The thing about Kabuki is that it never tries too hard. It doesn’t need to. A Michelin star helps, of course, but the real charm is the quiet swagger — the kind that comes from knowing your fish is immaculate and your knives are sharp. It made the perfect stage for Howard’s Folly’s latest dinner, hosted by Howard himself, who arrived with the relaxed confidence of a man who has poured more wine than most people have drunk.
Guests — a mix of Howard’s Folly club members and Kabuki regulars — gathered first at the Kikubari Bar, where the evening began with wasabi popcorn, dried fruits, and crispy cod. A sort of Portuguese‑Japanese aperitivo that shouldn’t work but absolutely does, especially when washed down with HF Sonhador Rosé 2024, which behaved exactly as a welcome drink should: bright, charming, and bringing a certain brightness to miserable weather outside.
From there, the procession of dishes began. Kabuki sent out a trio of small bites — maguro koroke, a mussel wearing hollandaise like a silk robe, and a katsusandu that disappeared extraordinarily quickly from every plate. HF Sonhador Branco 2024 kept pace, all citrus and clean lines.
Sashimi followed: white fish, tuna, salmon, oyster. The classics, but handled with Kabuki’s usual precision — no theatrics, just purity. HF Alvarinho 2024 stepped in with its mineral backbone and quiet confidence, the sort of pairing that makes you nod to yourself without realising you’re doing it.
A fish gyoza arrived next, delicate and comforting, the culinary equivalent of someone placing a warm hand on your shoulder. HF Reserva Branco 2022 — structured, serious, but not self‑important — matched it beautifully.
Then came the sushi course, which felt like Kabuki showing off a little, and rightly so. Flamed fatty tuna, chutoro with Dijon, Galician beef with chimichurri, Atlantic tuna with negui shoga, and a chu maki for good measure. A line‑up with enough personality to start its own band. HF Castelão 2023 handled the chaos with admirable composure, its freshness cutting through the richness like a well‑timed punchline.
The unadon — eel, truffle, mushrooms — was the moment the room collectively slowed down. Rich, aromatic, slightly decadent. HF Cristina 2019 rose to the occasion, deep and resonant, it showed spectacularly and keeps getting better and better.
Dessert was a Mochi Biscoff, playful and comforting, paired with Carcavelos 1995, which reminded everyone that age, when handled well, is a very good thing indeed.
By the end of the night, the tables had dissolved into easy conversation, the kind that only happens when the food is excellent, the wine is flowing, and no one is trying too hard to impress anyone else. It felt less like an event and more like a gathering of people who simply enjoy being around good things — good wine, good cooking, good company.
A success, in other words. The kind we’ll happily repeat.
