16 Old Compton Street,
Soho,
London,
W1D 4TL
(020) 7287 9111
The ViewLondon Review
Bincho serves up some very tasty grilled Japanese skewers at speed, throwing in a minimal techno soundtrack to keep the pace up.
The Venue
Located on Old Compton Street, you can sniff Bincho out quite easily thanks to grilled skewers being cooked on searing hot coals just inside its unassuming little entrance off Charing Cross Road. The smoke can sometimes send fire alarms wailing, but the aromas are enticing enough to draw your eye to the long open kitchen playing host to a variety of different meats and vegetables, mercilessly skewered and plonked down on a very, very hot grill. The restaurant initially looks slim and limited, but towards the rear it opens out, leaving plenty of space for a lot more of the simple wooden tables and seating, the smattering of authentic Japanese lanterns, and the other bits and bobs in keeping with the predominantly dark colour scheme. It all feels suitably Soho – very cool, slick and stylish.
The Atmosphere
It’s certainly a bustling place, with the hisses from the grill and the general chatter from clearly enthusiastic diners making it feel vibrant and fun. The techno coming from the speakers is quiet enough to be unobtrusive but just loud enough for it to keep a certain tempo, from the cooking to the service to the eating. But that’s not a bad thing, it reinforces the feeling that this is impeccably suited to the area – it’s the perfect place to nip into for a quick bite before a show or a night out; you’re unlikely to feel the need to spend hours in here.
The Food
The yakitori and kushiyaki technique, which is primarily skewers of meat or vegetables grilled over hot coals and finished with salt is Bincho’s staple, and very good it is too. A good place for beginners to start is the Bincho Seven Samurai, seven of the most popular skewers (£10) offering you a good slice of what makes this cooking so popular. You can expect deliciously succulent chicken breast and wing, fresh and soft salmon, a huge and very flavoursome tiger prawn, nicely smoked asparagus, shrunken pellets of shitake mushroom and a very tasty pork belly with good quality meat and a satisfyingly fatty crunch.
Surprisingly perhaps, the best things on the extensive menu come cold – the expertly balanced salads that are impeccably seasoned and spiced. The Saya (£5.75) is an elegant little plate of superbly cooked salmon, served with ripe avocado and green leaves before being lightly sprinkled with the tiniest hint of salt and given just enough spice to raise it above what could have been just plain bland. The Yuba salad (£5.50) enjoys similar treatment, with a good selection of green leaves and spinach being the base for tiny squares of good quality bacon and thin, perfectly fried flakes of yuba – the skin formed when soya milk is boiled. It tastes a lot more better than it sounds.
Desserts are equally impressive, with a baked chocolate pudding (£5.50) being a particular highlight thanks to an almost crunchy exterior that gives way to a molten middle of melted chocolate that slowly heads towards a really rather superb roasted almond ice cream that fits perfectly, as classic combinations tend to do. The banana cake (£5.75) is also pretty good, primarily thanks to the refreshingly light and manageable green tea ice cream accompaniment that kind of puts the stodgy cake to shame.
The Drink
There’s certainly enough selection to keep people happy, with everything from Asahi beer on draught (£4 a pint) and speciality cocktails at excellent prices (the Lemon Sour at £5.60 is particularly good) to rice, barley and sweet potato shochu (from £3.90) for those that want something a little stronger. The wine selection is short but excellent, with a very good house white. The La Croix Vermentino Sauvignon Blanc from the Rhone Valley is excellent value at £14.95, with a fruity peach and vanilla sharpness making it very drinkable.
The Last Word
A great place to nip to if you’re in the area, Bincho serves tasty food at decent prices from a nice little setting. Just remember to treat your herbivorous side as it’s not just about that admittedly impressive grill.
Bincho Yakitori has been reviewed by 3 users