Four Degree – Japanese Restaurant with a European Twist

Give me sushi any day, and every day. If you have been following me for a while than you definitely know how much I love sushi. I was recently invited to Four Degree for a food blogger menu review. I was impressed from the second I walked in. If you are familiar with Vauxhall then you know that the area has been going through some gentrification and new restaurants and bars have been popping up to accommodate the new US embassy that is opening soon along with the Nine Elms housing developments.

Four Degree is a contemporary Japanese restaurant with a modern European twist in St George Wharf, Vauxhall. Their specialty is seafood and Japanese food with a European twist. Oh, and let’s not forget the delicious cocktails and home to the UK’s first Macallan Whiskey lounge.

I have tried quite a few restaurant around Vauxhall, mainly because I have been working in the area for the past 2 years, but Four Degree is definitely one of the fanciest restaurants south of the river. The owner already has a number of Michelin-starred restaurants in Asia, it is only a matter of time before this restaurant is just a well known for it’s amazing and well thought through menu. Four Degree has been open for a little over a month now and you are usually greeted at the door by a well-dressed hostess. From the moment you enter this establishment, you can tell it will be a high-class meal. There were heaters and tables outside as well, which I think would be gorgeous in the summer with the river views. The tables indoors were well spaced and the lighting is just right for a comfortable dining experience. Four Degree is also the only establishment in the UK with a Macallan whiskey lounge, which I personally did not see, but I heard it has some of the most expensive whiskeys in the world.

There is a mix of French fusion mixed in with sushi on the menu. I really enjoyed the feeling of fusion when ordering from their menu. Since I was with a group of bloggers I was lucky enough to try basically the entire menu. I loved the smaller nibbles and starters as well as the large array of sushi. The waiter was very helpful and accommodating to our needs. He made sure to explain every dish to us upon arrival and made recommendations based on our preferences.

 

Here is a list of all the food I got to try  and my thoughts on each one:

Starters & Small Plates

CHICKEN KARA-AGE Deep fried marinated chicken with lemon 

I love fried chicken, so this was an easy favorite for me. The zest of the lemon on top had just the right amount of citrus and the crispy chicken was cooked to perfection. Not my favorite chicken in all of London, but for upscaled fried chicken this dish hit the spot.

AUBERGINE DENGAKU Fried eggplant grilled with sweet black & white miso

Aubergine is by far the most underrated vegetable. I loved every bite of this starter. I even thought to myself if this could be the main dish I would totally have 2 or 3 portions of this. The vegetable itself was cooked to perfection and melted in your mouth while the miso sauce added just the right amount of flavor to keep you wanting more and more.

CRISPY WONTON TACOS WITH DUCK RILLETTES, FISH TARTAR & GUACAMOLE Deep fried wonton skin with hand-pulled duck leg meat & miso, fish tartar, caviar & avocado salsa

This was defiantly an interesting starter. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but being Californian I love tacos and had to try. Each little taco has a different filling so I would suggest this one is something not to share. You should try all three for yourself to get the full range of flavors.

SEAWEED SALAD WITH MISO DRESSING Young kombu, wakame, red & green seaweed, miso dressing

This was super refreshing and again the miso was the perfect touch. I only had a bite, but it is a great light starter.

WARM MUSHROOM SALAD WITH TRUFFLE Black truffle shitake, eringi, shimeji, champignons de paris, shallots & parsley with ponzu dressing

I love mushrooms so this was an easy pick for me. It wasn’t my favorite starter but it was a perfectly balanced dish and quite a large serving size.

YELLOW TAIL WITH GINGER ONION SAUCE & FRUIT SALSA

This dish was so fresh and the perfect blend of fish and citrus. The fish tasted so fresh and the mango salsa in the middle of the dish was just the right amount of sweet to top off the fish.

SPICEY EDAMAME

I have to say this was by far the best spicy edamame I have had in London. Most places just place a bit of dried chili on top and call it a day, not Four Degree. They defiantly marinate their edamame in an amazing chili sauce. I could eat these all day and every day if I had them around.

Mains

BLACK COD MISO Grilled black cod, miso paste, soy, sake, mirin with homemade pickles

Another miso covered goddess of a dish. The cod just melted in my mouth. It was cooked to perfection and the miso sauce on top was to die for. Whatever Four Degree put into their miso sauce I want to buy it by the liter!

A5 WAGYU SIRLOIN WITH PONZU SAUCE 

This was my first experience of wagyu beef and it was everything I ever expected it to be. The beef just melted in my mouth and since it was my first-time experience wagyu beef I asked the waiter for his recommendation on how the meat should be cooked and it came out perfectly.

CORN FED BABY CHICKEN WITH SPICY TERIYAKI SAUCE

This was my favorite main dish. I love chicken so it was an easy win, but ti was the spicy teriyaki sauce that won me over. I do have to say that any and all of the sauces at Four Degree makes me appreciate French cuisine even more. It is so evident that the French fusion comes through in their amazingly delicious sauces. Each dish has a sauce that is to die for, but my favorite sauce of the night had to have been the spicy teriyaki sauce!

USUZUKURI SASHIMI

Endless sashimi and the presentation was by far the best I have ever seen, EVER! The amount of detail and knife skills that went into preparing this array of fish was amazing! My favorite fish was the salmon, of course. I also loved that the waiter was able to share his knowledge of where all the fish was sourced from.

LOBSTER WITH TARRAGON SAUCE & SAFFRON RICE Poeler lobster with saffron rice

This dish was by far the most fragrant dish of the night. The saffron rice was aromatic but tasty as well. Again the lobster has covered in yet another perfectly balanced sauce and cooked to perfection.

SUSHI  – FOUR DEGREE ROLL

Finally the sushi, by far the best sushi roll I have had in London had to have been the four degree roll. It was so extra that it had gold leaf on top as a garnish, now that is my kind of sushi roll! Every roll was delicious and perfectly balanced, but the four degree roll is a must try.

Dessert

COCONUT PARFAIT COCONUT ROCHER FILLED WITH YOGHURT SAUCE, LEMON CURD, CRUNCHY COCONUT & WHITE CHOCOLATE

There is always room for dessert, but maybe not the time. Due to the fact that I basically tried the entire menu dessert came pretty late for us and I was only able to grab a quick bite of the coconut parfait before I had to run to catch my train, but wow was the presentation of this dessert everything and more! The best part was that my one bite was enough to keep me wanting more so I will defiantly be back for more soon enough!

Final Thoughts

As a fan of sushi from all around the world and a fan of restaurants like Nobu and Roka, Four Degree is a restaurant to keep on the watch list. I bet in the coming year they will become a well known high-class restaurant. The prices are a bit high for the area the restaurant is located in, but I still think for a very high quality and service restaurant the prices are pretty fair. Once the locals here of this place and American embassy moves in, it will likely be very busy. This is a great location for a business meeting, date night, or a drink after work with colleagues. All in all, it is a gem of a restaurant and I cannot wait to go back for more!