Warm hearth, global appeal

By the time they took the sashimi and sushi platter away, I was finally ready to look up from my plate and assess the atmosphere around me.

While it is not exactly a casual dining destination, Roka has a nice comfortable feel about it - it's a place where you can relax and really enjoy your food without worrying too much about being on your best behavior.

Certainly, the family of four at the next table looked as if they were having fun, with a toddler in the high chair and the little boy eagerly leaning over his parents' plates. I like restaurants like that, where everyone can gather and enjoy fine dining without worrying too much about dressing up.

Make no mistake. Roka is not your shorts and slippers type of eatery. It is posh enough to have attracted a faithful following in London and Hong Kong with three restaurants, but it is a place where you can talk business during lunch and bring the family for a special meal in the evenings.

My reverie was interrupted by the arrival of a hotpot full of sweet prawns and clams bathed in a red miso soup. It is a winter warmer, and very comforting after the raw fish starter.

Everyone's favorite - tempura - is next on the table and we enjoy the light, crisp batter that coats the seafood and a nice assortment of vegetables.

Grilled Wagyu and black cod marinated in gingered miso are Roka's signature meat dishes and it is very hard to choose between them. Both are juicy and flavorful, so I reckon it's a choice of whether you prefer red meat or white.

Dessert, or dezato, is a vanilla pannacotta with strawberry compote spiked with basil, and accompanied by a scoop of strawberry sorbet. It is a smooth and satisfying finish to a very large meal.

Roka means "warm hearth with a burning fire" and I am sure the owners wanted to conjure up the pleasant image associated with that experience.

Executive chef Manabu Oikawa's cooking philosophy is telling. "Cook with your heart. Without it, it's impossible to achieve your finest work."

Obviously, this philosophy is carefully guarded in the Roka kitchens and in this case, heart is where the hearth is. Truly.

paulined@chinadaily.com.cn