Soft shell crab tempura maki and ‘Misty Mountain’ sake

I don’t that often order sake in a restaurant but when I do I wonder why I don’t drink it more often.

It was the perfect match for the modern Japanese ‘tapas’ I had at Kurobuta near Marble Arch the other day, especially with these fabulous soft shell crab tempura maki with kimchee mayo, a dish I’m already yearning to eat again.

It was also great with a really original ‘tuna sashimi pizza’ which had a crisp flatbread-ish base and with a dish of sticky miso grilled aubergine. Sake deals particularly well with sweetness in savoury dishes.

Needless to say I forgot to write the sake down, assuming they would have a drinks list on the website which they don't but the hugely helpful Aussie waitress I got on the phone told me it was ‘Misty Mountain’, a cloudy partially pasteurised Junmai sake you can also buy here. Apparently it also goes with blue cheese.

Kurobuta is a great place for a light lunch if you’re up the Marble Arch end of Oxford Street. They also have a restaurant on the King’s Road.