Aerated monkfish-liver terrine, drizzled with spruce oil and beechnuts. Enoki mushroom stem layered with venison lardo (cured fat). Toyama shiro-ebi shrimp on toasted °ì¨­Âá¾± cake, served with fermented wild beach roses ... There¡¯s no mistaking where these starters are being served. At Inua, the cuisine is as unique and distinct as a fingerprint.

When it first opened in June last year, everything about Inua was new and exciting, not just the menu. The mysterious ninth-floor location atop an office building; the beautiful Scandinavia-meets-Japan dining room; indeed, the very concept of sourcing premium Japanese ingredients and giving them the Nordic treatment.

Amazingly, a year and a half in, Inua still feels just as innovative, especially the remarkable range of dishes emanating from head chef Thomas Frebel¡¯s test kitchen and onto his menu. What has changed, inevitably, is that it no longer feels so experimental. There is a strength and confidence about his cooking now that reflects the long weeks of experience.