BINCHO Yakitori
16 Old Compton Street
London W1D 4TL
Tel: 020 7287 9111
www.bincho.co.uk

Why? This toasty hideaway is perfect for cold winter nights in Soho! As you enter the restaurant, you pass chefs labouring away to prepare dishes on traditional open charcoal grills. Bincho's website explains the chef's methods: 'In Japan, the Ganko Ojisan are the keepers of the flame...' and hey, in this weather, I want to be wherever the flame is!

When? A Tuesday evening at 8ish - the restaurant was very busy but seats were still available without reservation.

Impression: The buzzing, izakaya-like atmosphere was ideal for meeting up for a girly gossip with my friend from Japan, Sian, another ex-JET teacher.

Prices: Skewers of chicken grilled over charcoal (yakitori) start from £1.40 for two - so this is an easy place to eat as little or as much as you like. There are more substantial dishes with rice, salad etc. for £4.00-£6.00.
Like with tapas or dim sum, it is actually rather easy to get carried away and eat loads - be warned!
300ml of hot sake is £8.30, and a pint of draft Asahi is £4.00. Desserts are around £5.00, and are surprisingly good.

Service: The friendly waitresses were extremely busy, but if you look hungry enough they'll get round to you...

Description of food and drink: Starting with a little hot sake seemed to be in order.
We then had a selection of old faves - tasty skewers including Asparabacon, Buta (pork belly) and Negima (chicken and spring onion) along with the very interesting Aigamo (duck, spring onion and wasabi).

All were piping hot and suitably tasty. The unagi (eel), of which I am not particularly fond, was melt-in-your-mouth sweet and tender.

Had to include a photo of the 'Baked Chocolate' dessert - gooey goodness.

Toilets: Fine, located down the stairs.

Come again? Absolutely - I'm going call to find out about special offers. The restaurant attracts a young crowd and plenty of students, so they often have deals on Mondays such as skewers for £1.00.

Kikuchi Japanese Restaurant
14 Hanway Street
London W1P 9DD
Tel: 020 7637 7720

Why? For a Japanese-y committee meeting, so we weren't in the upstairs part of the restaurant, but rather downstairs in a private party room with typical bench style seating and cushions - quite nice.

When? Monday, July 13th 2009 at about 6.30pm. The restaurant was pretty empty when we walked through at that time. When we left several hours later, it was busy for a Monday.

Impression: Feels really traditional, right from the very genkan. Like many Japanese restaurants, it is untouched by fashion. A rack of handy free Japanese publications stands to the left as you enter the restaurant, and to the right is a brightly-lit sushi bar. We were given a hearty 'Irrashaimase' from the staff - always pleasing.

Prices: Average, for way above average food. £3 for a tiny scoop of Adzuki bean or Green tea ice cream is far, far too much though.

Service: Very pleasant female Japanese waitresses. The only minor glitch in the proceedings was the beer shortage detailed below.

Description of food and drink: We started with drinks - always the best tactic when you'll need to converse in a non-native language, I think. We were after large, 500ml bottles of beer, as often served in Japan. They didn't have those, so we ordered draught Asahi. The draft was off, so we ordered small bottles of Asahi. They didn't have any, so we had Sapporo. Which was fine - really.

A Japanese guy I hadn't met before ordered all our party's food. It's always hard to please everyone, but I was gutted about the omission of sushi/sashimi! By all accounts, Kikuchi's sushi is fantastic, and there is a dedicated sushi chef behind the sushi bar too.

What I can tell you is that it is worth visiting for the karaage fried chicken alone. It melts in your mouth. The powdery coating, drizzled lightly with lemon juice... wow! The Japanese natives even declared it better than in Japan! AMAZING.

Toilets: Unmemorable (which is good).

Come again? I have to. I must try the sushi. And order at least five portions of karaage.

Restaurant Toku
The Japan Centre
212 Piccadilly
London
W1J 9HX
0207 255 8255
www.toku-restaurant.co.uk

*Review kindly contributed by guest writer Tat-Pheng Lay

Why?
To re-unite with fellow ex-JETs who also recently returned from Japan and were missing sushi, okonomiyaki and tempura! Between us, we selected quite a variety of dishes, including Shikoku-famed Udon.

When?
February 7th, 13.00, Saturday lunchtime.

Impression:
Busy but not bustling, a good location for small groups, couples or lone diners. The restaurant has a large dining area and bar seating area, too. However, the tables in the dining area are so close together that you can’t help but feel like you are encroaching on a fellow customer’s privacy...

Prices:
Starting from around £10.50 for a standard dish with rice and miso soup. Sashimi is a lot more pricey; excellent quality but it comes a cost! Sushi prices start at £3.50 for two pieces. Remember to look out for the deal of the day priced at £9.50!

Service:
Attentive, polite staff direct customers to free tables in a efficient manner. Quick to take orders and serve dishes while still piping hot. Also served us all at the same time, impressive considering we ordered entirely different dishes.

Description of food and drink:
Amongst the most delicious dishes we ordered was the karage set and salmon don. The karage set, consisting of deep fried chicken pieces, a delicious side salad, rice and miso soup, is a satisfying choice. The salmon don is perfect for sushi and fish lovers. Premium cuts of finely sliced fish are layered on top of piping hot rice, creating a slightly cooked covering that melts in the mouth.

Toilets:
Located right at the bottom of the restaurant. And we may as well take the ‘s’ off ‘toilets’ as there was only one. Quite hygienic and not smelly, considering the number of customers who use it.

Come again?
I have eaten here on numerous occasions and have enjoyed the food on every occasion. If you want to re-create some Japanese delights in your own kitchen, be sure to visit the Japan Centre groceries shop next door. This conveniently located mini-mart is the answer to all your Japanese cooking needs and even hosts a small range of items from the infamous 100 yen store!

Hi Sushi Golders Green Tube
628 Finchley Road
Golders Green
London
NW11 7RR
020 8201 8585
http://www.hisushi.net/

*Review kindly contributed by guest writer Tat-Pheng Lay

Why? To celebrate and also mourn the departure of my close friend Solomon Papasavva who recently left the windy shores of the UK to follow his childhood sweetheart to sunny Brazil and travel ‘til his heart’s content. (True story!)

When? Thursday,15th January, 2009 at 19.00. Restaurant not yet busy.

Impression: Modern, clean, clearly refurbished interior. Visually unauthentic in terms of seeming ‘like Japan’, with exception to the plastic food dishes artistically placed on the walls. Much to my delight, the seating only creates the illusion that customers must sit cross legged at the table; fear not, there is ample leg dangling space available at all tables.

Prices: A very reasonable all-you-can-eat style menu on offer for maki sushi lovers. Priced at £14.00 for a selected list of unlimited delights. Lower priced one dish meals are also available for non-sushi eaters/vegetarians.

Service: Prompt and friendly, staff explain buffet protocol; dishes are served in a timely and efficient manner.

Description of food and drink: maki sushi and salmon sashimi are immaculately presented and tasty; miso appetiser is warm and satisfying. Vegetable tempura and pork katsu could have been tastier, but are worth a try. Prawn tempura is delicious.

Much to my disappointment, favourites such as sea urchin and salmon roe sushi are not included in the deal. However, they are available to those who are able to flash a little cash! Green tea on tap and regularly topped up without request - an excellent service.

Toilets: Did not visit. Surprising considering green tea consumption levels. However if the main dining space is anything to go by, I can only imagine toilet facilities are second to none.

Come again? Definitely. This is an affordable eatery in a relaxed venue out of the bustling centre of town. Hi Sushi also boasts spots in Zone 1, but for reduced queuing and unlimited sitting time, this branch ranks highly in my books.

Kulu Kulu Sushi
39 Thurloe Place
London SW7 2HP
Tel: 020 7589 2225

Why? I took my dad here last time he was in London visiting and he really liked trying out different dishes from the revolving kaiten belt. He requested a second visit!

When? Saturday 27th September, 5.30pm. Not busy when we arrived, but more so when we left.

Impression: Appetising dishes revolve on belt, the green tea is free. The Sri Lankan sushi chef (does anyone know why there are so many Sri Lankan sushi chefs in London?) works diligently away in the middle making fresh dishes.

Prices: The usual plating system is in operation, with plates ranging from £1.50 to £3.90. And it really is refreshing to help yourself to unlimited free green tea.

Service: Polite. The chef promply prepared my request for fresh inari. I had a nice chat with the staff about the baffling preponderance of Sri Lankans working there on the way out!

Description of food and drink: I had a hand roll that I watched the chef prepare (see photo!) – I couldn’t resist the combination of an ‘ebi fry’ (fried shrimp) with avocado. It was excellent, although possibly a bit steep at £3.90.

I adore the Nasu Miso here (aubergine in soy bean sauce). It’s so creamy.

My dad picked a green seaweed dish that I had not tried before. It was lovely and crunchy. When I asked what type of seaweed it was, none of the staff knew. I guess it comes pre-packed!

Everything else that we tried (sashimi, sushi, chicken) was pretty standard – but rather tasty and worth the price.

Toilets: OK.

Come again? Yes. This is a calm, affordable place to grab a bite at lunch or dinner time. There are also branches of the dependable chain in Soho and Covent Garden. Be aware that they close for two and a half hours in the afternoon – from about 2.45pm – 5.30pm (branches vary).

revolving - 回転
appetising - 食欲を刺激する
diligently - 勤勉に
refreshing - 新たになること
baffling - 迷うこと
preponderance - 優位
steep - 高い
standard - 正常
affordable - 安く
dependable - 信頼できる

Asakusa
265 Eversholt Street,
Camden,
London NW1 1BA
Tel: 0871 3328033

Why? Kazu absolutely loves this place. He’s been raving about the Yudebuta Ninniku Miso.

When? Friday 12th September, 9.40pm. This was the only reservation available a couple days beforehand. We stayed until 12.30pm though!

Impression: The place was really buzzing with youthful mixed-nationality groups when we arrived, rather dingy, with questionable décor. Authentic atmosphere, with Japanese menus up on the walls.

Prices: Cheap as chips! The food just kept coming, as Tanaka ordered more and more. I must admit was getting worried about the cost, especially as we had a gigantic bottle of sake too. In the end I was relived to find it was an affordable £19 per person (including the 12.5% service charge!).

Service: Erm… we did wait a full hour for our first dish to arrive! However, the waiting staff were courteous and efficient. The larger-than-life manager lady was charming.

Description of food and drink: A large bottle of Bishonen (Beautiful Boy) sake went down very well served in overflowing Masu (wooden box cups) with a pinch of salt on the rim.

Of particular note is the Sake Gashira – a salmon head with plenty of meat and a salty, crunchy underside, and the Shimesaba (vingared mackerel sashimi) boasted a melt-in-your-mouth texture. The Yudebuta Ninniku Miso dish was something I’d never tried before: soft, simmered slices of pork, to be eaten wrapped in iceberg lettuce leaves with miso paste and slivers of raw garlic. Lovely. Pleasant Shimeji Bata Yaki butter-fried mushrooms had a bitter aftertaste which I liked.

The Agedashi-doufu (pictured) was just right, creamy and flavourful. The tempura was very nice, but the seemingly microwaved-from-frozen takoyaki less so.

Toilets: Stinky. Nasty. The pale pink toilet paper perfectly matched the pale pink walls though!

Come again? Absolutely. Overall, a surprisingly wide variety of tasty dishes with a few outstanding ones. We had a really fun evening in the laid-back atmosphere. But I wouldn’t go if I was in a hurry to get served.

raving – literally: わめくこと, but meaning 非常に熱狂的に話すこと
beforehand – あらかじめ
buzzing – literally: ぶんぶんうなること, but meaning にぎやか
dingy – 薄汚い
questionable décor – 不審な装飾
authentic – 本物の
cheap as chips – (idiom イディオム) 非常に安く
erm…- エト…
larger-than-life – (idiom イディオム) 印象的で、か重大な非常に課すこと
boasted –自慢される
courteous –礼儀正しい
bitter aftertaste – 苦いあと味
seemingly - 表面上は
stinky –臭い
outstanding – 優秀