Bloomsbury, Japanese Restaurant Guide

2021 Review: The promising, but hitherto under-exploited mix of Mediterranean and Japanese small plates is the crux of the menu offering at this August 2019 opening, which promises ‘a modern, day-to-night, neighbourhood restaurant and bar… complemented by a diverse variety of wines, sake and signature cocktails’.

“Quick, warm and tasty” is the verdict on Japan Centre owner Tak Tokumine’s “very busy”, “authentic ramen” noodle group, based in the West End but expanding fast via delivery-only kitchens. “The tonkotsu soup stock is a wonder” and the “side dishes are great, too”.

2018 Review: This little izakaya in the backstreets near Tottenham Court Road tube attracts a small but dedicated fan club, who say: “don’t look at the bill whatever you do, but prepare to be amazed by the food!”

2021 Review: “Top ramen with great broth and good combinations”, win fans for this genuinely Japanese chain (originating in Fukuoka), which has branches in Holborn, Embankment and Canary Wharf. Ratings, though, fall short of the top heights at the hands of those who feel its food is “not bad, but not memorable”. A fourth branch is to open in Fitzrovia in autumn 2019.

“Truly outstanding ramen” – possibly “the finest in town” – have won a major reputation among the noodle cognoscenti for his small Japan-based chain, which has branches in Covent Garden, Piccadilly and Angel. “The tasty bowls are always more filling than they seem”, and fans put up with “so-so service and a hot, cramped venue” to secure their fix. The all-important 18-hour pork bone broth was developed to a secret recipe by former racing cyclist Kazuhiro Kanada, who opened his first noodle shop in his native Kyushu in 2009. A new branch in Ealing and a delivery-only kitchen for South London were scheduled to open in late 2021.

2021 Review: “Top ramen with great broth and good combinations”, win fans for this genuinely Japanese chain (originating in Fukuoka), which has branches in Holborn, Embankment and Canary Wharf. Ratings, though, fall short of the top heights at the hands of those who feel its food is “not bad, but not memorable”. A fourth branch is to open in Fitzrovia in autumn 2019.

“The original Charlotte Street site is the best”, but, in fairness, all the branches are superb when it comes to Arjun Waney and Rainer Becker’s sleek Japanese-inspired group, where “a visit always feels like a treat: from the slick service to the buzzy atmosphere to the consistently good food”. Sushi and luxurious bites (for example black cod, yellowtail with ponzu and truffle oil), mostly from the robata grill, are the backbones of the menu. The odd report was slightly downbeat of late (“it was less good than normal, but to be fair they had just reopened post-lockdown with new staff”), but the dominant view remains that a trip is “always a lovely, fun experience” (and some regulars tip a stool at the counter as the best perches).

2019 Review: No reports yet on this early 2018 opening – a ‘contemporary Japanese’ in fairly traditional style on Fitzrovia’s ‘restaurant row’, majoring in sushi. It has a good pedigree, with a head chef formerly of Chisou (Dham Kodituwakku).

This veteran group has served up “authentic Japanese food” – “always fresh, tasty and beautifully presented” – for four decades, at its half-dozen “basic” (ignore the “tired” decor) but “extremely reliable and good-value” London diners. They “never disappoint”, with “consistently excellent sashimi and sushi, using really high-quality fish”. Venues stretch from Hammersmith via Notting Hill to Soho, Covent Garden and Holborn, while the Golders Green branch adds shabu-shabu to the menu. The group also operates Tonkotsu-ya Ramen on Bond Street. Top Tip: “miso eel is very good”.

“Quick, warm and tasty” is the verdict on Japan Centre owner Tak Tokumine’s “very busy”, “authentic ramen” noodle group, based in the West End but expanding fast via delivery-only kitchens. “The tonkotsu soup stock is a wonder” and the “side dishes are great, too”.

“Delicious steamed bao buns with great fillings” are the star turn at these “loud” and dynamic izakayas (Japanese gastropubs) in Covent Garden and Fitzrovia, backed up by raw fish and hot-stone rice dishes. The newer, bigger Fitzrovia branch, near Oxford Circus, adds a selection of Peruvian-fusion Nikkei plates. They are part of the Bone Daddies group, whose Australian founder, Ross Shonhan, departed in 2020 for pastures new in Dubai.

“Delicious steamed bao buns with great fillings” are the star turn at these “loud” and dynamic izakayas (Japanese gastropubs) in Covent Garden and Fitzrovia, backed up by raw fish and hot-stone rice dishes. The newer, bigger Fitzrovia branch, near Oxford Circus, adds a selection of Peruvian-fusion Nikkei plates. They are part of the Bone Daddies group, whose Australian founder, Ross Shonhan, departed in 2020 for pastures new in Dubai.

Formerly known as Hot Stone, and under the same ownership, this Fitzrovia site - under executive chef Padam Raj Rai - has launched this modern fusion concept using Japanese techniques, omakase-style in a tasting menu format, using "quintessential British" ingredients.