Rainer Becker to launch robata restaurant with Soho landlord Shaftesbury
The opening of the 90-cover restaurant follows a successful trial of the concept in Los Angeles in December last year by Zuma and Roka founder Rainer Becker.
The menu, developed by the group’s executive chef Hamish Brown, will offer unconventional sharing dishes starting at around £11, alongside cocktails, sake and beer.
Cold dishes will include the likes of crab tartare with wasabi mayonnaise and chicken skin; edamame with soy, mirin, ginger and sea salt; a variety of ‘nigaki’ sushi-inspired snacks; and a selection of kimchi.
Hot small plates include Brussel sprouts with sesame furikake; miso soup with crab; panko fried chicken with chilli yoghurt; and kimchi rice with Korean miso, spring onions, sesame and egg yolk.
From the central robata grill, diners can choose from grilled meat and fish such as chicken; beef cheek with miso; scallops with shiso, shichimi yoghurt and sweet soy; a whole seabass with wasabi and jalapeno; and bone marrow with smoked soy.
Grilled vegetable dishes comprise corn on the cob with shichimi; tenderstem broccolini with onion wafu; and sweet potato in its husk with chilli nori butter and chives.
The project will join Zuma, ROKA, Oblix in founder Becker’s restaurant portfolio.
“INKO NITO is an evolution of what was the original concept for ROKA,” says Becker. “We’ve gone ‘back to basics’ to create a local, accessible destination for London diners.”
Located at 55 Broadwick Street, the restaurant will join the lineup of local operators including Neil Rankin’s BBQ restaurant Temper, and Tapas Brindisa.
The landlord Shaftesbury has signed a host of new restaurants to the area this year, including Stevie Parle’s Pastaio pasta restaurant; The Blue Posts pub in Soho; and Aegean restaurant Hovarda.
