Hare & Tortoise

The Hare & Tortoise is home to modern Asian cuisine, made using exquisite, fresh ingredients. Menus showcase a variety of Japanese dishes alongside a select pan Asian offering. The food offering is all encompassing, with options to delight vegetarians, spice-lovers and those new to Asian cuisine alike.

Our visit was to the Putney branch, which boasts mouth-watering lunch and dinner menus, a selection of raw juices, and a private dining section that’s the perfect place for a special occasion. The meal began with Japanese plum wine from the carefully selected range of sake and wine, and our accompanying appetisers included flavoursome snow crab leg salad and a signature dish of maguro tataki – seared tuna topped with nori and sesame. To follow, we sampled dishes including yellowtail fish paired with a delicate sauce – a seasonal triumph from the open kitchen, and my favourite dish of the evening. My partner particularly enjoyed the tori katsu maki – an inside-out roll filled with chicken katsu – and colourful dragon rolls with tempura prawns, beautifully dressed with red rose jewels. The meal finished on a deliciously sweet note with delicate balls of ice cream wrapped in a rice cake, known as mochi.