Aqua Restaurant Group is set to open Shiro. an innovative Japanese restaurant, on Monday, 5 December in Broadgate Circle in the City. Londoner’s will finally be able to experience the success of Shiro as it brings its collection of sushi, hot dishes, and Japanese food from its home in Hong Kong.
Inspired by the buzzing dining culture of Tokyo’s Ginza, Shiro will offer authentic Toyko cuisine and techniques, headed up by chef Ken Miyake.
Invented by the group's Shiro restaurant in Hong Kong over 5 years ago is the much-loved Crystal Sushi, which features layers of elegantly infused jelly delicately laid on top of each sushi piece.
Intensely flavoured with the correct balance of mirin, sake and soy, Crystal Sushi (pictured) has been lovingly prepared to enjoy in one bite - with no need to dip. Unusual flavour combinations have been thoughtfully chosen to enhance the ingredients, including scallop and caviar with kimchi; botan ebi and avocado with rose; and salmon with mint and sake.
Next is Edomae Sushi – which is served instead of the more common nigiri sushi. Originating in Edo (now known as Tokyo), this style of sushi involves carefully sourced seafood being cut longer to drape on top of the rice almost touching the plate. Shiro is one of the few restaurants in the UK where you can experience true Edomae style sushi such as akami tuna, seabass, and aburi (charcoal seared) salmon, to name a few.
Shiro will also offer dishes steeped in tradition, including Ramen available on the à la carte and lunch menu. The chicken and pork ramen have a special place in Shiro’s Executive Chef Iwahashi’s heart; at eight years old he started learning the family’s ramen recipe in his father’s tiny but always crowded restaurant. That recipe is a base for the ramen on the menu today, simmered for 48 hours to produce the perfect combination of texture and rich flavours.
Shiro will serve a competitively-priced lunchtime menu featuring a perfectly balanced meal on a stylish and a sophisticated tray, giving a nod to the traditional bento box. Choose from a variety of dishes spanning plant-based, curry and fish to meat and ramen sets that come with homemade pickles and okazu of the day. There will also be sushi and sashimi sets served with the pickles and okazu, plus miso soup.
An à la carte menu will be available during lunch and dinner with dishes including spicy tuna maki, hand-dived scallop sushi, seafood ramen and chicken yakitori, grilled tiger prawns, and British lamb cutlets from the robata grill section. Every dish at Shiro has been meticulously put together paying respect to how they were originally served.
Ken Miyake shared, 'We’re delighted to bring Shiro to London’s financial district. Offering traditional Japanese dishes with an innovative twist, there will be something for everyone; from those seeking contemporary Japanese dining, a quick and delicious business lunch, or after work cocktails”.
The ground floor boasts a long counter which acts as both a bar and open kitchen, with an integrated sushi counter and robata theatre. The first floor has its own bar which will serve sake-based cocktails and Japanese beers; sip on the Japanese Garden (Tanqueray gin, apple juice, elderflower cordial, cucumber, wasabi), an Asahi Super Dry or Japanese craft Hitachino Ale.
Since opening its first London restaurant 22 years ago, Aqua Restaurant Group continue to be pioneers in the Japanese food scene both in the capital and across the globe, with Shiro set to be a great addition to the portfolio.
