St Martin’s Lane’s yakitori restaurant, Yari Club, has launched a delicious Hanami Menu featuring dishes typical of the season.
When people gather and picnic amidst the trees to admire the beauty of cherry blossoms (sakura) they traditionally eat:
Hanami Dango
- The most popular food associated with cherry blossom season, the iconic wagashi of Hanami.
- Sweet rice flour dumpling filled with sweet red beans and glazed with a savoury and sweet sauce (£4.50).
Yakitori
- Hot snacks purchased from the array of street food vendors.
- Karaage with Mentai Sauce; tender chicken thighs marinated in the Yari Club secret blend of spices, fried golden and drizzled with a creamy, umami-rich Mentai sauce (popular umami sauce made with cod’s roe) (£4.70).
- Gyukushi with Spring Onions; tender marinated beef slices rolled with sweet onions, simmered in savoury Yari sauce and grilled for a subtle smoky finish (£5.49)
- Gyukushi with Enoki; thinly sliced beef, paired with delicate enoki mushrooms, simmered in signature Yari sauce and hand-grilled for a hint of smoky richness (£5.49)
Bento Boxes
- Exquisite boxes made at home or purchased
- Rice Set: Karaage with Mentai Sauce or Mixed Gyukushi (gyukushi enoki and tender beef rolled with enoki mushrooms and gyukushi spring onions), accompanied by a fragrant serving of steamed rice, refreshing coleslaw, and zesty yuzu pickles (£13.80 or £14.80)
- Bento Set: Miso Soup and the Hanami special dessert, Dango Mochi, added to the Rice Set (£17.80 or £18.80)
The Hanami Menu also features a special drink; Matcha Beer. Earthy matcha meets crisp beer for a bold, refreshing taste (£8).
The Hanami Menu is available now until the end of April to complement the cherry blossom season. The season typically takes place during the Spring with the earliest blooms in Okinawa and the latest in Hokkaido.
