To win One MICHELIN Star is a great achievement. To come back the following year and be awarded Two Stars is the mark of a really remarkable restaurant. Humble Chicken is that restaurant, spearheaded by the drive and invention of Chef-Owner Angelo Sato. It’s not been long since Humble Chicken was a casual yakitori, before Sato showed bravery and ambition in overhauling his concept into the distinctive and incredibly impressive operation it is today. We enlisted the help of a MICHELIN Guide Inspector to explain what makes it so distinctively brilliant.
Arrival
The cooking at Humble Chicken may be a more complex affair than it once was, but the casual vibe and electric energy of the yakitori days are very much still around. As our Inspector found, it’s a restaurant dancing to its own beat and all the better for it.“As soon as we arrived, we noticed that, unlike a lot of chef’s-counter-based restaurants, there was a refreshing absence of formality here. Music blared loud from the speakers and neon lighting added a sense of bar-like cool. Yet a relaxed atmosphere did not mean a lack of comfort or quality, with the marble countertop exuding luxury and the leather seating a million-times more comfortable than your average barstool.”
The delicious dishes at Humble Chicken are accompanied by a relaxed and vibrant atmosphere. © Humble Chicken
The Team
It is a great skill to provide a dining experience that feels at once smart and informal, both slick and relaxed. The team here have that skill in abundance, making a great impression on our Inspectors.“We were greeted by a super-friendly manager who was welcoming and efficient. Once seated, he didn’t take too big a role in the service, with some dishes delivered by the kitchen team and Angelo Sato himself. What I loved most about the service was the pace of it, with dishes arriving in a steady yet controlled flow and the whole experience taking around two-and-a-half hours in total.”
Angelo Sato's cooking is best described as 'Japanese-inspired' rather than traditionally Japanese. © Humble Chicken
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The Cooking
With the award of Two MICHELIN Stars, it's clear that the food at Humble Chicken is some of the best in London. But it's also some of the most interesting, with our Inspectors picking up on the level of invention in their meals.“I am fortunate enough in my job to enjoy a lot of brilliant cooking, but there are few restaurants that have excited me quite as much Humble Chicken. Angelo Sato’s dishes bristle with creativity, with bold flavours and combinations used to brilliant effect and always succeeding, thanks to the immense craft and precision poured into their execution. I would describe the cooking as ‘Japanese-inspired’ rather than classically Japanese, with Sato playing around with dishes so that they feel entirely his own creation.”
The Dishes Tasted
Beef Tartare, Spicy Miso, Bone Marrow
“One of several snacks – all of which were exceptional – served in succession at the start of the meal, this fine, crisp tartlet was served under a dome of smoke. The finely chopped beef had such quality that delivered brilliant depth of flavour, enhanced by a little cube of deep-fried bone marrow adding further richness. Spicy miso added an interesting extra dimension.”
The shokupan (left) at Humble Chicken is far more than a bread course, while 'This Little Piggy' (right) is one of an array of brilliant snacks. © Humble Chicken/Matthew Hague
Shokupan – Australian Winter Truffle, Chicken Liver Parfait, Parsley
“This ‘bread course’ was in fact far more than a bread course. The immaculately presented, warm milk loaf was perfect: beautifully golden and shaped to tear and share. The accompanying layered butter was a terrific innovation, with truffle, chicken liver parfait and parsley all playing their part. Several other condiments all added interest, including a smooth apple purée topped with mustard seeds, pickled cucumber with a chardonnay glaze and a small, lightly dressed veal tongue salad. The array of interesting, contrasting flavours were all beautifully thought-through.”Dashi – Wild Black Seabream, Seaweed, Shiitake
“The beautiful, pure fillet of seabream was skilfully cooked, with a crisp, golden skin, and had been infused with a little ponzu jelly. The dashi broth it was served in delivered superb clarity and lovely balance in its flavour, enhancing rather than overpowering the fish. The addition of both seaweed and shiitake added plenty of umami, helping to complete an assured, complex dish with refinement to spare.”
The cheesecake at Humble Chicken is an innovative take on the classic dessert. © Humble Chicken
Cheesecake
“Served in a small dish, this modern interpretation of a cheesecake was another triumph of originality. Wafer-thin crisp tuiles were blended with a smooth, light cheesecake cream and crunchy biscuit pieces; small segments of blood orange added a lovely balance of fruitiness and acidity that cut through the creaminess; and finally, frozen clementine was shaved over the top.”Conclusion
“The biggest compliment I can pay Humble Chicken is that I didn’t want my experience to end. From start to finish, I was enraptured by the originality, detail and sheer quality that went into every dish. That it came in such a fun, energetic environment was a wonderful bonus. There are few restaurants around like Humble Chicken – and there are few with cooking quite so exceptional.”NEW City Guides:
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Hero Image: © Humble Chicken
