Tokyo Diner

[Hearno]

Went to the Tokyo Diner, in Newport Place, on Saturday night after seemingly endless recommendations from friends.

I was disappointed, if truth be told. I loved the dress down decor and simplicity of the place. The atmosphere was buzzing and the service exemplary.

But the food wasn't great. After opting for a Bento box, I found almost all the compartments disagreeable - even the sticky rice wasn't great. The generic, tasteless salmon sushi seemed like a mere afterthought, while the deep-fried chicken escalope which came with it was terrifyingly similar to that of a McChicken sandwich. The salty, bitter seaweed verged on the offensive, and even the pickled vegetables lacked the vibrant piquancy you would normally expect.

My girlfriend's meal - a Katsu curry - was a bland disaster, frankly, although perhaps that's what you get for ordering a curry in a Japanese restaurant.

Is it me? Everybody seems to rave about the place, but evidently I have completely missed the point...

[ermintrude]

I wasn't keen either when I went there.

[Jon Tseng]

Never heard anyone raving about that place before. Its one of the random Japanese places in Soho like Ikkyu which have been going for years right?

Generally standard in Chinatown isn't great - its too orientated to the boozy Leicester Square crowd. If you want decent Japanese diner in the West End your best bet is hiking up to Soho Japan near Oxford Circus.

J

[Hearno]

My friends did, but then I would place too much on their knowledge. Apparently it has been going for years, bit of an institution by all accounts.

It did seem to be catering for the drinkers - a carbo-load before a night of the booze. Shame, really.

Thanks for the recommendation, will try it out.

[PS]

It was okay last time I went there with a HK chinese friend who said it compared favourably with the lower end japanese places in HK. It was never spectacular, however, and that last visit was 10 years ago...