Nine Elms, Japanese Restaurant Guide

“Tasty, good-value noodles” in a “relaxed environment” make this 12-year-old London chain (14 branches, plus Brighton and Brum) “worth a visit”. The “ramen is deep and fabulous” if “limited in range (no fish-based dishes except prawn)”, and is augmented by “quite acceptable katsu curry”. Aficionados should head to the Haggerston branch to watch the noodles being made.

Near the new American Embassy in Nine Elms, this modern izakaya opened in September 2022 and is the creation of Singapore-born Lynus Lim (ex-The Laughing Heart) and Chase Lovecky (formerly of The Clove Club). Foodwise, it’s a bit of a mashup, aiming to ‘highlight Japanese cookery techniques whilst engaging the micro-seasonality of produce from the British Isles’. Most reports say the result is “a super newcomer with really enjoyable food showing great balance of flavours and representing value for money”. On the downside, there’s the occasional view that “though good it’s been very hyped up and some dishes work better than others (a bit overcomplicated)”.