Bamboo Mat Stratford restaurant near Westfield: Review

It opened at the end of last year and is Bamboo Mat’s second restaurant, with the first being not far away in Leyton.

Chef-owner Denis Gobjila, formerly at Chotto Matte, and business partner Victor Rosca, formerly at Sushisamba and Lucky Cat, are bringing a fresh perspective on Nikkei cuisine.

The dishes are all unique and visually appealing, and the neon theme of the restaurant is fun and different – designed by Sabastian Salas from Sebastian Salas Studio.

It was inspired by the Peruvian culture and Peruvian arts and crafts he grew up with.

There’s a mixture of starters, sushi, sashimi and nigiri and main courses – as well as an extensive cocktail menu served from the beautifully decorated floral and neon bar.

Stratford is easily accessible from most places in London with its extensive travel links, and I went with my friend after an evening spent shopping at Westfield.

We started off with some edamame beans, the padron peppers in mango miso, salmon tataki and Bamboo Mat’s signature dish the seabass ceviche.

I’ve never had mango miso before but as a big fan of mango and a big fan of miso, this sweet pepper sauce went down a treat.

The salmon tataki and seabass ceviche both came in a sweet mango-flavoured sauce which is made with Tiger’s Milk.

I’d say both were included in my favourite dishes of the evening, and the fish was fresh, decently portion sized and melt-in-the-mouth.

Although there was an array of main courses to choose from, including salmon and chicken teriyaki, we decided to go for a sushi and sashimi selection to share, rather than limiting ourselves to one main dish.

We had some salmon and avocado maki, some salmon sashimi and some tuna sashimi, and then my friend got a dragon roll and I got the veg maki which had avocado, asparagus and cucumber inside – coated in a ponzu dressing.

The presentation was spot on, the fish was soft and decadent and the sushi was also delicious.

The portions were all generous, the flavours were clearly well thought through and the staff were really helpful with recommendations.

Although we were full, we couldn’t resist the crème brulee and chocolate fondant desserts to share.

I’m glad we didn’t resist – because that crème brulee was probably one of the best I’ve ever had.

It was so deliciously soft with a hint of vanilla, and finished perfectly what had been a pretty top notch meal.

If you work up an appetite shopping, head to Bamboo Mat – it doesn’t disappoint.

The Leyton branch is the next on my list.