Glossy, pretty and oh so vacant Tourist guide books often note that London no longer has a high-rise rotating tower restaurant like Berlin’s TV Tower or Toronto’s CN Tower. While thankfully true, this doesn’t mean London is short of skyscraper restaurants – far from it. There are plenty of places where you’re paying more for the … Continue reading
Skewered in east London If you believe some of the more breathless reviews of Jirdori, then this Dalston restaurant is the first to serve yakitori in the capital. This, of course, is definitely not true. These grilled Japanese skewers can be found on the do-it-all menus of catch-all Japanese restaurants across the city, although there … Continue reading
Masterminded by a MasterChef Disclosure: upon asking for the bill, my fourth meal here was given free of charge by the management in light of my repeated custom. This was not asked for and was accepted out of politeness. There’s no shortage of casual Japanese restaurants in London, but Nanban is different. Although headed up by … Continue reading
Showing Ippudo and Shoryu how it’s done I’ve always considered ramen to be a cold-weather dish, as it’s so hearty and warming, so it was therefore a surprise to discover ramen restaurant Muga opening during the height of balmy June. This minimalist restaurant is spread over two floors in an unassuming premises on Panton Street and was … Continue reading
Chancery Lane vs New Malden Update 22/2/2015 – added extra comment about the weird booze at Jin Go Gae Every restaurant needs a hook (or, if you’re uncharitable, a gimmick) to stand out in London’s dizzying eating out market. Kintan claims to be the first Japanese barbecue (‘yakiniku-style’) restaurant in the capital. While technically true, as far … Continue reading
Not all of London’s Japanese pork bone broth noodle soups are created equal Londoners are experiencing a ramen revolution. This soothing noodle soup, once a hasty add-on buried in the extensive menus of some Japanese restaurants, now has several restaurants dedicated to it. Although there’s lot of joy to be had from shio and shoyu ramen, … Continue reading
An Edgware Road restaurant that isn’t Lebanese Eating at Kurobuta has, if nothing else, confirmed that I’m slowly devolving into a cantankerous old fart. Kurobuta is a modern take on the izakaya, a Japanese food pub, situated on a residential street just off Edgware Road. Originally due to open last Autumn, it was so delayed … Continue reading
Hirata buns or gua bao – by any other name they would be as sweet Updated 8/11/13 – removed incorrect information about the term ‘hirata buns’, added new background Updated 11/3/14 – fixed broken Table of Contents When a new dish or cuisine is introduced to the UK, it’s inevitably given an analogous description that’s … Continue reading
High-tech but low brow food? London’s restaurant scene is very crowded to say the least, so newcomers often need a gimmick just to get noticed. Inamo’s trick is that instead of ordering via a human waiter, you order using a computer with the screen beamed onto your table from a projector sitting above each table. … Continue reading
Sometimes smaller really is better Compared to the barren dessert of a year ago, London’s Soho is now awash with dedicated ramen restaurants – namely Ittenbari, Tonkotsu, Bone Daddies and Shoryu. The latest is Kirazu, a very small restaurant on the former site of a Lebanese cafe. Small is the key word in every sense – … Continue reading
