Yugen Dining
Contemporary$$$
A gilded fever dream of wagyu, seafood and high-gloss hospitality.
This moody subterranean lair doesn’t do subtle. It all feels very Bruce Wayne: a dramatic chandelier, towering sandstone bar and suspended golden orb that doubles as a high-wire private dining room set the tone. Happily, there’s substance beyond the glitz – a vast, playful drinks list, for one, and service so attentive it verges on telepathic.
The menu leans Japanese, with confident detours through neighbouring cuisines. Signature prawn toast reimagined with Chinese doughnut is a sprightly take on a yum cha classic. Wasabi peas tumble through kohlrabi and fennel salad: a crunchy masterstroke.
Wagyu tataki adorned with Davidson’s plum, bonito cream and quail egg is the plate to beat, and non-alcoholic cocktails feel just as special as their boozy counterparts. Osmanthus apricot mousse, doused tableside with fermented rice wine, is exactly the theatre Yugen was built for. File under: thrills that justify the splurge.
Best for: Date nights that call for the right kind of drama.
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