No16 [Eating] Winter warmers

Winter warmers

The owners of the quite splendid Cocoro in Marylebone have just opened a sister restaurant in Holborn on Coptic Street. It is more of a relaxed and low-key affair, serving mainly Japanese ramen and curry dishes and also Japanese style tapas called “Obanzai”.
One of the highlights of the menu is Tonkotsu ramen. The broth n this classic noodle soup dish is made from pork bone which is boiled for up to 10 hours until thick and creamy and goes very well with the noodles, which nicely absorbs all of the flavour. Added to this are seven styles of fried garlic, which give a sweeter taste. The finishing touch is tender slices of pork belly “chashu” which are laid on top and garnished with sweet corn, sweet brown seaweed, bean sprouts, spring onions and sesame seeds. The noodles themselves are imported from Japan and cooked al dente and are packed full of flavour. Another delightful ramen is Tantan men. This is quite a spicy dish as the chef uses chili oil as well. Although Ramen soups can sometimes be too thin and watery, this one is anything but. Rich and thick, it fuses all of the flavours and is great comfort food, the chili giving it a nice kick. Pork mince is fried in Japanese and Chinese miso and sprinkled on top of the dish when it arrives at your table, the slightly sweet mince making a nice contrast to the spiciness of the soup. Cocoro is available for private parties and can seat up to 50 people. It is also great if you are after a quick bite to eat in the centre of town.

Reference

Cocoro Ramen and Curry
http://www.cocororestaurant.co.uk/en/