Contemporary Japanese Cuisine.
Kibou opened in Oxford last summer, and my visit was well overdue.
Located on Little Clarendon Street, Kibou serves contemporary Japanese food and drink. When you enter the restaurant, the first thing that will catch your eye is the pretty interiors, which include murals, print textiles, and floral elements that resemble cherry blossoms. I recently went down to check out their spring menu, so let’s get into it.
It would be rude not to start with a cocktail.
There are quite a few options, so making a choice took some time, but in the end we went for the ‘Kibou No.2’ and ‘White Negroni.’
Kibou No.2 – stunning
Firstly, the glass and presentation of this were both beautiful, and the drink itself tasted as good as it looked (which is all you can ever hope for). I am all about a gin-based cocktail, and the balance of flavours here was stunning – no notes.
White Negroni – hit the spot
This was so tasty, and I would order this again as someone who is not a Negroni fan (no judgment, please). It was well-balanced, refreshing, and had just the right hint of sweetness.
Overall, STUNNING cocktails!
Time for the food!
Here is a list of everything we ordered before I delve into it:
- Edamame with chilli oil
- Dynamite prawns
- Truffle teriyaki beef sirloin Tokusen plate
- Chicken teriyaki bao bun
- Ebi Yukari uramaki
- Bluefin tuna chutoro uramaki
I must start by saying that the menu has A LOT of options, and making up our minds took ages, but the staff really helped with their knowledge and suggestions, so this sped up our decision making.
There were so many incredible flavours across these dishes.
The chilli oil with edamame was incredible – I am a sucker for chilli oil and this was so good. Could have had two bowls of this!
We really enjoyed the dynamite prawns, which were tempura-coated with miso sweet chilli sauce. The tempura was nice and crispy. The combination of spice and zest was just right – I would definitely order these again.
Time for the truffle teriyaki beef sirloin Tokusen plate
Tokusen is a Japanese term that translates to ‘special selection’ or ‘premium’
Naturally as a beef lover, I went for the sirloin tokusen. The beef was tougher than I was expecting, and whilst the pickled shimeji mushroom on top added a nice layer of flavour, as soon as it started to cool down, it meant the beef became even more chewy.
Bao Buns and Sushi
Had to give one of the bao buns a go, and I am a sucker for chicken teriyaki. I found this a little plain, and it wasn’t my favourite.
Both sushi dishes were well prepared. The Ebi Yukari, which is prawn tempura with the sriracha mayo and red amaranth, was a lush burst of flavours in the mouth- yum!
The bluefin tuna was super fresh- we ended up ordering a second portion. That should say enough.
My fave course – dessert time!!
Tarts were the way to go for dessert this time.
We went for the Shichimi chocolate tart and Yuzu tart.
Simply lovely
The yuzu tart was INCREDIBLE. So refreshing, very light on the palate with the right zesty balance, and the light airy meringue on top was the cherry on top. This gets a big fat yes from me.
Rich and decadent.
The chocolate tart was a real treat. I completely forgot about the chilli powder element to this dish, which I did feel hit the back of my throat, but it was a clever addition to take the dish to another level.
Both were delish, but the yuzu tart stole the show.
Thanks for a great evening!
Overall, this is a spot that gives me date night vibes. Great food, innovative cocktails, and solid atmosphere. It is not the cheapest spot, but perfect for a date night or a celebration. They have a set menu which sounds really good – would love to give this a try.
Service was great throughout the night. The staff were very professional, friendly, and helpful with recommendations.
A lovely treat! And I’m still thinking about that Yuzu tart…
Kibou Oxford
11-12 Little Clarendon St, Oxford OX1 2HP
Bitten were invited as guests, all views are our own
I do love Kibou as a treat meal option, but the Japanese elements are often not great.
Last time we went the person who greeted us completely mispronounced the name (they said ‘Kee-bo’ when it should be Ki-booh) – it’s an actual word, so they should be getting that right.
Many of the dishes are not accurately Japanese, too – vegetable tempura should be served with soy, not spicy mayo; karaage is more commonly served with plain mayo or soy/vinegar/mirin sauces, not spicy mayo (I don’t think I’ve ever seen spicy mayo in Japan). Also, dynamite anything isn’t a thing there, regardless of how delicious it is! I would be much happier of they billed themselves (more accurately) as an east-Asian fusion restaurant, as that would be less disappointing if you’re expecting/hoping for Japanese food.