Roka

Located in the sunset strip of Charlotte Street, Roca offers a new take on Japanese cuisine amidst a plethora of mainly blond timber. The action takes place on a truly enormous grill which sits centre-stage of an eating surface to which comfortable chairs are drawn up. The result is that diners have the finest opportunity to see the fresh food and witness its conversion into what you may be about to order. Some might find this a classic example of Japanese subjugation of human individuality, but nobody seems to mind and if the company does become a bit passé you can fill the gap by making bright observations about the brilliant sashimi.

Most of the expected dishes are there including a selection of five sashimi, seaweed salad, pickled cabbage with a more than passing whiff of garlic to it, to the best of them all, a confection of crispy prawn, cucumber, sweet chilli and chrysanthemum.

Amongst the larger entries we find lamb cutlets combined with Korean spices, a hot-pot of sticky rice harbouring some interesting mushrooms with ginger, and udon noodles with spinach, bean sprouts, pickled cabbage and shredded duck.

This is by no means an inexpensive night out but the quality is evident and service is friendly and alert. A minor set-back is that you are ushered away from the table after two hours should you enjoy yourself so much that you become oblivious to the passage of time. More subjugation?