Jason Atherton’s foray into izakaya-style dining (incorporating also teppanyaki, and a robata grill) Sosharu finally opens today (7 March). Originally the Clerkenwell restaurant (on the former site of Turnmills nightclub, RIP) was slated to open late last year, but its launch was postponed.
Sosharu is The Social Company’s seventh London restaurant and includes a 40-cover cocktail bar, Seven Tales, in the basement.
The izakaya-style eatery is a collaboration between Jason Atherton and exec head chef Alex Craciun, who has worked within The Social Company for four years, previously sous chef at Pollen Street Social. In preparation for the launch, Craciun relocated to Japan on a research trip, spending the year studying at the Kyoto Culinary School. He also worked at restaurant Kikunoi under Chef Yoshihiro Murata in Kyoto then RyuGin under Seiji Yamamoto in Tokyo.
Sosharu’s different specialities include temaki, hibachi grill, yaki grill, tempura, sashimi and more. On the menu: Chashu pork belly, udon, king oyster; bream sashimi, shichimi, crispy potato; Scallop, yuzu butter, fresh nori; and sukiyaki wagyu beef, glass noodles, young leeks. Desserts include apple pie, miso butterscotch; and white sesame, chocolate, miso caramel.
Kisetsu, meaning season, is an entirely separate dining space with its own kitchen, accessible via the main entrance to Sosharu. It offers a tasting menu served in fine dining style adopting the ‘omakase’ tradition. Diners will be served a daily changing menu chosen by Craciun around a kitchen counter.
Seven Tales cocktail bar is headed up by bar manager Geoff Robinson, formerly of Happiness Forgets and Experimental Cocktail Club, the drinks menu is inspired by Japanese culture and philosophies. On the cocktail list: Munenori’s Mojito, a twist on a mojito made with cold-brewed matcha, nigori, Cuban rum, tonka bean and absinthe; and Yugen, containing rose vermouth, citric acid, hibiscus salt and sparkling sake.
