The wonderful ‘sakura’ cherry blossom garden returns to the Sake no Hana bar to celebrate Spring. The bar at at this Japanese restaurant by the Hakkasan Group, has been transformed with intertwining cherry blossom branches, falling petals, a grass floor, and blossom entrances. At night, lights twinkle within the blossom to create an intimate yozakura atmosphere, yozakura literally meaning ‘night sakura’.
We were finally entering into the Spring spirit following the recent sunshine we’ve encountered and so headed over to sample their limited edition seven course menu which has been created for guests to enjoy in celebration of this momentous occasion (to be fair sunshine in London is always reason to celebrate).
Inspired by hanami, the centuries-old Japanese tradition of celebrating the fleeting cherry blossom, Sakura at Sake no Hana is offering guests the chance to enjoy the transient beauty of the flowers in the heart of Mayfair. Hanami literally means “flower viewing”, and it is customary to sit beneath the blossom to read and write haiku poetry. To tie in with this expressive tradition, guests who order the Sakura at Sake no Hana menu are gifted a haiku written by one of the famed haiku masters and printed onto a paper petal (a lovely touch).
The limited edition menu features a deliciously light Kaori Arpège cocktail the perfect aperitif to start our culinary journey. The cocktail is a showpiece, the liquid is a fine mix of Beefeater 24 gin, yuzu sake, cherry liqueur, peach bitters, grapefruit juice and agave, this is accompanied with three atomisers to spray onto the cocktail, including red cherry, black cherry and cinnamon; elderflower and jasmine; and violet, each completely altering the taste of the cocktail with each spray, adding an additional dimension to the usual ritual of cocktail sipping.
This is followed by a light miso soup and then a beautifully presented bento box created by Executive Head Chef Hideki Hiwatashi. You can choose which main you’d like to go with the sashimi and sushi – we opted for the chicken and salmon (literally, little chunks of heaven in our mouths) both cooked to perfection and very tasty.
Following the delicious lunch we had a wonderfully tasty concoction called cherry chocolate mousse and a cherry sake mousse, chocolate crumble with sake jelly and cherry blossom macarons – vanilla macarons with cherry blossom tea ganache.
The offering at Sake No Hana not only looks beautiful but tastes divine. The courses complement each other wonderfully. When we finally left the restaurant we left with a spring in our step – content and happy!
The menu us available until 18th June
Sake No Hana
23 St James’s St
London
SW1A 1HA
020 7925 8988
http://sakenohana.com/london/
