In brief:
Service 8
Food 9.5
Atmosphere 8
Total 9
In detail:
Along with many others. I have an obsession with all things Japanese. Someday I even hope to visit, but in the interim I devour Japanese food and drink whatever possible. Luckily, Japanese food has evolved beyond the small, baffling and intimidating Japanese restaurants of my youth into the mainstream. One would be hard pressed to find a borough in London without an offering of Japanese food or at least an approximation of it.
Needless to say, I was pretty excited to visit the new Japanese steak house, Kanpai Classic, on Soho’s Wardour Street. Founded in Taiwan in 1999, Kanpai Group now have several restaurants across Taiwan and China and in 2018, they made history with the world’s first Michelin-starred Yakiniku restaurant in Shanghai, China.
Kanpai Classic describes itself as a bold new Japanese steakhouse concept in Soho, blending the elegance of traditional Yakiniku with the premium dining standards of new-style steakhouses, and tthe menu offers 15 cuts of Japanese A5 Grade Wagyu> The cuts include Momo, Picanha, Sirloin, Filet Mignon and sliced selections, with a handy diagram of what is cut from where, along with how the steak looks.
The style they go for is Yakiniku, essentially a traditional Japanese BBQ, where bite-sized pieces of meat, typically beef, are grilled over a charcoal or gas grill at the table. The tables in the restaurant all have a covered grill built in, which white hot charcoals are placed into and then a metal criss-cross grill is placed on top to cook the meat on.
We tried the signature Wagyu Cuisine Omakase, a 12-course dinner, paired with wines.
We started about as far away from steak as you can get – Schrenckii Dauricus Caviar – at the full full-bodied and creamy end of sturgeon fish eggs. Followed by some excellent truffle chips.
Then onto the wagyu. Which did not disappoint and was genuinely one of the best experiences of eating steak I have ever had. Each time I thought a cut could not be improved on the next course did just that (and the smiles on the serving staff told me they knew just that. Thinly sliced beef tongue, rib-cap, karubi, rib-finger, sirloin, fillet-mgnon…. Let’s just say if you come here you’d better like beef.
The wine offering was also exceptional, among the highlights of which were the Ruinart blanc be Blanc Champagne, Aligote and Sonoma County Pinot Noir but perhaps the best was a house Sake which left me with a warm glow as I headed into the Soho night.
The service was expertly and warmly run by Faye, the operations manager who has worked for group for 18 years now, along with Andy at the bar who nails a proper cocktail.
Is this London’s best steak? That’s a tough shout. But it’s up there.
Address: Kanpai Classic Soho 147–149 Wardour Street London W1F 8WD 📞 020 3893 3933
Opening Hours: Monday to Friday: 12:00–15:00 / 17:30–23:00 Saturday & Sunday: 12:00–15:30 / 17:30–23:00
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