SHACKFUYU

Vibe & Decor

Wholeheartedly casual, this is a place for boozy catch-ups with friends – big groups are welcome thanks to the large booths, rock tunes blasts out à la Bone Daddies and prices are great. End the night in the bar downstairs, yuzu marg in hand.

Flavours

Japanese ‘drinking food’ is the concept here – think trash food with a Nippon twist, via a pizza oven. The cauliflower roasted in ponzu and miso was tangy and rich, potatoes drenched in Katsu curry sauce were moreish and the Korean fried wings basted with miso and chilli were a hit. We especially liked our heavier serve of beef hot stone rice: sticky (thanks to the sesame sauce and chilli), hot and filling – a good main dish to go with the ‘sharing plates’, which are more like sides. Refreshments are as playful as the food: think bottled cocktails of Ringo Stars (gin, sake, apple juice) and sake cherry gimlets (vodka, sake, and cherry syrup) but we say, stick to the sake. Cherry gimlets (vodka, sake, and cherry syrup) but we say, stick to the sake.

Top Tip

It’s no-bookings but the bar downstairs more than caters for this. Seats, tunes and stiff drinks means it works as a destination on its own.

Highlight

It’s right in the middle of Soho – a good spot to keep in mind for cheap and cheerful food and drinks.