Roka, London E14

Dinner for two, with house wine, £120

Judging by the recent glut of restaurant openings in Canary Wharf there may be something about those green shoots signalling the end of the recession. Many West End names have opened branches here and Rainer Becker's Roka is one of the latest additions.

Like its sister restaurant in Charlotte Street, the dining room is dominated by light wood, high ceilings and clean lines, the focus of attention the hectic kitchen. On a Saturday evening it was busy, and the atmosphere more relaxed and family-friendly than business-like.
While the room lacks the popular central seating area around the robata—the grill on which many dishes are cooked over open fire—a chef's table allows diners to watch the kitchen up close. But given the Canary Wharf location it is probably a sensible decision. Presumably bankers are more likely to gather around the chef's table than the robata.

The menu is divided into sections, including sushi and sashimi, Roka signature dishes and robata fare, all for sharing, so two people would order six to eight small dishes perhaps. Food was impeccably presented and, in most cases, flawless. Fried, tender baby squid was a standout, the soft-shell crab maki rolls another favourite and the butterfish tataki melt-in-the-mouth delicious. Tuna sashimi came served on top of crushed ice, but the glazed baby back rib proved the real star—succulent, tasty and free of fat. The one disappointment was a prawn in chilli mayonnaise on seaweed toast.

The Roka dessert platter was a huge bowl of crushed ice with several large chunks standing upright; perched on top of each a different delicious dessert, including scoops of ice cream and chocolate cake. While ostentatious, it did not look out of place in a Canary Wharf dining room. Maybe the good times really are back.

Tina Nielsen