restaurant, if not a dish with rice in it? And in response to that I urge you to try their deluxe sashimi, which is beautiful: pearlescent cuts with micro-herbs, all tasting very fresh, taking the spotlight in my reserved opinion.
As my spontaneous night came to an end, it dawned on me that I shouldn’t have ordered the chocolate mochi for pudding. Not only because I was dangerously full, but because the strange, slightly waxy texture (made of pounded rice) was a bit too peculiar for my liking – though, I’m sure it’ll grow on me in time. In Japan, the mochi are often filled with red-bean paste. Chocolate is better, but only just.
I’ll definitely come back to Dinings – I just reckon it takes a few goes to find out which dishes to avoid, and which always to order – their tempura-battered tuna roll, and slivers of sashimi already have me in a vice-like grip.
