Moi on Wardour Street is a new Soho restaurant from MAD Restaurants, co-founded by Artem Login with ex-Gordon Ramsay executive chef Andy Cook. The space combines earthy terracotta tones and a cavern-like, volcanic design that reads as a contemporary izakaya with comfortable seating and a bustling open kitchen. The menu emphasizes fire cooking and different woods, showcasing precise sashimi, charcoal-seared bream, hay-smoked trout, and smoky small plates. The Smoked Cod's Roe with Fried Steamed Buns proved especially successful, pairing sweet, doughnut-like buns with creamy roe and house furikake. The crowd is cosmopolitan and lively without feeling unwelcoming.
Moi Restaurant is the first in MAD's planned lineup, setting the tone for what's to come. We think this one is a winner, though Moi Soho brings a Japanese sensibility and skill to fire cooking in a setting that feels at once contemporary and atmospheric. The restaurant's design hovers between an underground cavern with tree trunks holding up the ceiling or perhaps the inside of a volcano a carefully balanced contemporary izakaya.
We began with the Chef's Sashimi Selection (28), eight pieces presented with an eye for detail: tiny flowers, green herbs, and precise cuts. The charcoal-seared bream stood out with its subtle smokiness, while the hay-smoked trout was satisfyingly juicy. Akami tuna brought lean depth, and kombu-jime brill had a firmer, slightly chewy texture and peppery sweetness.
Our server insisted we try at least one of the snacks on the menu at Moi Restaurant, so at his suggestion, we indulged in the Smoked Cod's Roe with Fried Steamed Buns (12), a particularly good dish. The buns, lightly sweetened, had the texture of small doughnuts and worked perfectly with the smoky, creamy roe balanced by creme fraiche and some excellent house furikake. Two buns felt insufficient given the amount of roe that neither of us wanted to leave behind, but extra can be ordered.
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