Food reviews

Aaya

We’re not quite sure what to make of Aaya. Much fuss has been made of the fact that it’s the brainchild of Gary Yau, whose brother Alan brought us Wagamama, Hakkasan and Busaba Eathai. But this place doesn’t compare very well with either of these Londoner’s favourites. Not as smart as Hakkasan, it also lacks the budget appeal of Wagamama and Busaba.
But what Gary obviously does share with his brother is an eye for good design and there’s no denying the fact that this place looks really good – even though its sexy black and white interiors, replete with glass, mirrors and funky lighting, look a bit out of place on grubby Brewer street. The restaurant splits across two floors, both dominated by attractive long bars. The upstairs one serves excellent cocktails – we loved the Tokyo Grape, which combines Polish vodka with elderflower cordial, apple juice and fresh grapes – while downstairs the focus is on sushi.
Raw fish is also the mainstay of the menu, which also lists a selection of cold and hot ‘appetisers’, salads, grills and so-called ‘toban yaki’, a miniature teppan-yaki-style hotplate topped with meat that’s cooked on one side so you can finish it to taste. Fun and delicious.
Other highlights included a rich, delicious wild mushroom salad, succulent Chilean sea bass with yuzu and some really excellent sashimi, but it wasn’t all good. Tuna tartare with spicy sesame dressing came with a far too tiny dribble of the advertised sauce and the king crab starter didn’t taste fresh on our visit.
Portions are small so prices add up fast, especially when it comes to nigiri sushi, which is (steeply) priced per single piece. Maki rolls, by contrast, are excellent value: we’d recommend the beautiful dragon rolls with avocado, eel and cucumber.