LOCATIONKew
PROFILED BY DE GROOTS MEDIAOcha breaks all the rules of restaurant popularity. Its location, for a start, is nothing special. It’s situated in the small Willesmere shopping centre in Kew (also housing a chemist, a newsagent, a milk bar, a cafe, and that’s about it), and the restaurant itself is small and unassuming. The walls are painted white, the ceiling is thatched with straw and there’s not much room for elbows on the tables. And yet, this is the place that’s so popular that you have to book well in advance; even at lunch it is generally bursting at the seams.
The reason is simple. The food’s terrific, with a stable supporting cast of a modest wine list and friendly waiters. The menu is surprisingly long for such a small place, and it is supplemented by blackboard specials. Every single dish has remarkable clarity of flavour and an enticing play of textures. Prawn dumplings, coated in rice flakes, are dense and sweet inside their crunchy jackets. The blackboard-listed scallops came just cooked, with salad greens and a refreshing lemon ponzu dressing. The sushi and sashimi are outstanding, and, of course, beautifully presented. The bento box at lunchtime is notably good. If you can’t make up your mind, there’s the possibility of chef Yasu Yoshida tailoring a menu for the table. The wine list is small, but well chosen, and includes some heart-starting sake.
Rita Elrich