Shochu Lounge ROKA

SHOCHU Lounge ROKA

http://www.rokarestaurant.com/home-shochu-lounge

37 Charlotte St, London W1T 1RR

Looking for a great atmosphere somewhere half hidden, in the middle of Charlotte street, through the doors of the excellent ROKA restaurant, downstairs into underground gem of a bar/restaurant lies Shochu Lounge. It is a quiet Bank Holiday evening and not many customers are present but that doesn't make the place feel empty at all. The seating is so comfortable it makes you feel right at home and as if nobody sat near you even exists. I notice the artful wall art covering the main wall of the place - a Japanese drawing of a kind - it really blends in with the rustic-chic theme of the place. Low lights and red hues contrasted with black make you feel very cosy indeed.

Shochu lounge has got its name from shochu - the vodka-like distilled spirit made popular in Japan. It is not quite as strong as vodka and local Japanese regions started to make their own variations using local produce (sounds a lot like my Martini Search of slightly altered flavours). Shochu is traditionally infused with fruits and herbs to enhance its flavour and invigorate the soul.

Looking to finish the evening with a delightful tasting of a Martini cocktail, we opt for something that takes our attention at first sight - Shisho Smash and Twinkle. 

Shisho Smash is a mix of shiso infused fords gin, yuzu shochu, vanilla green chartreuse, pineapple and lemon. It is a long drink that creates a mysteriously subtle tropical flavour. I have found that pineapple juice often changes the flavour of drinks completely and throws you off your senses a bit. This was one of those drinks that you really like: really refreshing and pleasant but you can't quite put your finger on what it is that is tasting so good in the mix.

Twinkle - a mix of ketel one vodka, elderflower cordial, champagne and lemon twist for garnish. A sparkly Martini with a personality of a bubbly, adventurous young person enjoying their life to the fullest while maintaining their professional passions. I was so pleasantly surprised how Twinkle kept its bubbliness so well - usually when champagne is introduced into drinks like that, they don't quite deliver as well as the words on the menu describe and make you expect them to. Every sip was like sipping enthusiasm and brightness. I truly believe I have found a new category of perfect Martini Mule experience here - a sparkly Martini (stirred, not shaken, of course).

Shochu Lounge....I cannot wait what else you have to offer. I am pleased to have found a place I know I can return to with great confidence that my party will not be disappointed. I will be returning to discover the ever changing seasonal cocktail menu offerings. May the bubble be with you.


MM Rating 10 out of 10

Aqua Kyoto

Aqua Kyoto/Spirit

http://aquakyoto.co.uk

5th Floor, 240 Regent St, London W1B 3BR

What better time to explore the lovely cocktail bars of London Mayfair and Soho than Boxing Day while the streets look buzzing and the rooftop bars are nice and empty to provide the feel of coziness and private space in a welcoming place.

One such lovely place is Aqua Kyoto in a doorway just off Oxford Circus corner. A welcoming doorman greets and directs you to the 5th floor where you walk out of the lift into a warmly lit Kyoto bar that makes a centrepiece of the floor.

While trying to scan through the cocktails menu for my choice of Martini cocktails on offer, the barman appears and introduces himself as Marco. He offers to ignore the menu completely and suggests he makes us some festive specials instead to make us feel all festive.

Paranoid as I am that I will not be getting my Martini fix - I request a strong Martini with festive twist to avoid any long drinks. I like my cocktails strong and clean from bulky ice after all.

A lot of red coloured spirits dart around while he fixes 2 drinks for us while skilfully flairing. I gotta say we missed half of the impressive flaring show as me and my companion were taken away with an inside joke and when we looked up, realised that Marco was patiently waiting for us to notice him.

We are finally presented with our festive cocktails - a Cynar flavoured Martini and Aperol/Cynar twist on a classic Negroni cocktail in a short glass, glistening through the crystal glasses in pretty red hues. It was a novel way to create a Martini - avoiding sweet juices and instead choosing to add flavour with other spirits alone.

I gotta say, Cynar is a new discovery for me - an Italian bitter liqueur made from 13 herbs and plants, predominantly artichoke. It gave my Martini a nice festive hue and slight flavour but I must admit, the taste of it was so subtle it was not recognisable at all. The Martini remained slightly watered down as 2 cubes of ice were added to make it look festive and so I didn't quite get my special flavour hit this time. I was, however, pleasantly surprised to see that I shouldn't be concentrating on just juices and purees to flavour my Martinis but count in everything and anything the bar has to offer. After all, you cannot go wrong with a Baileys mixed Martini, can you?

The Negroni was bitter and very strong, a proper man's drink that delivers strength in a red and glistening coloured drink that can be deceiving if you didn't know what was in the glass.

We took our festive drinks through to the Aqua Spirit bar at the back through a low lit corridor with an arty blue bull facing you through the wall. We find our way to the terrace and settle in the corner overlooking the buzzing Regent street and enjoy our festive cocktails. Perfect.

I am thoroughly impressed by the atmosphere the bar has created and their friendly and welcoming staff. I will have to return to try their signature Kyoto Martini off their actual cocktails menu as I don't think Aqua can be judged upon by just one drink choice. It seems a perfect place for an intimate meeting or a date with plenty of seating areas to choose from. Until next time Aqua, you have intrigued me.

MM Rating 6.5 out of 10
(Martini Mule Rating)

The Light Lounge London

The Light Lounge London - http://www.thelightloungelondon.com

 1 NEWPORT PLACE, LONDON WC2H 7JR

A place you would not expect to find on the edge of Chinatown in Soho..Walking through the lovely food smelling streets of Chinatown, we actually go past the place as it blends in with the background and the other doorways in the area. 

We finally clock the entrance and find a very polite door security welcoming us into the venue. 

Walking up the stairs, I am full of excitement as it seems like one of those places you stumble upon when out late and had a few drinks too many and happen to find this doorway.

Making my way into the lounge, I instantly sense a friendly atmosphere and a perfectly cocktail-ready lighting and a clean and trendy (I know, the word is a bit 'eek') but it really looks like a well thought through 60s style James Bond type of cocktail venue with great background music that makes you wonder where you have been going wrong when picking your music listings for your own iPod.

Back to the core reason of my visit...I am forever seeking The Perfect Martini cocktail. I am after a very specific flavour and the way it should taste, but without actually being too specific about the flavour itself. Something that isn't sweet like most places make them, but instead, a very clear, sharp, and skilfully shaken (sometimes stirred) dash of juice flavours that make it taste as if it was oozing a tingle of flavour out of the drink itself and not from actual juice...it is hard to put into words.

The Light Lounge service was very friendly but not too much in your face. As I like to taste other people's imaginative cocktail ideas, I requested a 'lucky dip' classic Gin Martini with a dash of juice to the flavour of the waitress's own picking...something festive but subtle. I have been to this place twice now and both times requested a 'Lucky Dip Martini'. This place does not disappoint. The flavours were subtle and slightly mysterious...I am told I received a Gin Martini, stirred, with cinnamon and nutmeg as slight flavours in my drink. Second time round I received a stripped down version of a Porn Star Martini....with only a hint of passionfruit. And I have to say...not being a fan of Porn Star Martinis myself - this innovative mix on things was a really great discovery and gave me a different view on all the rest of the cocktails on the menus everywhere.

We did taste the champagne infused cocktails as well as a classic long drink cocktail which had rosemary in it...something I didn't think would work but the barmen have been very skilful in all choices. Pleasantly surprised.

I will be visiting a 3rd and 4th and 5th time to see the place in full busy mode as well as it makes such a great place for people to date, meet up or celebrate an occasion in style.

Cheers to Light Lounge!

MM Rating 7.5 out of 10
(Martini Mule Rating)