Canary Wharf, Japanese Restaurant Guide

“Nailing it every time” – Arjun Waney and Rainer Becker’s upscale Japanese-inspired operations endure on a deceptively simple formula of “great buzz… awesome food”. Centre stage are the “expertly prepared” small plates – “a lovely combination of hot and cold Japanese-fusion dishes” featuring “gorgeous sushi, sashimi and robata” (from the centrally placed grill) – that are “pricey yet exceptional”. As an offering, you could quibble that “it hasn’t really evolved” in recent years, or you could say ‘if it ain’t broke, why fix it?’

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 “surprisingly delicious and wide-ranging menu” combines sushi with yakitori skewers (the so-called ‘sticks’) at this extremely popular Japanese-inspired group, whose “bustling” branches betray the Scandi style of their Copenhagen-based owners. It’s “a perfect choice if not everyone wants sushi” (even if it’s “expensive and portions are a bit on the small side”). A tenth branch is promised in late 2022 in Westfield W12.

“Decent noodles at rock-bottom prices” means these “new, authentic, incredibly reasonably priced Japanese canteens” are “always busy”. An 800-strong global chain, it launched in London in July 2021 with a 100+ cover site just off Liverpool Street and is adding branches willy nilly, with the second half of 2022 seeing debuts in Oxford Circus, The Strand and Waterloo. “The food cannot be fresher than here: noodles are made on-site and tempura is fried just in front of you” and “they cater for both non-vegans and vegans”. Finish your meal with “unlimited ice cream, which is unexpectedly delicious too”.