Forget the air fare – if you want a quick fix of slick Japanese izakaya-style dining and drinks, then head to
Seven Lucky Gods at Wapping Wharf, writes Rosanna Spence.
I’m not usually a religious person, but I have been known to worship at the altar of Seven Lucky Gods on more than one occasion. The converted shipping container in Wapping Wharf – which opened in the Spring of 2019 – is my temple. I can honestly say, hand on heart, that eating the Sichuan fried cauliflower (rich with chilli oil, soft with sesame and crunchy with nuts) is nothing short of a spiritual experience.
Authentic izakaya-style dining has been on my bucket list ever since the chef, author and TV presenter, AKA our lord and saviour, Anthony Bourdain graced a bunch of venues around Tokyo in an episode of his epic travel series Parts Unknown. The mid 2010s saw a flurry of these casual Japanese-inspired bars serving decent grub – the country’s idiosyncratic vision of a pub – popping up in the UK, mainly in the capital. I’ve frequented many of them over the years, but nothing comes close to what I imagine the real deal is than Bristol’s own Seven Lucky Gods. (Plus, the last time I checked flights to Tokyo from Bristol, they ranged between £600-£700… it’s safe to say I’ll stick to a local haunt for now.)
L-R: strawberry & jasmine and mandarin & ginger cocktails, Sichuan fried cauliflower
The eatery – which serves a mix of east Asian flavours from sushi and sashimi to Korean-fried chicken, koji-marinated onglet, deep fried bao and lunchtime bento boxes among other delectable dishes – gets its name from Japanese mythology. The Seven Lucky Gods didn’t mess around when it came to their title; they’re believed to grant good luck, and two of them look after – among other things – ‘plenitude and abundance in crops, cereals and food in general’, as well as being the ‘patron of cooks, farmers and a protector of crops’. One is even dutifully patron of barmen – as well as being the god of popularity.
Though there are some great Japanese-inspired joints dotted around the city (let’s nod to Lonely Mouth, Tomo no Ramen, Tonkotsu and KIBOU here), it seems these gods of good fortune have certainly been smiling down on Wapping Wharf – Seven Lucky Gods has been truly savoured from the very beginning. At first, I struggled many times to get a table when it originally opened, then again when its doors and heated terrace reopened following lockdown.
As much as the venue is rammed with people, the food and drink menus are packed with goodies; yet there’s also an air of reverence, with evocative quotes alongside the snacks and drinks, including, “And like a falling thunder./ Like a heavenly sword./ Those cast aside fought back/ for honour.” Well, it seemed all that was left to do was to order food. Lots of it. For honour.
Left: King scallop and roast pork belly salad
We started as all good meals should: with two cocktails. Neither my dinner guest or I fancied anything too sweet, and were recommended the ‘mandarin & ginger’, mixed with Monkey Shoulder (a favourite whisky of mine), and the ‘strawberry & jasmine’ mixed with Tokubetsu Honjozo Sake – our server’s promise was correct that the latter sounded sweeter than it was. A touch of citric acid and smooth sake meant a clean, short finish despite being honeyed on the nose.
Above: L-R: hispi cabbage and Korean fried chicken; Deep fried bao
The menu is split into sections (all small plates, you can choose as many as you like and can add more as you go depending on your appetite): sushi/sashimi, crisp/crunchy, salads/veg and robata charcoal grill. We ordered the Korean-inspired charred hispi cabbage with coffee-Dijon dressing banchan and sesame; spicy Korean fried chicken with sesame and spring onion; kimchi fries with Kewpie sauce and furikake; the aforementioned Sichuan fried cauliflower with chilli oil, sesame and nuts; and SLG BBQ salad with barbecue king scallop, roast pork belly, pineapple, fish sauce vinaigrette, mint, coriander and chilli.
The trick is to mix up some of the saltier, richer fried food with fresh veg and salad snacks abundant with citrusy, sharper flavours that cut through and balance your palate. We finished by sharing a deep fried bao stuffed with pistachio ice cream, drizzled in chocolate sauce and dusted with cinnamon sugar, a little like a churro, and shared a sweeter cocktail of ‘yuzu & white chocolate’ mixed with East London Vodka.
The space has a rustic, pared back feel but is bright with buzzing chatter and neon lights. You can see straight into the kitchen – which on our visit was an all-female chef team, always nice to see (no offence, gents). Seven Lucky Gods fits the bill whether you’re headed out for after-work co-worker chats over bar snacks and Japanese whisky highballs, or want a more traditional dining experience with friends and loved ones. If you ignore its M-Shed and harbourside neighbours, you could imagine you’re in the centre of Tokyo about to carry on to a nearby karaoke bar. Unfortunately, I had to call it a night and head home – I had a review to write.
7luckygods.com | Unit 26, Cargo 2, Museum Street, Wapping Wharf, BS1 6WE
