A Japanese izakaya-style restaurant situated within the Turnmill Building on Turnmill Street…
If the closest you have gotten to experiencing Japan in London is sipping a can of Asahi and eating fried chicken with kimchi at Tokyo Nights then this will blow your tiny mind.
Those old enough will fondly remember the spot from ‘back in the day’. What was Turnmills nightclub, is now a 75 cover restaurant. With interiors that play with the notions of Japanese domesticity; the ground floor is inspired by traditional minka houses, evoking the intimate experience of sitting in a Japanese home. Downstairs, guests can experience the more urban side of Japan in basement bar 7 Tales, where Tokyo’s subculture is reflected through walls plastered with a bespoke wallpaper depicting Japan’s golden age movements in the early sixties, and a playful neon sign that will no doubt be plastered all over Instagram.
Serving casual yet refined Japanese cuisine using British seasonal ingredients, the menu comprises small dishes, with sections dedicated to different specialities including temaki, hibachi grill, yaki grill, tempura, sashimi and dishes inspired by Japanese classics.
Guests are encouraged to try innovative plates from each section such as bream sashimi with shichimi crispy potato from the chilled section and Sukiyaki wagyu beef, glass noodles, young leeks, shiitake from the classic dishes section. Offering a particularly interesting taste and texture experience on the dessert menu is Craciun’s shaved ice Kakigori, available to try flavoured with either rhubarb, hibiscus and mochi or matcha and adzuki.
Then downstairs you will find 7 Tales cocktail bar. A 40 cover bar reminiscent of the night-time atmosphere of Tokyo. It is headed up by Bar Manager Geoff Robinson, formerly of Happiness Forgets and Experimental Cocktail Club – so you know it will be great.
The drinks menu is inspired by Japanese culture and philosophies, such as Nikkei Martinez, a blend of aged sake, mosto verde pisco, vermouth, black salt and flowers or Bonita Appleplum, a zesty mix of sugarcane umeshu, sugarcane, amontillado, rum, lemon and orange bitters. A particularly playful addition to the 7 Tales menu is Champagne Papi, a cocktail combining Perrier Jouët NV, umeshu, banana and lactic sugar, served with a 7 Tales ‘coin’ which enables guests to use a bespoke vending machine within the bar that dispenses a sugar cube designed to enhance the flavour of the champagne.
Set to open shortly after Sosharu, Kisetsu, meaning season, will be an entirely separate dining space with its own kitchen, accessible via the main entrance to Sosharu. Here, a tasting menu will be served in fine dining style adopting the ‘omakase’ tradition. Loosely translated as ‘trust the chef,’ diners are offered a bespoke daily changing menu chosen by Craciun. Guests will be seated around a kitchen counter with the interiors changing seasonally to coincide with the Japanese name.
sosharulondon.com
Sosharu, 64 Turnmill Street, London, EC1M 5RR
