It is no secret that Jun Tanaka is my favourite chef, so when I heard that he was opening his very own restaurant it was a no brainer booking a table.
Jun's background is pretty impressive working at some of the very best restaurants around such as Le Gavaroche, Chez Nico and The Square until landing himself an executive role at Pearl.
The Ninth (located on Charlotte Street, Fitzrovia) showcases what Jun is all about. Putting his experiences and his training over the years and translating it into mouth watering and out of this world food.
The Ninth is a classy joint and not over the top. It's laid back, casual décor is perfect for all you FoodPunkers wanting to enjoy some of the best dishes that Jun is serving at this moment in time.
As for the food, I could go on all day and night about it. It was probably the best I've had in a while. I was really impressed by the menu. The choices that were there made it tough for me but luckily I was in a small group which meant that a number of dishes could be picked for us to share.
I think you'll agree that by looking at the menu it's hard to decide what to have. It's a well thought out menu and the flavour combinations are very impressive. There is no doubt that you will end up going back again, but hey that's not a bad thing obviously.
If you have a big appetite, then my advice is to order a little bit of everything from the top to the bottom of the list, picking a few from each section. Whatever you pick, I'm sure you will get excellent plates of food.
As for the food I hear you say? Well FoodPunkers, this is what I had! Take a deep breath and feast your eyes on these banging dishes.
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Oxtail Croquettes |
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Pitta, Oregano and Sea Salt |
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King Prawn Macaroni, Chives and Ginger |
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Duck Scotch Egg |
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Ossobuco Tortellini and Bone Marrow |
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Razor Clam Cerviche |
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Sea Bass Carpaccio, Salsa Verde and Pickled Kohlrabi |
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Salted Beef Cheeks, Oxtail Consommé, and Charred Cabbage |
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Pan Fried Gnocchi, Ceps and Shallots |
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Lamb En Croute, Jerusalem Puree
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Pommes Cocotte, Rosemary and Confit Garlic |
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Honey Roast Vegetables, Bleu D'Auvergne |
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Whole Roast Quail, Smoked Bacon, Foie Gras, Lardo and Grape |
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Beetroot Tarte Tartin |
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Toasted Fregola, Pecorino and Butternut Squash Risotto |
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Cheese Plate
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Pain Perdu, Honeycomb and Vanilla Ice-Cream |
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Apple Tarte Tartin |
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Rosemary Ice-Cream |
Superlatives are useless right now because everything was spot on. Every single dish was a winner in my eyes.
A special mention has to go to the sea bass carpaccio and lamb en croute. They were to die for. What was great about the dishes was that it had the perfect balance, whether you fancy something light or something a little more hearty. Whatever you pick, I'm sure its going to be pretty special.
Meeting Jun capped off what was for me a cracking evening. I must stress that everyone needs to visit The Ninth because believe me this restaurant is going places and will only get bigger and better. 2016 will surely be Jun's year.
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