Flesh & Buns (Nikkei) – Oxford Circus, London

Flesh & Buns is part of the Bone Daddies Group, which boasts 10 restaurants across the capital, and whose founder, Ross Shonhan, declared when launching his first in 2012: “I want to challenge people’s perceptions of Japanese food.”

Of course, when we came to learn that Flesh & Buns cater for Halal chicken, with assurances that these dishes are prepped and cooked separately to ensure zero cross-contamination, we wanted to be challenged.

Now, while the menu does caution “that deep-fried items may be cooked in the same oil as other, non-vegetarian/ non-halal ingredients”, having had exclusive access to the kitchen area and spoken at length with the brand’s Head Chef Loic Leguay in person, we can confirm that said dishes at their flagship Oxford Circus branch, at least, are prepared and served appropriately.

It should be noted, however, that since their Teriyaki sauce and Yakitori contain alcohol (Saki), this rules out at least four dishes on the menu. Additionally, their S’more and Fondant desserts contain pork-based ingredients; so be sure to let management know in advance of your Halal diet.

Otherwise, there’s plenty of items to try on a menu that’s been inspired by a cross-pollination of Japanese and Peruvian cultures and their respective cuisines, which is referred to as Nikkei.

The restaurant itself makes use of plenty of wood, dark hues and warm lighting to create a modern setting which, though would normally be able to seat upto 180, given their Covid protocols, which include hand sanitisers and full protective regalia, can currently cater for 130.

In such spacious surroundings, there’s the main dining area to the right of the venue, with the restaurant’s bar located entirely separately to the left, and two private rooms that can hold upto 15 diners each.

Pink Grapefruit Cooler – Graprefruit Juice, Passion Fruit Purée, Vanilla Syrup, Soda; Yuzo Berry Soda – Fresh Raspberry & Blueberries, Cranberry Juice, Yuzu Juice, Soda – £5.70 each

We won’t be forgetting that extended sour slurp which introduced this tantalisingly refreshing Yuzo Berry Soda any time soon. It’s amazing how the citrusy strength of Yuzu can just lift what might otherwise have merely been a very good berry juice.

And though the Pink Grapefruit Cooler turned out to be a minty drink, with the light bitterness of the grapefruit lingering in the background, it paled in comparison to the standard set by the above.

Fried Softshell Crab – Rocoto Chilli Mayo, £10.80

A tremendous dish this, which managed to precisely balance between the two textures so indicative of a perfectly Fried Softshell Crab.

Coated in an uber light and delicately crispy batter, not only was the inside of this crustacean soft and saturated, but its accompanying mayo sauce beautifully creamy with a hint of sour to it.

Korean Fried Wings – Spicy Sour Sauce, Sesame, £5.90

Well, what do we have here? Only the best Korean Fried Wings we’ve had this year, or, dare we say, any other for that matter!

Absolutely delightful these large crispy finger-food items, which were smothered in a gorgeously rich and tangy semi-caramelised sauce, with a generous sprinkling of sesame seeds to finish off proceedings.

Corn Tempura – Sea Salt, Kabosu Citrus, Chives, £5.20

Simple, yet well executed balls of Corn Tempura, which were ultra crunchy, without being overly so; and were accompanied by a zingy vinegar dip, that we weren’t ashamed to take down in one gulp when all was said and done.

Japanese Fried Chicken – Buttermilk Marinated, Red Chilli, Rocoto Chilli BBQ Mayo, £15.90

Before anything else, allow us to lavish these Bao Buns with plenty of well deserved praise.

Steamed to a tee, as light as a cloud, and as fluffy as a pillow, they were as good as you’re going to get.

Believe it or not though, they weren’t the best thing here. Rather, it was the Japanese Fried Chicken and its condiments that made this such a memorable munch.

As tender and succulent as you’d ever want, and with a deceptively delicate buttermilk batter that just flaked apart, the poultry was expertly judged.

All it took to elevate this to that unsurpassable standard was the heat from the thin slices of red chilli along with a deliciously sweet and smoky mayo sauce.

Admittedly a tad dire at almost £16, but there was no doubting the quality and the combination of flavours.

We could have devoured half-a-dozen of these and still asked for more. A triumph!

Miso Grilled Aubergine – Sweet Miso, Sesame, Carrot Pickle, £12.10

While this is, admittedly, comparing apples to oranges, we found it difficult to separate between this Miso Grilled Aubergine and its chicken rival.

A thick patty which, to our utter surprise, sported a lick-smackingly tasty, sweet and smoky, caramelised glaze, that offered a crispy-cum-sticky textural contrast to a relatively soft and marginally gooey interior.

And with those strong heady flavours, you’ll certainly need the acidity of the pickled carrots and cucumbers to help balance things out. Arguably the most intriguing dish of the evening and one that’ll long live in the memory.

Portobello Mushrooms – Wasabi Mayo, Red Onion Pickle, £10.50

Another simple dish sure; but again it’s the quality of the ingredients and the execution that allow this Portobello Mushrooms dish to shine.

Allay any doubts you might have over whether this would work, because we certainly had to following that first bite.

A spongy and juicy mushroom that’s enveloped in a cream and chive sauce, and superbly enhanced by the gentle heat of a mild wasabi mayo, which itself is beautifully tempered by the sharp acidity of pickled red onions.

Spicy Tuna Sashimi – Rocoto Chili Mayo, Tomato Salsa, BBQ Corn, Edamame, Pickles, Crispy Noodles, Nori, Sushi Rice, £10.00

Before we continue, be sure to ask for the removal of the Ponso from this colourful Spicy Tuna Sashimi, since it contains Saki (alcohol).

With that said, this is a dish served at room temperature, with some cold elements, that turned out to be one of the dishes of the review, with practically every conceivable texture and flavour accounted for.

This wasn’t just a visual treat, but a gastronomic journey of subtle shifts and variations across the lands of the sour towards the sweet seas yonder.

Veggie Hot Stone Rice – Mushrooms, Sesame Butter, Corn, Carrot Pickle, Egg, £8.90

The party in this piping hot stone bowl is started firstly with the egg yolk being sliced open to allow for that silky goodness to run free, followed by a good mix of the assortment of vegetables and rice therein.

While this was a little on the spicy side, it was an enjoyable experience, with the mixture sitting in the hot pot continuing to change in texture and flavour as it carried on cooking. Having said that though, it wasn’t comparable to the afore-enjoyed Spicy Tuna Sashimi.

Kinako Donuts – Black Sugar Custard, £7.20

These Kinako Donuts will certainly be unlike most of the doughnuts you’ve had or likely to have.

While traditional ones are spongy and soft in nature, Flesh & Buns offered us a version that was crispy and flaky on the outside, while being hollow on the in, and filled with just enough lightly sweetened Black Sugar Custard without being too sickly.

Despite having been rolled in plenty of sugar, this wasn’t as sweet as one would think. As such, it turned out to be quite joyful mouthfuls.

Nutella Croissant Tai Yaki – Cherry Soft Serve, £7.50

These freshly made “Croissants”, as they were called, were covered in a caramelised sugar coating, and turned out to be crunchy-crumbly packets filled with a hot Nutella sauce whose chocolatey sweetness married well with the cherry ice cream. A simple dessert; but one which we enjoyed for what it was.

NB. – The other two desserts, S’more and Fondant contain pork-based ingredients.