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new openings

Dud dishes are rare, and favourites many: soft folds of beef tataki

dressed with an assertive onion ponzu and scattered with garlic

crisps; sweetly ‘avoured, grease-free baby shrimp tempura that

you could munch as easily as popcorn; aubergine grilled almost

to melting point and bound together by a sticky miso sauce;

barbecued pork belly, slow-cooked and richly fatty, sandwiched

in a steamed bun and dribbled with a spicy peanut soy that eats

like a smear of oriental peanut butter.

The ‘avours might be big, but they're also carefully controlled and

overlaid with unexpected but tantalising extras. Tuna sashimi pizza

(more like a crisp, ‘at taco) with truše ponzu, red onions and hot

green chillis is a riotous party on a plate - especially when it arrives

with an unadvertised topping of wasabi-‘avoured ‘ying �sh roe.

We can't help feeling that if Kurobuta were in East London rather

than Chelsea, it would be garlanded with awards by now, and the

fact that it's very SW3 (the Made in Chelsea cast are regulars) may be

o†-putting to some sensibilities. There's also a marked mismatch

between the punk aesthetic and the prices: dishes in sharing-plate

portions come with main-course price tags.

But Kurobuta is that holy

grail of a restaurant experience

- a venue that can become a

badge of honour as you keenly

recommend it to friends who

return with glowing reports.

Hallsworth has more Kurobutas planned for London and is opening in

Dubai this autumn - the word certainly deserves to go global on this

very worthy winner of our BMW Best New Restaurant award.

KEY TO REVIEWS Prices are based on a two-course dinner (starter and main)

for one, including half a bottle of house wine, coffee, cover charge, service and

vegetables. Square Meal stars are awarded to favourite restaurants based on

the overall experience. Two and three stars are given (more selectively) to places

that truly capture the zeitgeist and bear comparison with the best in the world.

THE LAST WORD Exciting �avours from the East get the rock 'n' roll treatment for a thrilling

dining experience - just remember to bring your earplugs

WINE LIST

Lending support to a decent range of

Japanese whiskies and craft beers, this

short wine selection favours France, with

a few bottles from Spain, Italy and the

New World. Sadly mark-ups are high and

a confusing layout complicates choosing.

BEST BUY Bodegas y Vinedos Mon�l

Garnacha 2013, Carinena, Spain, £25.