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Best Japanese restaurants in london


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Any views on this? I'm thinking of the more ambitious Japanese restaraunts rather than local sushi bars, e.g. Umu, Zuma, Roka etc. (I appreciate that these have differing cuisine emphases).

Ian

I go to bakeries, all day long.

There's a lack of sweetness in my life...

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Soho Japan, definitely.

Good selection of sake. The owner loves his burgundy too.

http://www.sohojapan.co.uk/

W1

Sushi Bar Toro, good value lunch bentos.

Hanover Street, off Regent's Street

W1

Japanese Canteen, good value sushi.

Centrepoint, opposite Tottenham Ct Road

W1

Aki, a little sleepier than Soho Japan.

Gray's Inn Road

WC1

Just a few off the top of my head. Eat Japan is an excellent starting point:

http://www.eat-japan.com/index.php?option=...=301&Itemid=224

Edited by Ai Leen (log)

Fresh from London. Eating as always.

http://www.artisanedibles.blogspot.com

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Yumi (110 George Street, London, W1, near Marble Arch, tel 0871 4260490) is very good but, if you go for a complex meal, breathtakingly expensive. For two (a friend who spoke Japanese to guide me) with maybe 2 bottles sake it came to nearly £300. And I left feeling a little bit peckish...

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i've been to Roka a few times, but find it a bit hit and miss, with some outstanding dishes, but some that are dull or not well executed. I have also found the same with the staff - they are either highly efficient and friendly or just plain useless. Personally, I do think there are far better places for the money.

If a man makes a statement and a woman is not around to witness it, is he still wrong?

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Sorry to thread-jack, but has anyone had recent experience of the sushi place in the basement of Mitsukoshi, that odd Japanese department store just off Picadilly Circus?

Have memories of it being very good, and there's a two-page fawning review in no less authority than the latest Big Issue that claims its the most authentic in London. But recent word-of-mouth has been pretty awful.

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I thought Roka was fantastic when i saw their stall at taste of London.

I had lunch there the other day, admittedly not a very thorough test of their menu. The quality and presentation were good, but I must admit I was expecting something a little more out of the ordinary given price/reputation, which is what prompted the question really.

Yumi sounds highly authentic - the sort of place for turning ignorant innovation tarts like me into lovers of traditional Japanese cuisine...? 150 a head though, I hope the sake was more than a fiver :biggrin:

Ian

I go to bakeries, all day long.

There's a lack of sweetness in my life...

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Kiku in Half Moon Street, Mayfair always has excellent sushi. Very traditional restaurant with very fresh seafood. Good value set lunch for £13.50 which gets you unlimited green tea, prawn and vegeatable tempura, teriyaki chicken, selection of sushi, miso soup and fruit salad

Also Sushi Hiro and Kiraku opposite Ealing common tube for excellent sushi. Service is rather cold albeit efficient at the former, and very friendly, albeit a little mad-cap sometimes at the latter.

If a man makes a statement and a woman is not around to witness it, is he still wrong?

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Kikuchi in an alleyway round the back of Tottenham Court Road station is very good. Not fancy like Defune etc but still serious and high quality. Its on the road you walk down to get to Hakkasan, but instead of turning right to get onto Hanway Place, if u continue straight along for a few more shops, you'll see it on ur right.

Cheers

Raj

Ps havent been there in a while tho.

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Sorry to thread-jack, but has anyone had recent experience of the sushi place in the basement of Mitsukoshi, that odd Japanese department store just off Picadilly Circus?

Have memories of it being very good, and there's a two-page fawning review in no less authority than the latest Big Issue that claims its the most authentic in London. But recent word-of-mouth has been pretty awful.

I often go to Yoshino Delicatessen which is in the basement of Japan Centre (I presume its the same place as the one you mention. Its all very confusing - you often see customers turned away from tills because they've brought the wrong produce to the wrong part) to get takeaway lunch.

Its reasonable and the quality is ok - nothing special but better than other places in the area.

I seem to recall that last year the Economist thought it was the best sushi in London - but this may be because its not too far from their offices... :blink:

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:biggrin: hmmmmmm just been to kobe jones

http://kobejones.sitesuite.ws/page/london.html

hmmmm nice :)

sushi was average

cocktails were good

the "No. one special" was good but over the top rich.

the volcano role and baked papaya were lovely :)

the prawn thermidor was cooked well and fresh but i didn't like it.

and a bottle of voss for £83 in all

give ti a shot if you want somewhere new to try

"so tell me how do you bone a chicken?"

"tastes so good makes you want to slap your mamma!!"

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could any of the restaurants people have (kindly!) listed here be called 'innovative', rather than 'traditional japanese cuisine well executed'? is there a 'modern japanese' idiom that means anything?

Ian

I go to bakeries, all day long.

There's a lack of sweetness in my life...

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but heck if it's not broke, don't fix it.

I was going to say 'tell that to Mr Blumethal' (or something equally idiotic) but thinking about the menu at the FD it seems he'd be in agreement :wink:

Ian

I go to bakeries, all day long.

There's a lack of sweetness in my life...

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but heck if it's not broke, don't fix it.

I was going to say 'tell that to Mr Blumethal' (or something equally idiotic) but thinking about the menu at the FD it seems he'd be in agreement :wink:

that's true FD menu never changes

I wonder if they ever gets bored cooking the same tasting menu day in day out?

but I know what you are getting at most japanese restaurants in london are pretty conservative/boring after a few visits.

hmmmm.. is there an equivalent of fat duck/ El bulli in japan?

"so tell me how do you bone a chicken?"

"tastes so good makes you want to slap your mamma!!"

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  • 2 weeks later...

Sushihiro at Ealing Common by far is the best I have tried for its quality and price. Staff is friendly. Bear in mind that this is a sushi bar (i.e. other food like noddles are are not available), if you are into sashimi, this is definitely the place!

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Sushihiro at Ealing Common by far is the best I have tried for its quality and price. Staff is friendly. Bear in mind that this is a sushi bar (i.e. other food like noddles are are not available), if you are into sashimi, this is definitely the place!

agree. it is almost intimidatingly authentic.

A meal without wine is... well, erm, what is that like?

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Very good sushi - although sometimes annoying that it is cash only as it limits you ability to go off the rails! I have a terrible habit of becoming addicted and wanting more, and there are no cash machines around the area, other than the pay-type in news agents. The only thing that I would note about this is that the menu is a little limited, and the service is often rather cold. Fantastic neggi torro hand rolls though!

If a man makes a statement and a woman is not around to witness it, is he still wrong?

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Very good sushi - although sometimes annoying that it is cash only as it limits you ability to go off the rails!  I have a terrible habit of becoming addicted and wanting more, and there are no cash machines around the area, other than the pay-type in news agents.  The only thing that I would note about this is that the menu is a little limited, and the service is often rather cold.  Fantastic neggi torro hand rolls though!

its a bit of a walk

but there a cash machine about 500 metre down the road at the tesco petrol station

i've made that walk many times after ordering too much food and not having enough cash :raz:

the service is a little on the cold side though

think its cause none of the staff are fluent in english

"so tell me how do you bone a chicken?"

"tastes so good makes you want to slap your mamma!!"

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  • 8 months later...

Does anyone have any recent experience of high-end Japanese? We are entertaining some Japanese associates in a couple of weeks that we need to impress. We are based on Holborn Viaduct so City/West End would be accessible by cab.

Time Out 2007 suggests a few near Green Park - Miyama, Nobu Berkeley St, Umu. Also Roka (mentioned above), but I wonder if this would be too innovative for Japanese lawyers...

Any guidance gratefully received.

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We are entertaining some Japanese associates in a couple of weeks that we need to impress. 

If you are trying to impress Japanese associates, why take them to a Japanese restaurant here when there's plenty of these in Japan ? What about l'Atelier ?

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Good point, had thought of that but my assumption having seen a number of Japanese lawyers at various international conferences over the years is that they tend to be quite conservative about food. Probably no more so than the equivalent conservative section of the UK (don't want to racially stereotype - don't shoot me...).

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Miyama and Kiku in Mayfair are certainly fairly traditional and have excellent quality fish - a lot of japanese busines men frequent these places.

If a man makes a statement and a woman is not around to witness it, is he still wrong?

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