20 Years Later, Roka Is Still As Impressive
As Roka leaves behind the teens and celebrates its 20th birthday this year, we visited the London establishment to join in the celebrations and see what’s new after all this time…
Since it first launched on London’s Charlotte Street, Roka has expanded across the city with branches in Canary Wharf, Mayfair and Aldwych, each serving the restaurant’s impeccable robatayaki cuisine – an ancient Japanese tradition that is championed by chef and founder Rainer Becker. Dining here is all about bringing the theatre from the kitchen to the table, and guests can watch their food being prepared over coals and grills – an experience that only makes you hungrier. Here’s what we loved about Roka:
What sets it apart
Where first impressions are concerned, Roka is charming from the minute you enter the buzzing restaurant. There’s an upbeat vibe, beautiful lighting, a DJ spinning tunes and a room full of excited chatter that doesn’t quite drown the wonderful sizzling sounds that come from the robata – signalling that something delicious is on its way. But where it really shines is its dedication to authenticity, with the drama of some culinary theatrics.
After 20 years of experimenting, our dishes really are reflective of what our customers keep returning for.
Rainer Becker
The menu at Roka has been greatly inspired by Becker’s time living in Tokyo, and even after 20 years, the restaurant keeps to its dedication to complex texture and authentic Japanese flavours. “We aim to strike a balance with the clean Japanese cooking techniques that piqued my early interest – beautiful fresh sashimi, and of course, robata grilled meats but after 20 years of experimenting, our dishes really are reflective of what our customers keep returning for,” he says.
Our experience
Eating at Roka is an experience in itself with tables designed around a central robata that encourage sharing menus that are served to you on beautifully decorated platters – honestly, these are so pretty that you just have to take a picture before you dig in. Dining here feels like you’re at a very fancy birthday party, and the vibe encourages conversation while you dip your sushi into soya sauce and wasabi. The service here is impeccable with staff only to happy to offer suggestions, help you with wine choices and offer their favourite picks from the glorious sake menu. All we had to do was mention our favourite meats, veggies and spirits and we had our order curated for us, and some of it served on a dramatic ice tray.
The service here is impeccable with staff only to happy to offer suggestions, help you with wine choices and offer their favourite picks from the glorious sake menu.
What we ordered
In honour of its 20th anniversary, Roka has brought some of its most loved dishes back on the menu – and we tried all of them (and more). From the robata grill, standouts include the sea bream fillet, ryotei miso and red onion, lamb cutlets with Korean spices and the asparagus with sweet soy and sesame. Then of course, the Roka classics are absolutely mouthwatering, especially if you love your seafood.
The Roka classics are absolutely mouthwatering, especially if you love your seafood.
From stunningly presented sushi and sashimi to robata-grilled meat dishes that are succulent and just perfectly charred, every dish here is plated like art. The yellowtail sashimi with yuzu-truffle dressing, scallop sashimi with tapioca pearl, yuzu and truffle sauce, wagyu sushi with oscietra caviar and handmade gyozas with crab and black cod are good to enough to want to fight for the last piece. For mains, we went with a less fishy option – Kobuta no ribs yawaraka nikomiyaki (baby back pork ribs with sancho and cashew nuts), and as someone who orders pork ribs more often than normal – this one definitely tops the charts.
When it comes to drinks, this is a great place to experiment with some Japanese flavours if you haven’t before. The lychee gimlet, made with Tanqueray 10 gin, lychee cordial, kasutori shochu, Lillet rosé and rose water) or the Sakura 75 that’s got Roku gin, cherry blossom, koji, yuzu sake and champagne), are fabulous options to pair with your sushi or sashimi.
When it comes to drinks, this is a great place to experiment with some Japanese flavours if you haven’t before.
Whether you’re a first-timer at Roka or a long-time fan, the restaurant is bound to impress, with its acute attention to detail and genuine love for authentic Japanese cuisine. It makes a stunning spot for date night to celebrate a special occasion or for a catch-up with friends – a great way to try everything on the menu. Warm and inviting, while maintaining its cool, sophisticated vibe, Roka lives up to its 20-year legacy, but something tells me that it’s only going to get better.
Bookings can be made here.
