Utter the words East London in any conversation and one of two things will happen. Either you will be regarded as an artisan coffee sipping hipster from London Fields or an edgy artsy type living above a kebab shop in Brick Lane. The common misconception amongst the waves of gentry who took over the ghettos of Hackney and Dalston is that the boundaries of east London stop at the edge of Shoreditch. In reality, east London runs deeper towards Forest Gate, Stratford, Canning Town and Plaistow.
Gentrification brought with it great restaurants, gastropubs and organic grocery stores to Hackney, Dalston and Stoke Newington but went no further than the edge of Shoreditch. Whilst the 2012 Olympics did put Stratford on the map, its glory failed to rub off on the lesser well-known areas such as Canning Town and Plaistow. Furthermore, despite great transport links and an enormous American-style shopping mall, Stratford failed to attract the hipster cool energy of Hackney and the surrounding areas. Restaurant chains did turn up in full force, opening outlets at every corner, to cater to the burgeoning footfall, but there was little on offer for a discerning diner.
The tide may have finally turned for Stratford with the arrival of Bamboo Mat. Within a five minute walking distance of Stratford International DLR station and Westfield Stratford City is one of only a handful of Nikkei restaurants in London – Bamboo Mat. Nikkei is not a familiar term unless you really know your food and more specifically, your immigrant food. The term dates back to 1889 when nearly 7000 Japanese miners and railroad workers travelled to Peru in search of better opportunities. On arrival, the workers used available Peruvian ingredients to cook Japanese food, mixing the meticulous yet simple Japanese culinary techniques with fresh seafood and vegetables found in their new home creating what is now Nikkei. Today, Peru boasts the second largest Japanese community outside Japan (Brazil is home to the largest) and Nikkei cuisine is a culinary force beyond the Andes.
Bamboo Mat is run by chef Denis Gobjila (formerly at Chotto Matte) and business partner Victor Rosca (formerly at Sushisamba and Lucky Cat). In what is a beautifully open, pared back, quiet space in Stratford’s Olympic Village they serve plates of faultless maki, ngiri, sashimi alongside bright orange mango ceviche, plump sweet potato and crunchy cancha corn; delicate Japanese dishes gone wild with vivid Peruvian influence.
The brunch menu (£35pp) at Bamboo Mat Stratford, available on Saturdays and Sundays between 12pm and 4pm, is a great place to start your foray into Nikkei cuisine. That the dishes are pre-selected takes the pressure off deciding how and what to order. You can also add bottomless alcoholic drinks (£18) for 90 minutes or choose the non-alcoholic option (£12).
The brunch menu’s artichoke tostada was the perfect starter; light, colourful and filled with flavour and texture. The beautifully plated plump sea bass ceviche with aji amarillo tiger’s milk, sweet potato, red onion, chancha corn was exactly the tangy delight I needed on what turned out to be a very hot Sunday afternoon. And it was perfect for two. The highlights however, were the chicken teriyaki and belly pork bao buns. The chicken in perfect bite-size, oozing umami. The bao bun light and airy filled with pork and nasu – a combination only fusion cuisine could ever dream up.
I was happy enough to overlook well-intentioned and enthusiastic staff mixing up my dishes. But this was brunch and it was a sunny afternoon and no one was harmed. Mildly more grating was that the restaurant had run out of padron peppers which its reputation is now inextricably linked to after a shout out from a highly-respected food critic. Given that this was brunch, early in the day, and it’s on the menu, I would have liked for it to be served. However, none of this overshadowed what was extremely good food and a marvellous experience.
Bamboo Mat Stratford is a much-needed injection in the dining landscape of east London. With brunch at what is a better than reasonable price, this restaurant will surely be here to stay. We can only hope that it encourages other great chefs to follow suit and set up shop in Stratford.
Bamboo Mat Stratford
21-24 Victory Parade Village
London
E20 1FS
