Tasting Britain got an invite down to the (recently permanent) Beers & Buns Residency above the K10 in Appold Street, Bishopsgate. A strong time was had by all. What’s it all about then? In a nutshell, it’s their take on an Izakaya (wikipedia: “a type of informal Japanese drinking establishment that serves food to accompany the drinks”), and has done rather well since it opened in February 2012. Think Asian street food and a massive selection of rare/unusual Japanese craft beers. It’s the only place in the UK where you get Hitachino Nest (owl beer!) on draught. And one of the only places you can get the Asahi Super Dry, ‘super cold’ draught (properly served at -2 degrees celsius which supposedly maintains carbonation for longer).
Asides from this, there’s a small wine selection (one of every colour, no fortifieds), plus 2 selections of sake (one served hot, one served cold). There were a few milestones here. For example, this is the first time I ever saw a soju bomb or a sake bomb, which are consumed by knocking a 25ml shot of sake into a glass of Asahi by slamming down on a metal drum/barrel (yes, there are lots of barrels around here). I like the idea of this because it involves sake/soju and doesn’t involve energy drinks or Jagermeister (which, let’s be blunt, are disgusting and do bad things for your body). We got to chat with a chill guy called Jon, who gave us their backstory. Jon’s an ex professional rugby player who kinda fell into a career in hospitality after an injury.
Second milestone? This is the first time I have ever consumed a beer made of sweet potato, which was better than I expected but not as good as I hoped. How about food? Korean style jumbo chicken wings in an array of fkn EXTREME sauces, steamed ‘hirata’ buns full of a selection of highly delicious and unhealthful fillings (the Aunbergine Katsu turned out to be the best). Also a classic/grunge rock soundtrack, retro pinball and fusball tables and black walls that everybody is encour