Fumiko-A grand new experience in Japanese Cuisine.

The Havering Daily’s Charlie Keeble went to review a new restaurant in Hornchurch Town Centre. Having enjoyed his previous food writing job at DiNapoli, he is now venturing out across the borough to try new food experiences! His latest dining experience is Fumiko, a Japanese cuisine restaurant and bar. Konnichiwa to Havering.

On my approach to Fumiko I saw it’s smart entrance with a painting of a Japanese geisha on the wall. This was amarvellous front for the venue and it looked very inviting to me. I went in and was greeted by the owners Mamoon and Galina, and they were very nice and charming. The rest of the staff were very friendly and helpful to me and they made me feel very welcome. Mamoon had been embracing and working in Japanese restaurants for 19 years and this is now his own crowning glory.

The hosts showed me around the dining room and I was amazed by the décor and the style of the interior. There is a cocktail bar on the ground floor serving a variety of drinks. I looked at the drinks menu and saw that they had a wide selection of Japanese inspired drinks including Sake (rice wine), Japanese whiskey and Japanese beers. The cocktails looked amazing as I watched them being served with all these marvellous colours. 

The menu declares that Fumiko has been inspired by the Land of Cherry Blossoms and Samurais, which is reflected in the décor of the upstairs dining room. It has velvety beautiful colours that transport you to a Japanese garden with subtle lighting and gentle tones. The walls were decorated with pink and white fake flowers that complimented the atmosphere of the place. I sat at a table that had a mural of Japanese pagodas lining the entire length of the wall. Looking at it made me feel very much closer to a place of serenity, which is consistent with the hospitality of Japan as they like to retreat into their own zen. I found my zen in this place to be very enlightening for my senses.

Zen is a word from Southeast Asian nations to describe being“fully awakened to your original nature in the present moment”. It’s associated with a form of Buddhism to be right here, right now and it was introduced to Japan in the 12thcentury. I have known about Zen from my own interests in Japanese culture where I have heard about it from reading about archery which I play as a sport. At Fumiko I felt really awakened in my own unique way. 

As for the food I tried three different dishes in order to sample as many flavours as I could. This was going to be a completely new type of dining experience for me. My host Galina was very helpful to me and recommended some suggestions from the menus for a newcomer to Japanese culture. 

I went for the beer and I had a light dry ale called Kirin Ichiban, which is a Japanese style pilsner. I took it withtoasted my hosts with “Kampail” (Japanese word for cheers) and was really nice. You should try it for it’s savoury taste makes a good first drink that introduces you to a light flavour of Japan’s beverage industry.    

I had Chicken Gyoza Dumplings with Gyoza dipping sauce. I got rather excited seeing them that I spilt some of the dipping sauce on my table. The chicken was nice and tenderly wrapped and presented with perfection. I reckon my excitement got perhaps a bit too much seeing that food the way it was. I could probably have taken the time beforehand to learn how to use chopsticks, but being that I am good tourist I handled them and ate well. 

Next I moved into Medley Tempura which consists of a mix of lightly battered shrimp (prawns) and vegetables with tempura dipping sauce. The batter was not too oily or crunchyand the tempura was warm and lushly exquisite. This was the first meal I ever had in my life where all the vegetables where fried in batter. They really do aim to please you here. 

The next item I tried was going to be a sweet treat pudding. For dessert I went for something completely new and tried a traditional Japanese sweet treat called Mochi. It’s a rice cake with a sugar shell and filled with ice cream. It tasted really nice and you order it from a selection of four flavours. I went for vanilla and green tea mochi and they were amazing.

Charlie with Fumiko owners Galina and Mamoon.

Coming to Fumiko was an exploration of new dining experience for me. I don’t usually eat out at Japanese restaurants despite being a lover of Japanese culture. But I did learn some interesting things about the food and drink here. The sake drink is derived from polished rice, water, yeast and koji, which I must try the next time I visit. Although the most famous Japanese food is sushi and uncooked Mamoon and Galina pointed out to me that is not cuisine for proper dining, it’s mainly a snacking food. The main food you want to try for actual Japanese cuisine is served portions of fried fish, lambcutlets, pork belly, tofu and sides of miso soup, udon noodles and steamed rice. About 60% of the items on the menu are cooked. The prices for these foods are slightly cheaper than most other Japanese restaurants in Hornchurch. 

Overall I would say that this is a grand dining place for Havering and I am glad to have come to see it. I will recommend to our followers and readers that you must try this place for the experience of Japanese culture and food. In thatproverb they have in Japan “Experience the beauties of nature, and in doing so learn about yourself” I can paraphrase that to sum up Fumiko with “Experience the beauty of this place, and in doing so learn a new passion for Japanese culture”. 

Fumiko Website

Stay up to date with all of our latest updates and content by following us on our social media accounts!

We have created community pages where we will share our up-to-date stories happening in the area. Add the area closest to where you live.

Support Local Journalism
We at The Havering Daily appreciate your support of quality journalism. Your generous donation, no matter the size, allows us to continue bringing unbiased and informative news to the community. Your contribution helps us maintain our independence and allows us to continue providing high-quality journalism. Thank you for valuing the work we do and for supporting our mission

Thank you