Feasting on Flesh & Porn

What to do on a Friday night in London? You can sashay into a West End theatre or contribute to East London’s gentrification. 

But trust me, nothing beats witnessing the union of American Rock’n’Roll with Japanese food (and porn) at Flesh and Buns in Covent Garden.

This underground restaurant is an offshoot of the New York-inspired Bone Daddies group based in London. The bar wedded the concept of traditional Japanese gastro-pub (“izakaya”) to New York’s loud and casual dining atmosphere.

In F&B, Londoners are introduced to the idea of izakaya (“I” means to stay, “sakaya” means sake shop) commonly found in the alleys of Japanese towns. This is a popular place where Japanese retire to eat, drink and  unwind after a long day at work.

^ At the entrance – a row of sake barrels and manga shown through projector

Behind those close doors was a babble of London’s #TGIF crowd, rock’n’roll music and waiters and chefs moving deftly in their Japanese happi coat. Instead of having tatami seats and low tables (which would have made eating so painful and strenuous for all westerners unused to sitting cross-legged on the floor), there were both long and round tables, as well as booths, lining symmetrically in this underground restaurant – an unreserved duplication of the Big Apple’s dining atmosphere.

First things first, sake!

Do you know that the taste of sake changes subtly according to the increase/decrease of temperature? You thus have a choice of chilled, warm or even hot sake when having Japanese. I am not a connoisseur but I do know that a cold sake has a sharper flavour, goes particularly well with slightly sweet and sour food, AND is a wonder in washing down the after taste of oily food!

With the amount of fat, succulent meat we were going to have, a cold sake seemed like the appropriate choice.

Not long after the first sip, food slowly filled the table. Instead of doing the proper izakaya way – starting with delicately flavoured food and slowly moving to the more robust ones – we decided to go all out.

Soft-shell crab roll with jalapeno mayo and chives // crispy duck leg with sour plum soy sauce // piglet belly with mustard miso // and of course, the soft, warm and mildly sweet buns served in small steamer basket.

A very clever east-meet-west fusion.

Look how smooth and squishy they are!

And here’s the way to have your customised Flesh & Buns!

Cut the meat into shreds, sandwich them between the buns, slap on some sauce and top with the pickles.

Easy-peasy better than sushi.

The meat dishes were paired with different pickles. We had beetroot with the duck and apple with the pork. They gave the buns such complete taste, it deserved the Most Porny Award for food if there was ever one.

….and THIS was the reason why.

Look at that layer of fats. Which part of it doesn’t scream orgasm??

Hmmm…Pleasure.

At this point, if you are impatient for the real porn. I say patience is a virtue, gentlemen. Wait till I finish my food and I’ll give you a tour of the loo.

Yes, the loo.

A taste of the Japanese subculture, “Hentai” manga, hidden and brazenly displayed for YOUR pleasure. Now are you glad you stay?

And for me, I’m going to leave you salivating at those flesh.

Unfortunately, size does matter.

And I found my pleasure in BIG, bigger things.

With love x