Shackfuyu

Shackfuyu is the latest opening from the Bone Daddies/Flesh & Bun family of restaurants. Allegedly only open for the next year, but with any hope that's not going to be the case. For you see, this place is far too delicious to only be around for one measly year.

It's sort of a small plates place, so go with a large group if you want to try a bunch of stuff. There were a few 'mains' on the menu, including beef with kimchi butter tare, a whole seabass with coriander miso, and presumably the hot stone rice could serve as a main as well. My suggestion if dining for two (like we did) is to split two 'small plates', one main, one dessert. I mean, depending on which small plates you get - we went with two of the heartiest and it made for a very filling lunch.

Beef Picanha with Kimchi Butter Tare - I've never had this cut before, apparently it's from the rump and quite popular in Brazil. It had a nice beefy taste with a bit of resistance, but the tender fat is left on. The sauce is amazing - hot & slightly sour like kimchi. I'm ashamed, or maybe not so ashamed because here I am writing about it, to say that I took my spoon to the sauce after the meat was gone. I absolutely loved it - hot, spicy, a little bit sour & high quality beef. It's got every right to be the highlight of the menu.

Fried Potatoes and Japanese Curry Sauce - Excellent curry sauce, better quality than your curry roux blocks that are now fairly easily found in the UK. Thick but not unctuous, hotter than standard Japanese curries (probably, funny given the history of curry in Japan, made that way to appeal more to English palates) with crispy diced potatoes.

The indulgent freak & me wondered about topping them with cheese - but they totally didn't need it, I'm just a freak for cheesy potatoes like all red-blooded humans. I can absolutely see this being served in Japan too. Either at one of the 'family restaurants' that are popular there (like Jonathan's or Denny's) or at Cocoichibanya. Curry sauce & potatoes is universal - and if it's not, it damn well should be.

Mentaiko Mac 'n' Cheese - Every time I see mentaiko, I think 'mental', as in "That's mental!" - an exclamation you may use as you eat this. See that big plop in the middle is mentaiko: AKA fish roe, AKA fish eggs. I've had it before but never in a proper form, just as a pasta sauce or a Cheeto (reviewed here) - so I wasn't sure what I'd think of it as a straight up plop. I'm not the biggest fan of very fishy things, but I'm pleased to report that it's not strong at all. It's very mild - not that it tasted like lobster mac & cheese, but it had a similar level of "fishiness", which isn't that much. The cheese wasn't very strong at all, which is probably for the best in order for the subtle taste of mentaiko to shine. I really enjoyed this one.

Kinako French Toast with Green Tea Softserve - The green tea soft serve is lovely - strong and not overly sweetened, it's a very refined dessert and would've made for a lovely light finish served all by itself. They don't stop there, however - the kinako french toast alongside is a big ol' thick slice of sweetness. We all know the best sort of french toast has three distinct textures: crispy edges, sturdy top 'n' bottoms, and a nearly gooey middle. Right, we all know that.

This one has it in perfect balance. The kinako flavor is subtle, and while I really enjoy toasted soy powder, I can see the need to keep it light. Kinako can tend to have the slightest savory edge, like peanuts or sesame in a dessert. I think it's presence here keeps the french toast from being overly sweet.

No cocktails this time around! They do have some great ones though, and I think it's cute that they're served in a little bottle for you to pour at your own discretion. Not sure if that means they've been aged, which would be quite cool, or if it's just a fun way to serve them. Either way, I've got my eyes on the sake cherry gimlet for my next trip. Really looking forward to returning, especially as they'll be changing the menu periodically!