Ex-Bingham pair to open London izakaya
The former executive chef and restaurant manager of the Bingham hotel in Surrey are set to open a new Japanese-style izakaya bar in central London.
Mark Jarvis and 2014 Hotel Catey winner David Durante will open the Woodstock Kushiyaki bar in Woodstock Street near Oxford Street next month.
Backed by private Japanese investors, the new venue will serve a Japanese-led drinks menu and grilled kushiyaki skewers in a relaxed environment.
Designed by London-based Japanese designers Total Planner, the ground floor will be focused on casual drinking with a large slate-fronted bar, exposed wooden walls and limited seating. There will also be an open kitchen. Downstairs there will be more tables and stools with an additional bar.
The menu will offer over 20 varieties of skewers, divided into kushiyaki (grilled skewers served with salt or teriyaki sauce), and kushiyage (fried skewers served with miso and dashi sauce). They are priced from £2.50 for two. The kushyaki skewers will be available in a variety of chicken, pork belly, beef or vegetables, such as asparagus with bacon, cherry tomatoes and cheese, or grilled leeks. The kushyage skewers will include chicken breast with cheese, pork tonkatsu, beef katsu, soft-shell crab, king prawn, calamari, quail eggs, mushrooms, avocado and courgette.
The drinks offering will include Japanese draft beer as well as Young's London Stout, Flying Dogfish and Meantime IPA, as well as Japanese and international bottled beers, wines and Champagnes. A variety of speciality sakes, shochu, umeshu and Japanese whiskys from Karuizawa, Chichibu, Hanyu, Nikka and Suntory distilleries will also be available.
The Woodstock will also serve its signature take on hot drinks, including matcha latte, matcha green tea and sencha green tea.
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