Working next to Liverpool Street station means no shortage of great food options, but the December opening of Japanese restaurant Shiro in Broadgate Circle brought with it a particular level of excitement.
Inspired by the buzzing dining culture of Tokyo’s Ginza, Shiro has brought authentic Tokyo cuisine and techniques to The City, headed up by Chef Ken Miyake. From its iconic Crystal Sushi, invented by Shiro over half a decade ago and featuring layers of elegantly infused jelly, delicately laid on top of each sushi piece, to spectacular seafood from its fresh bar and unusual flavour combinations, it’s an exciting new addition the the city’s dining scene.
Instead of the more common nigiri style, Shiro serves up Edomae Sushi, involving carefully sourced seafood being cut longer to drape on top of the rice almost touching the plate, It’s one of the few restaurants in the UK where you can experience true Edomae style sushi such asakami tuna, seabass, and aburi (charcoal seared) salmon, to name a few. There’s also a competitively-priced lunchtime menu with plant-based, curry and fish options, to meat and ramen sets, all accompanied by homemade pickles and okazu of the day.
We visited on a buzzing Thursday evening to sample the new menu. Try the spicy tuna and salmon tartare, served with crispy lotus chips, a ginger and shallot dressing and Oscietra caviar, delicate little mouthfuls of flavour. Superbly tender braised octopus arrives with a potato salad and coriander miso, and you absolutely must not miss the soft shell crab tempura, with a fantastically fresh yama gobo slaw.
The aforementioned crystal sushi is something special, fresh, striking and delivering on flavour, with a spread of tuna, scallop, sea bream and salmon. From the robata grill, salmon teriyaki marinated with yuzu kosho and grilled sea bream with pickled vegetables were sweet, tangy and flaky, needing no sides to accompany, every mouthful savoured the flavour.
We certainly recommend saving space for dessert. A matcha green tea tiramisu wasn’t to my liking (though my friend devoured it) but the black sesame fondant with white miso ice cream, at one sweet and umami in flavour, was something special.
This is a welcome addition to the Liverpool Street dining scene. That other sushi place over the road that we shan't give the publicity to should be quaking in its overhyped boots with this one on its doorstep, that's for sure...
