While many are familiar with the South Kensington cultural stalwart that is Japan House London, at the top of the building sits Akira Restaurant, a tranquil eatery that serves a variety of fine Japanese cuisine. From omakase to sushi, bento to noodles, don and pudding, visitors will find themselves presented with a bevy of options for all who love good Japanese food.
It was perhaps fitting that in conjunction with the newest Japan House exhibition, Looks Delicious!, Akira exclusively created five of the dishes that visitors to the exhibition will be able to see on display. Famous favourite takoyaki, a delicious fried octopus ball was there to be enjoyed as one of Osaka’s most beloved foods. Similarly, noodle fans delighted in the gorgeously simple kamatama udon, where the thick flour noodles are served with an egg, dashi and light sprinkling of spring onions.
Less well known dishes such as chicken nanban (deep-friend chicken dipped in sweet vinegar and served with tartar sauce) as well as unajū (soy-marinated eels with rice) were also there to be enjoyed and celebrated in reflection of their native prefectures: Miyazaki and Shizuoka respectively.
Those with a sweet tooth were not to be disappointed. Aichi Prefecture was represented by the delectable ogura toast, where thick white toast plays host to a sweet red bean paste and a knob of butter. Simple, but, as with many simple things, precisely fantastic. When finally washed down with a melon cream soda, one reflected on a delicious and eclectic canape menu that took eaters across Japan, highlighting the depth of diversity and richness in the country’s cuisine.
It was a delectable partner to the exhibition several floors below that runs into 2025, and a teaser for the great food that is on offer in the restaurant day-to-day. It remains to be seen if these items will be added to the Akira Restaurant menu for the duration of the exhibition, but these light bites whet the appetite for the full lunch and dinner menus that guests to the restaurant can enjoy in the eatery’s peaceful and airy South Kensington setting.
More information about Akira Restaurant can be found here. Looks Delicious! runs in Japan House until the 16th of February 2024. Find more about the exhibition here.
