It's an all-counter dining affair so you've got a great view of what's going on in the kitchen.
Humble Chicken's been open for a while, why the visit now?
Chef Angelo Sato opened his yakitori restaurant in the heart of Soho in 2021 and since then, the well-reviewed restaurant built up a fanbase for its inventive dishes using every part of the chicken. But now chef Sato's decided to take the restaurant in a different direction, elevating it to Humble Chicken 2.0. What that means in practice is he's turned it into an omakase-style restaurant serving up "a Japanese-inspired 8-course tasting menu with a European accent".
Sato certainly has the background for such an ambitious move, having worked with both Gordon Ramsay and Clare Smyth at Royal Hospital Road, then moving to Eleven Madison Park in New York before becoming head chef at Restaurant Story.
Where is it?
You'll find the all-counter restaurant on Frith Street. The nearest tubes are probably Tottenham Court Road or Leicester Square. If the place feels familiar when you go in, it's because this used to be the original Barrafina.
Where's a good place to meet for a drink nearby?
A few good suggestions would be the French House a street away on Dean Street, the Black Book wine bar further down Frith Street or Hongdae Pocha for a shot of soju on Romilly Street.
So, what's on this new menu?
It's an eight-course omakase-style menu. So there's just one menu, but the kitchen can make certain adjustments for dietary requirements (if you let them know in advance). The whole thing takes around 2.5 hours to enjoy, so go hungry.
Without wanting to give everything away - here's some of what we tried:
The meal kicks off with four exquisite snacks - a single otoro tuna raviolo with tapioca tosazu and grilled koji otoro oil, a teeny miso-cured foie gras tart and this beauty - a mussel served with citrus kosho ponzu and avocado.
The final snack is the cutest piggy mini bao filled with pigs trotter, karashi and a fried quails egg.
Oysters are grilled over charcoal in front of you before being served up with fermented kaki, citrus kosho beurre blanc and burnt chicken fat
Shokupan & Butter - inspired by the chef's many Eurostar trips to Paris this milk bread arrives with miso sesame butter filled with chicken liver and fermented red cabbage.
Grilled slow-cooked short rib is presented with two sauces - yakiniku and spicy miso along with lettuce cups to roll everything up in.
Skewers do make an appearance in a call-back to the first iteration of Humble Chicken. These are chicken achilles skewers with charcoal fat, daikon oroshi and kosho.
Dessert comes in two parts - there's a coffee-based Japanese custard pot along with this fabulous deconstructed cheesecake which is then covered with frozen clementine shavings.
What about drink?
There's a short wine list starting at £7 for a 125ml glass of Albarino, and it includes a Japanese wine from Chateau Mercian in Yamanashi which is worth trying. But the sake list is probably the best accompaniment. Our favourite was a flask of Moonlight from Fukushima (£18.50) and we liked being offered a tray of sake cups to choose one from.
Cocktails are also worth trying - this Watermelon Negroni (£14) was a standout.
Overall thoughts:
We were completely blown away by the dinner we had at Humble Chicken 2.0. Only a week into serving the new menu, the service was slick and friendly. It would be hard to pick a favourite from all the amazing things we tried, but we're still thinking about that Yakiniku course. For £95 it compares very well to other omakase experiences of a similar level and it comes with a high recommendation from us.
More about Humble Chicken 2.0
Where is it? 54 Frith St, Soho, London W1D 4SL
How much: The 8-course dinner is £95.
How to book: book online
Find out more: Follow them on Instagram @humblechicken_uk
Hot Dinners dined as guests of Humble Chicken. Prices correct at the time of publication.
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