Having lived in the borough of Hackney for about 10 years, it was with more than a little trepidation that we made the move 20 minutes down the road to Leyton. After all, where else in London are you quite so spoilt for choice when it comes to restaurants, bars and pop-ups?
So, we were thrilled to discover we were only a hop, skip and jump away from Bamboo Mat — a Peruvian/Japanese restaurant from ex-Sushisamba and Chotto Matte staff.
Without the rave review from the queen herself, Grace Dent, we may have made the mistake of walking on by, for it’s not on the prettiest stretch of the High Road. Not far from Leyton Midland station, we’d recommend a couple of beers under the arches at Gravity Well, before heading over for your fusion fix.
Obviously you must kick things off with a pisco sour — a super frothy creation that took us straight back to the pisco discos of Lima. We gorged on beautifully presented plates of salmon tataki and tender chicken thigh but the absolute highlight of the meal for us, was the raw yellowtail. Presented in a vibrant yuzu truffle soy, with a scattering of chives and splodges of aji amarillo sauce — it was absolute perfection (and beat the significantly more expensive version we tried in Mayfair later on in the week).
Sushi-wise you’ll find all the classics alongside more wacky creations — crispy mozzarella maki anyone? There’s even wagyu if you’re feeling hella fancy.
And as absolutely every Leyton resident seems to come with a child in tow, it’s great to see a kids menu, featuring either salmon or chicken teriyaki. And although it was fairly quiet when we arrived, it did start to fill up, and is the type of place we’d happily pop back for a bento box at lunch, as we will for bigger blow-outs too.
It’s with every bone in our body that we hope to see this restaurant succeed, not least because it’s my new favourite local.
