Romeo San - Review - Marylebone - London - The Infatuation

"Romeo San takes inspiration from NYC and LA Japanese handroll bars, but in trying to be different, this Marylebone spot falls flat. You know a menu is onto a dodgy thing when it thinks pairing crab with overbearing truffle paste is a good idea, as well as mixing buttery negi toro with an unnecessary amount of spring onion. The minimalist interior is pleasant enough, although it’s hard to enjoy when every handroll is presented to you before you’ve finished chewing the last one. This assault by rice and nori is the Marylebone equivalent of a hot dog eating contest and greedy participants can add a dollop of caviar to every temaki if they so wish. For a rushed, indulgent snack, it’s passable, even if many of the fillings are over-chilled. Really, you should be eating handrolls elsewhere. Food Rundown Set Menu: Temaki x 6 This quick-fire menu of six temaki—just know there are no swaps allowed—presents Romeo San’s love of crunchy rice cracker balls, spring onion, and gochujang. Somewhere underneath these extras, you’ll find the fish. The best of the rolls is the negi toro: a melting mix of chopped fatty tuna with soy, wasabi, and a bit too much spring onion. It’s (fairly) simple and the tuna is front and centre, and that’s why it works. Other things, like the yellowtail overpowered by chilli oil and the crab pummelled by truffle paste, are the opposite. photo credit: Jake Missing" - Jake Missing