Kensington, Japanese - Restaurant Guide

Yasuhiro Minemo & Shinya Ikeda’s odd but “excellent” duo are over a decade old but little known, perhaps due to the “somewhat sterile” nature of the interiors: both in Kensington backstreets (“cramped seating on high stools on the bright ground floor, or in the downbeat ‘Siberia’ of the dark basement”); and in the ‘Yashin Ocean’ younger sibling in the potentially cute old Brompton Library on the fringes of South Kensington. If you like “top sushi” however, this is some of the best in town: not cheap, but without the second mortgage required at the Mayfair omakase restaurants. Top Tip – “the set lunches are top quality!”

“Assured Japanese cooking” is showcased in an “ultra-calm environment” at the first-floor restaurant of Kensington’s Japan House cultural centre, where an “interesting and varied menu” is presented with “no fuss”. “The flavours are exceptional” although the venue can seem “a bit soulless” – and it’s “fully priced”. Top Tip – “go for the Bento box”.