Japanese restaurant and bar, MITSU, has opened on the former site of Nobu Shoreditch, offering casual bar dining and full, sit-down spreads, inspired by Tokyo’s taverns. Steven Joyce. Supplied. A short amble from Old Street station (which was looking very ‘new street’ compared to when I’d last visited the area), you’ll find Japanese restaurant MITSU. Situated on the fairly quiet Willow Street, you enter through the imposing automatic doors of the Aethos hotel and take a swift left to be transported to Japan for the next couple of hours. MITSU prides itself on being ‘East Tokyo meets East London’, and that is evident from the moment you enter the restaurant. What initially meets the eye is Japanese-inspired decor – the panelling, the displayed lanterns, the glimpse of the outdoor area through the floor-to-ceiling windows – but a closer look reveals very London-driven accents, like the choice of records and artwork. I dined on a Monday evening, and by 6pm came a steady flow of post-work diners; some solo at the bar, some coupled at the tables, and even a group who headed straight for the private dining room. MITSU is inspired by izakaya, the traditional Japanese gastropub or tavern culture, not a far cry from our own pub culture: sharing plates, drinks, and a natter about the day just gone. Supplied MITSU’s menu is pretty large, and I’m not ashamed to say I needed a little help to decipher what was what. The restaurant’s staff were on hand – and keenly so – to talk us through the dishes and recommend their favourites; you could tell the staff were genuinely passionate about the food and experience here, and chatted with us so warmly, making the evening even more enjoyable. The menu is designed to be shared, made up of bar snacks, small plates, and larger dishes – and there is a whole section for sushi, comprising sashimi, nigiri, temaki (though with their own spin) and makisushi. My favourite plate of the night was the sake temaki: rather than the traditional cone shape, MITSU cook the nori to become an almost taco-like crispy shell. This texture paired with the soft salmon, and flavours? Phenomenal. It was demolished by the steadfast non-sushi eater at the table, which is a true testament. The rest of the sushi I tried was fresh and tasty; I also enjoyed the difference in the cuts of the tuna: the lean akami and more fatty otoro tasted like two completely different meats. Steven Joyce. Supplied. Elsewhere on the menu, my stand-out dishes were the gorgeously presented seafood dumplings and the slightly-sweet-with-a-little-heat chef’s rice. I know everyone will probably rave about the wagyu sando, but I preferred the pork sando, with its crispy fat, soft bread and meat, and lightly truffled flavour. For me, the baby chicken was cooked as close to perfect as one could cook chicken, but the sauce was a little too overpowering. Although I didn’t try the restaurant’s signature dish, the Unadon (grilled eel on a bed of rice and egg pancake, served table-side), I’ve seen good reviews online. I visited on a Monday, but MITSU’s brunch on the last Saturday of the month gains a good crowd too, thanks to the live ceremonial Bluefin tuna carving and rambunctious entertainment. And, as the kitchen tries to be as low-impact on the environment as possible, the tuna from this ceremony is dried and used in the toro takuan makisushi on the regular menu. This commitment is also demonstrated in a number of dishes using different parts of the meat to ensure minimal waste (for example, the geso karaage uses the squid’s tentacles, as the body is used for the sushi dishes) and from using locally sourced UK ingredients, where possible. And what about the drinks? Speaking of local sourcing, MITSU’s signature sake serve is pretty much from down the road: a tap room in London Bridge. It’s served the traditional way, with an overpour that flows onto the saucer below, and it tasted light and fruity – it was up there with some of the most enjoyable sakes I’ve tried in London. The drinks menu has a plethora of other sakes to choose from, as well as bespoke cocktails, mocktails, and other simpler serves. Alongside the sake, my highlight was the Ota Market cocktail, with its sweet, ginger accents. Supplied As I had to hotfoot it home to the babysitter, I made a swift exit after dessert (a glorious chocolate souffle, with a savoury miso ice cream that I reminisced about all the way home). However, the venue is also home to a karaoke room if the night is still young – pre-booking is recommended though. You can order more food from a self-service kiosk and drinks from the vending machine as you sing the night away. A cocktail masterclass session is another fun option at this restaurant, pre-booking is required. MITSU is a great Japanese spot in Shoreditch for the post-work crowd, a mate date, or a date date. It’s high-quality dining without the stuffy atmosphere, and it made for a very lovely meal. The staff are friendly and fabulous, and the small plates hit the spot.
