​​🇬🇧 London's East End Gets a Taste of High-End Kaiseki

Kokin Restaurant Review 🍣​​ Tucked away on the 7th floor of The Stratford's International Wy, Kokin brings Tokyo-style kaiseki to East London!!! 🌆 Former Hannah team + ex-UMU chef = high expectations!!! Let's see if they deliver!!! 😤 ​​📍 Location:​​ The Stratford, 20 International Wy, London E20 1FD (7th floor) ​​Vibe:​​ Modern Japanese with industrial touches - feels more trendy than traditional 🏙️ ​​🍱 Food Experience: Mixed Bag of Surprises​​ ​​🌟 Assorted Starter Platter​​ Vinegared tofu jelly: Delicate and refreshing 😋 Steamed egg with eel: Silky smooth and flavorful 🥚 No complaints here - solid start!!! ​​🔥 Deep Fried Eel Tempura​​ Biggest letdown!!! 🤦‍♀️ Compared to Maru's crispy perfection, this was greasy and sad 😩 The eel's natural fat + soggy batter = oil slick in your mouth!!! 🚫 ​​🥩 Grilled Wagyu Sukiyaki​​ Unexpected winner!!! 🥩 The wagyu slices were perfectly seared, paired with king oyster mushrooms and a rich sukiyaki sauce that wasn't cloying at all!!! 🌟 ​​🐚 Smoked Scallop Nigiri​​ Complete disaster!!! 🤢 The rice fell apart immediately - not even close to proper sushi rice!!! 😱 The overpowering smoke flavor drowned out the scallop's natural sweetness 🐚➡️😷 ​​🎨 "Sushi Made by Me" Interactive Platter​​ Fun concept!!! 🎨 Got to assemble my own nigiri with tuna tartare and salmon roe... but again, the rice ruined it 😩 The seaweed wrapper was the best part!!! 🌊 ​​💡 Honest Opinions​​ ​​Pros:​​ Creative dishes, good protein quality, fun interactive element ​​Cons:​​ Rice quality is unforgivable 🍚, overpriced for the experience, decor feels more cafe than kaiseki 💸 ​​Final Verdict:​​ Would I return? Probably not ❌ Unless they completely revamp their rice game, this won't compete with London's top Japanese spots... but the sukiyaki was delicious enough to make me hesitate!!! 😔 #LondonFoodie #KaisekiLondon #JapaneseEats #StratfordDining #SushiReview #WagyuLovers #EastLondonFood #RestaurantReview #FoodieAdventures #HighEndTakeaway