Bone Daddies: Challenging Perceptions
Besides its rather intriguing, yet odd name, the menu served up at Bone Daddies is not what you’d first expect. A love child birthed from his passion for Japan, acclaimed chef Ross Shonhan (ex Nobu and Zuma) wanted to create a ramen bar that would be a home to his version of Japanese food and contemporary culture, created specifically for London (hence the rock music you'll hear playing in the background when you arrive). For the foodie nerds, what might not be know is that Bone Daddies also owns Flesh & Buns and Shack-Fuyu. So, in today’s review, I’ll be sharing my highlights from my visit and my final thoughts - I hope you enjoy! Essie Eats x
OVERALL
Price Tag: £Occasion: Casual date night, family & friends Ambiance: 6Food: 7Location: London, Oxford Street station (31 Peter St, Soho, London W1F 0AR)
COST
Just like the ambiance, the prices are super relaxed and affordable. For a soft drink, main dish and a starter, I paid £22 (including service charge), and without the drink it was £19. It’s worth keeping in mind I ordered one of the special ramen dishes which was slightly more expensive, so your average cost for a main dish is actually £10. The portions are generous, and as I say in almost every post, this is coming from someone with a big appetite. Overall, you definitely get your money's worth without breaking the bank.
STARTER
One of my favourite things when eating out, is when the staff know the menu well and can recommend dishes - at Bone Daddies this was the case, so I was impressed. Stuck between the Soft Shell Crab (£9.40) and Korean Fried Chicken Wings (£6.80), the lovely waitress recommended the latter almost immediately, so I went with the wings. Drenched in a rich chilli sauce, which I can only describe as Sriracha on steroids, the wings were a great choice and I would absolutely recommend them. The sauce was delicious yet intense, exuding spicy, sweet, salty and nutty flavours. Even though I felt there should be less sauce, I was impressed by how crispy and golden the chicken wings were despite being drenched in the sauce. 
MAIN
For the main I ordered the Crispy Duck Aburamen with pickled padron peppers, roast corn & duck fat (£13). This particular dish is part of the ‘Special ramen’ list, and it is worth noting that it does not come with a broth. Before consuming this dish, I fell in love with the aesthetic, mainly the array of colours in the dish. More importantly, the flavours were wonderful, as the ingredients and seasoning weren't too intense. From the roasted corn to the thoughtfully placed coriander, to the crispy duck meat, the different ingredients complemented each both in texture and flavour. Specifically, I thoroughly enjoyed the deconstruction of the duck in the dish, the meat brought a lovely crispy texture to the dish, whilst the duck fat, which was served separately, was soft but slightly crisp on the outside. Overall, I will be coming back for this dish it stole the show.
AMBIANCE
I really enjoyed the relaxed vibe from this restaurant. It’s the kind of place you head to when you’ve had a stressful day at work and just want to relax and grab some no nonsense food. The relaxed nature of the restaurant also makes it a good place for a date night location, especially if you want to be relaxed and want to get to know each other better without the fanciness and unnecessary decor. Like the ambiance, the food is simple and gets straight to the point. Overall, I will be coming back here for a quick lunch or dinner - it has my stamp of approval.