Kon’nichiwa
Roka first opened on Charlotte Street in Fitzrovia. It’s a Japanese restaurant aiming to provide a pure experience serving classic robatayaki dishes. The authentic elegance of the menu is reflected in the interior with its generous use of Japanese wood and natural materials. Another Roka soon opened on North Audley Street in Mayfair. This was followed by one in Aldwych at the top of The Strand. Zuma on Raphael Street, Knightsbridge, is a sister restaurant.
The parent company Azumi was founded by Rainer Becker at the start of the new millennium. Born in Germany, he is a chef by training and is now a passionate restaurateur. A massive international drive is underway. Zuma Bangkok has just opened and pop ups are appearing in Barcelona, Ibiza, Mallorca, Mauritius and Mykonos this summer. Roka is in Riyadh and has just opened in Jeddah. The latest London addition is on Canada Square in Canary Wharf. The name is a portmanteau of “robata” (the charcoal grill which originates from the fishermen of the northern coastal waters of Japan) and “ka” (warm surrounding energy).
Shokuji to sābisu wa subarashīdesu.
Roka Aldwych is on the ground floor of a grand sweep of Edwardian stone architecture. Ed Glinert’s 2003 London Compendium records, “Aldwych, the street which takes the form of a crescent at the southern end of Kingsway, dates back only as far as 1905, but the name is considerably older, Via de Aldewych being the name by which Drury Lane was known in 1398 when the surrounding area was called Aldwic, ‘the old settlement’.” This part of London, lower key and less touristy than neighbouring Covent Garden, is still discreetly cultural hosting significant players such as the Courtauld Institute, London School of Economics and St Mary le Strand Church. Art, education, religion and Japanese fine dining – Aldwych has them all.
