Scour the whole of London and you’d be hard pushed to find a more sociable chef than Jason Atherton! The Social Company are about to embark on their seventh project and now Atherton’s bringing some societal eating to Clerkenwell in the form of Sosharu (yes of course it translates to social in Japanese.)
Adding to the already successful empire, Sosharu will see Atherton at the helm and Executive Chef Alex Craciun heading up the kitchen after spending a year honing his culinary skills in Kyoto.
Split into three separate ‘social’ scenes (sorry – we should stop with the s’ already) you’ll get triple the choice with the main restaurant, separate counter-dining experience Kisetsu and the Seven Tales basement cocktail bar. All packed neatly – muji-style into the Turnmill Building on Clerkenwell Road.
Sosharu – The Restaurant
Neri & Hu, the Shanghai based studio who also designed Pollen Street Social, have created a compelling abstract timber frame, inspired by traditional minka houses – encouraging diners to experience the intimacy of sitting in a Japanese home.
Offering up casual yet refined cuisine using British ingredients, you can expect innovative dishes from a range of different sections on the menu.
Craciun’s creations include bream sashimi, sukiyaki wagyu beef with glass noodles, young leeks and shiitake, and chashu pork belly, udon king oyster and ramen sauce.
Kisetsu – Counter Dining Omakase Style
Kisetsu (meaning season) is a dining counter with separate kitchen which you can get to through the main Sosharu entrance. With a daily changing tasting menu which adopts the ‘omakase’ tradition, you’ll be silently ordered to ‘trust the chef’ meaning if you don’t ‘fess up to being fussy, you’ll basically be brought everything. The interiors change seasonally to compliment the name.
7 Tales – Hip Hop Tokyo Basement Bar
Sexy, sleek and boasting a late-night Tokyo vibe, Japanese wallpaper, neon and hip-hop, you can get loose after all that sashimi, shichimi and sesame with some beaut cocktails based around traditional culture and philosophy. There’s plenty of sake and matcha on the menu, and the Champagne Papi even comes with a vending machine token giving you access to one vital ingredient which’ll enhance the champers experience. Expect a pro service from the Geoff Robinson who’s previously headed up Experimental Cocktail Club and Happiness Forgets.
Sosharu is open now.
