The 24 best Japanese restaurants in London
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With new Japanese restaurants popping up on every corner in London, it is no easy feat to decide which one to book. This is especially true when izakaya, sushi bars, shabu-shabu, robata grills and more are all on offer in the capital. Here we've rounded up the 24 best Japanese restaurants in London.
1. Sushi Kanesaka at 45 Park Lane
Japanese omakase is having its moment in London, and Sushi Kanesaka is the latest and most exciting addition to this culinary love affair. Hailing from Tokyo’s bustling Ginza district, chef Shinji Kanesaka has brought his Japanese roots and Edomae sushi style, a technique where fish is cured to let its true flavours shine, to Mayfair’s 45 Park Lane. The restaurant, a striking contrast to the dimly lit Art Deco interiors of London’s famed hotel, respectfully showcases the elegance and simplicity of traditional Japanese architecture and hospitality. A geisha greets you by the Noren curtains, unveiling the floor-to-ceiling cedar wood designs. It continues in each private dining room and culminates in the nine-seat room, where a single-carved rare hinoki wood counter steals the spotlight. The chefs, all from different parts of Japan, exude their passion for their homeland as they delicately dance the art of sushi making right in front of you. In the 90-minute experience, the chefs prepare 18 courses with ingredients carefully picked and flown in almost daily from across Europe and Asia.
Omakase loosely translates to “chef's choice", meaning whatever is served will likely be at its prime. We started with shredded Cornish crab with soy sauce jelly and Beluga caviar, followed by lashings of nigiri. From fatty tuna and shiromi (white fish) from Spain to squid from Portugal, each piece is delicately brushed with soy sauce and a dainty portion of fresh wasabi. Slices of grilled Kobe beef, steamed abalone, silky chawanmushi and fried Scottish lobster, to name a few, weaves its way through the course to provide a delightful contrast and to cut through the richness. Seasonal Japanese fruits capped off the night – a plate in summer featured sweet and juicy Miyazaki mangoes and Crown melons. There are also two things Japan does right: sake and whisky, and Sushi Kanesaka’s rich selection equally lives up to this reputation. Opt for an iced Ocha green tea for a non-alcoholic option. Zahra Surya Darma
Price: ££££
Address: Sushi Kanesaka, 45 Park Ln, London W1K 1PN
Website: dorchestercollection.com/45-park-lane/sushi-kanesaka
Koray Firat2. The Aubrey at Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park
London is not shy of a dashing hotel restaurant – but even by the city’s tippity-top standards, The Aubrey at Mandarin Oriental’s Hyde Park outpost is exceptionally glossy. The low-lit, sexy dining room is tailormade for discreet suppers and cash-splashing special occasions, where you might order an A4 Kagoshima Wag yu Sando to start and follow it up, all guns blazing, with Alaskan king crab leg or a platter of sashimi piled high with scallops, salmon, and eel. What pushes this spot ahead of the crowd, though, is the secret bar set within the restaurant. Seating just six, this is the place for a one-of-a-kind omakase cocktail experience. Omakase translates in English to “I’ll leave it up to you”, and the concept here is flipped from food to drinks. Bar director Pietro Rizzo takes eager drinkers through the gauntlet of Japanese spirits and drinking styles, educating them on umeshu, shochu, and sake. Drinks are created in front of you, to your preference – you might just discover a new favourite tipple here. The team serves bar snacks perfectly paired to the flavour profile of each round of drinks – but don’t let that put you off staying for supper after in the main dining room. You’ll leave feeling like you’ve just been let in on one of London’s last great secrets. Sarah James
Price: ££££
Address: The Aubrey, 66 Knightsbridge, London SW1X 7LA
Website: mandarinoriental.com
3. Taku
It’s difficult to find something unassuming in Mayfair, but TAKU manages just that as we walk past the restaurant entrance twice before finding our way inside. We’re led to a small, intimate chef’s counter, where staff enthusiastically greet us. The interiors are simple yet elegant, letting the menu speak for itself. Each dish is painstakingly perfect and surprisingly local – whether lobster from Scotland or squid from Cornwall – the furthest-flung piece of fish was bluefin tuna hailing from Spain. We kick the evening off with an effervescent glass of champagne that sees us through the array of starters, my favourite being their newest addition to welcome Autumn. The flavours are a masterful combination of eathy mushrooms paired with caviar and tartare comprised of tuna loin and belly. I’ve never tasted a dish embodying a season so perfectly. We make it to the main event – the sushi, overseen by Chef John. The rice and the fish temperature is carefully monitored and hand-rolled so you can eat immediately to ensure the optimum flavour. There’s even an art to picking up sushi – use your fingers, specifically your thumb and middle finger, to pick up the sushi, while your pointer finger sits at the front to help flip the piece of sushi so that the fish is the first thing you taste. Needless to say, this was the best sushi I’ve ever tasted, and some might find the atmosphere serious, but I found the focus on tradition inspiring. Amber Port
Price: ££££
Address: Ground Floor, 36 Albemarle St, London W1S 4JE
Website: takumayfair.com
4. Humble Chicken
With an L-shaped countertop table framing the chef's open kitchen, dinner is equally a theatre performance as well as a super special dining experience. Admire the chefs flurry around prepping each of the intricate dishes from the 13-course tasting menu as you begin by sipping the first sake pairing of the evening. Admire head chef Sato, who is half-German, half-Japanese, and his team grate wasabi, sear beef, slice bright pink fresh tuna and place delicate garnishes with tweezers on beautifully crafted Japanese small plates with a slight European twist. Snacks of fried ‘Chicken Nanban’ are served on a bed of moss in a wicker basket, followed by ‘This Little Piggy’ bao buns – a house favourite which remains on the seasonal menu. Plates grow in size as you make your way through the menu. Choose your green tea before wrapping up with the sweet section – a deconstructed cheesecake covered in frozen grated strawberries and a little pot of savoury flavoured mouse. Sophie Knight
Price: £££
Address: 54 Frith St, London W1D 4SJ
Website: humblechickenuk.com
5. JUNO Omakase
Hidden in a tiny corner in the upstairs of ever-popular, ever-colourful Los Mochis is JUNO Omakase, a tiny six-seater space that's as serene as a spa, making for a fantastic juxtaposition that'll have you intrigued from the get-go. The surprises keep coming during this 15-course Omakase menu, where even the chefs don't know what they'll be serving until their produce is delivered that day. We were served a beautifully fresh tuna hand-roll, a moreish wagyu beef nigiri, topped with blow-torched bone marrow, and even a bump of caviar – all finished with a wonderfully creamy matcha tiramisu and paired with various glasses of sake.
In an interesting twist, all dishes are gluten- and nut-free, making this an inclusive option for many diners; and since there are so few of them at any one time, chances are you'll end up making friends with those sat next to you, or discussing ingredients in-depth with the head chef and sushi chef. We talk a lot about a good dinner being an experience, but nowhere is that truer than at JUNO, where you're so immersed in the moment that it almost feels like a shock to re-enter the world on your way out. Abigail Malbon
Price: ££££
Address: 2-4 Farmer St, London W8 7SN
Website: losmochis.co.uk/nh/juno-omakase
6. Sushisamba
Sushisamba made a name for itself thanks to its top-tier sushi, elaborate decor and sky high dining experience. There are two outposts in London with menus that combine flavours from Japan, Brazil and Peru: dine 39 floors up in Heron Tower with bird’s-eye views over London – the ultimate celebration and date spot – or in the Covent Garden restaurant for a more relaxed dinner. Sip on crafted cocktails and watch while the chefs cook charcoal anticuchos (Peruvian skewers) on an open fire and handcraft sushi rolls in front of you. Share a few plates between the group: our favourites were the succulent wagyu gyozas, rich salmon ceviche and the soft pork belly skewer coated with butterscotch miso and a side of sweet Peruvian corn. As for sushi rolls, be sure to order the popular Samba London packed with fresh tuna, salmon and hamachi. If you don’t fancy sharing, there are large plates of T-bone steak and black cod, or for an extra special occasion order the Japanese Kobe and wagyu beef ishiyaki – Sushisamba is one of the few restaurants in the word to serve Kobe. Sophie Knight
Price: £££
Address: Sushisamba, 10 Broadway Market Mews, London E8 4TS
Website: sushisamba.com
Steven Joyce7. Mayha
Blink and you’ll miss the dark, unobtrusive frontage of Mayha, which slyly melts into the gentlemen’s outfitters and antiques shops of its quiet Marylebone streetscape. But inside lurks a two-storey theatrical and experiential omakase. Born in blousy Beirut and new to London this year, this is only the second outpost in the world for Mayha, which was created by Lebanese restaurateurs and suppliers Nothing But Love. Mayha Marylebone is small, performative, celebratory, playful – and perfectly formed. The tasting-menu action happens over a curved counter upstairs, where the walls are black, and overhead is suspended a glittering, Lebanon-made light installation that twinkles across the ceiling like a branch bursting with white blossom in a Japanese spring. Nods to Lebanon – amidst the homage to Japan – are winkingly insinuated throughout, from the zaatar dusting the nori on the stone bass in the bar, to the interiors, by Beirut’s Mariagroup. For the lovely tasting menu, head chef Jurek Wasio, Warsaw born, works his magic to a small and adoring international foodie crowd alongside Fukuoka-born Yuichi Nakaya. They are colleagues of yore from Mayha Beirut and clearly relaxed old hands working in harmony. The counter seats 11 lucky diners (five couples and one keen-bean gourmet singleton?) who are in for a treat of degustation paired with fine sakes, including sparkling and dessert sakes, and calm, frictionless service. The spirit of the omakase is respected at Mayha – in other words, everything is in the hands of the chef. The daily menu unfolds over about an hour and a half and is rooted in what’s most fresh and available. We start out with their signature black-tofu hummus – framing, with purple basil, a golden pool of olive oil, and scooped up with wafts of sushi-rice wafers – then segue into a memorable presentation of nigiri. Each palm-moulded bed of fragrant rice is draped with a glorious freshness of fish, from stone bass, to sake soy bluefin akami, and langoustine (“I lifted it out of its shell and popped it straight on here,” says Wasio, with a little glint). Downstairs is a newer, tiny, lower-ground-floor Japanese raw bar for six, which leads into a little alfresco courtyard. A concise, five-course raw menu is on offer in the bar, too (and a short a la carte menu). The former is largely raw, with dishes such as scallop crudo paired with a sake-based Martini. Or try their other delicious creations like the Goose Spritz (gooseberries, elderflower and champagne) and watch them being studiously prepared by a pair of meticulous, fresh-faced bartenders rattling their shakers in unison. Lydia Bell
Price: ££££
Address: Mayha, 43 Chiltern Street, London W1U 6LS
Website: mayhalondon.com
8. Hannah
It may sound strange to go to a Japanese restaurant and order fish and chips, but therein lies the delicious adventure that is Hannah. While at lunchtime you can order a bento box of greatest hits (sushi, tempura, wagyu), it’s the evening omakase menu that gives chef and owner Daisuke Shimoyama the opportunity to shine. Omakase translates to ‘I’ll leave it up to you’, and Shimoyama’s fish and chips dish is just one of the ways he dazzles. Swap a view of the staid decor for a seat at the bar to watch him in action – he previously worked at Michelin two-starred Mayfair restaurant UMU and is one of the few chefs trained to prepare the potentially deadly puffer fish. Seafood is a standout, particularly the pillowy pieces of sea bass, plucked straight from the Cornish coast and charcoal- grilled until the skin is crunchy-crisp. Presentation is equally considered, with an assortment of sushi served on a stone surrounded by a sort of mini Zen garden. Then there’s the fish and chips: delicate tempura monkfish that’s crispy on the outside and slightly raw on the inside, wispy purple potato and vinegar crisps and a scattering of smoked caviar, everything balancing on a black tree branch. Take it all in with a glass of sake to match – Shimoyama is also a certified sommelier, and there’s an extensive collection of both sake and wine on offer.
Price: £££
Address: Southbank Riverside, Belvedere Road, London SE1 7PB
Website: hannahrestaurant.london9. Jin Kichi
Dark and tiny with tiled floors and tables packed together, this family-run restaurant was once one of Hampstead’s best-kept secrets. Then word got out about their spicy tuna rolls, sticky yakitori and hot sake, and it’s now impossible to get a mid-week table without booking. The long menu caters to both sushi fans and those who prefer treats from the grill: mackerel with salt, teriyaki salmon, and sea bream. However, their speciality lies in the myriad choice of skewers which include everything from duck with spring onion, and quail eggs with yakitori sauce, to chicken gizzard with salt, ox tongue, and sweet lamb shoulder. Delicious.
Price: ££
Address: Jin Kichi, 73 Heath Street, London NW3 6UG
Website: jinkichi.com
10. Tonkotsu
This is a reliable independent chain with branches in Soho, Haggerston, Notting Hill and Bankside among others, and stumbling into one of its steaming restaurants doesn’t disappoint. Watching the inviting pots of noodles bubbling away as you queue at the original Dean Street outpost will have you salivating. There’s traditional tonkotsu, of course – a rich pork broth enriched with lardo and slices of sweet pork belly – but for something lighter, the umami miso ramen with bobbing shiitake, enoki and shimeji mushrooms is a winner – and a strong veggie alternative. Whatever the order, be sure to use liberal amounts of the homemade Eat the Bits chilli oil.
Price: ££
Address: 63 Dean Street, London W1D 4QG
Other locations: Soho, Haggerston, Notting Hill and Bankside
Website: tonkotsu.co.uk11. Eat Tokyo
Best for: a cheap and cheerful feed
Dish to order: Bento boxThe constant queue outside the Old Compton Street branch of this popular Japanese canteen pays testament to the affordable food inside. Don’t be put off by the lengthy menu: reasonably priced sushi is whipped up at the counter, bento boxes are stacked high and ludicrously large plates of piping-hot katsu curry come flying out of the kitchen. The perfect spot for lunch (if you can get in) or a pre-pay day supper.
Price: £
Address: 16 Old Compton Street, London W1D 4TL
Other locations: Covent Garden, Notting Hill, Holborn and Hammersmith
Website: eattokyo.co.uk
12. Zuma
Ferraris growl by the doors on a Monday night, the smell of Clive Christian drifts by the bar, and women with shiny nails have chairs for their handbags. Founded by chef Rainer Becker over 20 years ago, it’s a testament to the fabulous food and cocktails that have kept Zuma at the top of its game. In traditional izakaya style, dishes are brought in succession throughout the meal, ranging from crisp squid spritzed with chilli and lime (pictured above) to grilled lamb chops dipped in hatcho miso sauce. Even the simplest vegetable maki looks so beautiful it ought to be framed on a wall. This is Knightsbridge, after all, so everything is done to excess. A number of London's best restaurants serve the infamous black cod and miso, but Zuma’s is second to none with the sweet white flesh slipping apart in perfect chunks to dip in pale miso puree.
Price: ££££
Address: Zuma, 5 Raphael Street, London SW7 1DL
Website: zumarestaurant.com13. Abeno
Slotted into a row of unassuming Southeast Asian restaurants opposite the British Museum, this quiet wooden space specialises in Kansai-style okonomi-yaki – savoury pancakes. Containing cabbage, spring onions, dough, raw egg and any combination of pork, squid, prawn and chicken, the batter is mixed at the table in a metal bowl and poured onto a hot plate where it squats and sizzles beneath a lid. By the time you’ve sampled a couple of slippery cubes of agedashi tofu, the pancake is scraped up and ready to be served – but not before being squirted with whorls of rice vinegar mayo and a fruity barbecue sauce, then scattered with bonito flakes that quiver and curl in the heat.
Price: £££
Address: 47 Museum Street, London WC1A 1LY
Website: abeno.co.uk14. Uchi
Clapton is increasingly becoming a foodie hotspot, but you could easily miss this hidden Japanese gem tucked away on the corner of a residential street. Uchi means ‘inside’ in Japanese, which seems like a very appropriate name once you’ve seen the design: enter through the noren curtain to a serene space with rustic wooden stools, brushed-gold tables, delicate vases and stylish staff clad in denim smocks. Check the specials board, a wall-mounted grid of cute bulldog-clipped cards, and order from all sections of the short but sweet menu: aubergine marinated in miso and mackerel cooked on the traditional robata grill, karaage fried chicken, subtle seaweed salad and fresh, sharp tuna crunch rolls.
Price: ££
Address: 144 Clarence Road, Lower Clapton, London E5 8EA
Website: uchihackney.com
15. Shoryu
London's Japanese restaurants are rammed with ramen joints from Tonkotsu and Bone Daddies to Ippudo and Kanada-Ya, but there’s only one winner. Born and raised in Hakata, Shoryu’s executive chef Kanji Furukawa set out to recreate the pork bone broth unique to his home town. The stock is boiled for more than 12 hours, distilling the bones, marrow and meat down to a deeply creamy infusion that sticks to your lips, while the noodles can be served as firm or soft as you like. Draped with nori, and layered with silken rounds of pork belly snuggling a soft Burford egg, the bowl is a beauty to behold. With a char siu hirata bun and a bottle of Asahi on the side, you can still get away with a £20 bill.
Cost: ££
Address: 9 Regent Street, London SW1Y 4LR
Other locations: Shoreditch, Carnaby, Liverpool St, Soho, Covent Garden, Kensington, Sheperd's Bush
Website: shoryuramen.com16. Dinings SW3
The latest venture in SW3 has taken key dishes and spun them on their head – to great success. Housed down a cobbled Knightsbridge mews, the restaurant has a nicely noisy din over which you can still hear yourself speak. Sit at the bar sipping spicy salmon and coriander miso soup and watch head sushi chef Masaki painting soy, dotting wasabi, and fanning out fatty tuna. Given the restaurant’s playful ethos, expect shrimp tempura sliders with chilli mayo, Ibérico lamb chops, and the highlight of the menu: slices of wagyu beef cooked on a Josper grill – the marbled fat crisp and salty, the pink interior still soft as satin. You’ll spend a week’s salary in here, but sometimes it’s worth it for the lingering taste of dark chocolate fondant and truffle ice cream.
Price: £££
Address: Walton House, Lennox Gardens Mews, Walton Street, London SW3 2JH
Website: dinings.co.uk
17. Roka
Two years after the success of Zuma, Rainer Becker opened Roka, its laidback little sister. Built around an open grill where the chefs are busy searing and slicing blocks of tuna, slivers of sea bass and wobbles of scallop, the restaurant is a magnet for famous faces and serious sushi lovers. Under soft spotlights and a clubby beat, you’ll find transparent triangles of yellowtail sashimi splashed with yuzu-truffle dressing, diced wagyu dotted with oscietra caviar, and juicy Korean lamb cutlets. It’s worth a visit just for a steaming bowl of rock shrimp tempura fried in barely-there batter, and hot, black sugar doughnuts that melt in the mouth.
Price: £££
Address: 37 Charlotte Street, London W1T 1RR
Other locations: Mayfair, Canary Wharf, Aldwych
Website: rokarestaurant.com18. Taro
Not to be confused with the Taro franchise which has three restaurants in Soho, Balham and Cannon Street, this solo restaurant on Finchley Road is split between two brightly-lit rooms with wooden interiors, lovely staff, and a loyal local fanbase of more than 20 years. Flicking through the laminated menu with its frayed edges, you’re spoilt for page after page of simple nigiri – all locally sourced – crisp chicken gyoza, seaweed salads, mixed tempura, and grilled teriyaki fish and meat. For an unexpected treat, order the nasu dengaku – half a fried aubergine slashed with latticework and topped with sweet miso.
Price: ££
Address: 293 Finchley Road, London NW3 6DT
Website: tarosushi.co.uk
Charlie McKay19. “Mu”
Those familiar with Brilliant Corners will be pleased to know the team behind the trendy Kingsland Road hangout have recently opened “mu” a few doors down. A dimly lit, late-night drinking den with a cosy modern dining space and live music every night of the week, from mid-week piano soloists, to vibey DJs on the weekend and smooth jazz on a Sunday. The best of British produce is cooked on the traditional Japanese charcoal robata grill, making for a happy infusion of east-meets-west cuisine. Meat and fish dishes are full of flavour and accompanied by intricate servings of pickles, caviar and other Japanese condiments. To start we recommend the fried aubergine coated in white miso glaze and the scallop skewers with yuzu koscho. For mains, we loved the crisp coated pork tonkatsu, served with a side of white cabbage, pickles and brown dipping sauce, and the soft dry aged Dexter beef rump topped with dollops of caviar which pairs perfectly with a side of salty nori fries. However, the oyster mushroom side dish stole the show, brilliantly meaty with strong bold flavours of garlic and soy – a must-order. Finish dinner with the sweet but savoury matcha crème brûlée.
As for drinks, there are classic cocktails and a few in-house creations. We loved the classic twist on the old-fashioned – a blend of Suntory Toki whisky infused with jasmine tea. There’s an extensive wine list – luckily, the sommelier was only too happy to recommend a tasty natural option. Sophie Knight
Price: £££
Address: 432-434 Kingsland Road, London E8 4AA
Website: mu-ldn.com
20. Omakase at Sushi Kamon
There are moments when simply choosing one dish to order seems too big of a commitment, especially when everything on the menu looks so tempting. This is where omakase, the Japanese dining concept which loosely translates to ‘chefs choice’, comes in. 45 minutes, 10 seats and nine courses from a monthly-changing menu of seasonal hits are served at Sushi Kamon’s omakase experience in Arcade Food Hall. While remaining respectful of traditional Japanese sushi, the team pushes the boundaries with innovation, allowing those experiencing omakase for the first time to dip their toes in with the generous price point (from £45) and welcoming returners with something different. Salmon, squid and hamachi nigiri are meticulously shaped in front of you and usually served two ways: first with wasabi and a delicate brushing of Nikiri soy, and the second is where you’ll get to witness the creative mind of head chef Michael Carcer. Sundried tomatoes with torched parmesan and even tangy tosazu jelly topped with grated dark chocolate could be on the table with the sushi. Enjoy it with sake that's been perfectly paired to complement the dishes. Zahra Surya Darma
Price: £££
Address: 103-105 New Oxford Street, London WC1A 1DB
Website: arcadefoodhall.com21. Sushi Tetsu
Seven seats – that’s the capacity in this Clerkenwell restaurant, with a ban on children under 12. We wish you the very best of luck in trying to dine at this hugely in-demand sushi bar – but we couldn't miss a restaurant from our list on the grounds that it is “too good” or “too popular”. Run by a husband-and-wife team named Toru and Harumi Takahashi, Sushi Tetsu is essentially a private dinner party with Chef ‘Tetsu’ Toru, who runs an omakase-style service – choosing what he wants to serve. Laying out a waxed banana leaf, Tetsu will place shiny, single pieces of black bream, horse mackerel, jumbo fresh shrimp and sweet omelette under your nose, bringing out a blowtorch for the squid. Sourced from Billingsgate, the fish is buttery, melting and magical with no need for added flavour or garnish. The booking line is open for three hours a day and tables are usually gone by 2pm, so consider yourself blessed if you bag a seat.
Price: ££££
Address: Sushi Tetsu, 12 Jerusalem Passage, London EC1V 4JP
Website: sushitetsu.co.uk
Anton Rodriguez22. Angelina
This Dalston stalwart is not your typical Japanese or Italian restaurant, for that matter. We know it may sound strange, but Angelina has managed to merge the techniques and flavours of Japanese and Italian recipes while respecting two of the world’s most beloved cuisines. This inviting restaurant is affordable, delicious and challenges your perceptions. We recommend splurging (only slightly!) on the Kaiseki tasting menu at the chef’s counter. This experience offers an excellent value 10-course tasting menu for £64, filled with fresh, exciting plates that uniquely honour Japanese delicacies. Amber Port
Price: £££
Address: Angelina, 56 Dalston Lane, London E8 3AH
Website: angelina.london
Charlie Mckay23. Flesh & Buns
Just off Holland Park in Kensington, Flesh & Buns (from the brains behind Bone Daddies and Shack Fuyu) makes for the perfect brunch spot post-park stroll, or fun late night supper with a large group. Grab a table in an elevated booth or near the back wall, which is covered in Japanese cartoons and illuminated by neon lights.
As its name suggests, the menu is centred around tasty Japanese meats and fluffy gua bao buns to cram full of your favourite flavours. Come hungry – with a menu focused on sharing plates and each tasting better than the last, you’ll want to try it all. Recommended to us by our server as the most popular dish, the Korean fried wings came dripping in a spicy sour sauce and were our firm favourite. Other stand out dishes were the grilled broccoli with orange miso and bubu arare, and the crunchy corn tempura served with a citrus dressing. Fresh, hand rolled sushi was another hit – we loved the seared tuna flavoured with truffle oil. As for large plates, of course buns must be ordered – choose from plenty of meats to fill your buns, including grain-fed ribeye steak and crispy piglet belly, or vegetarian portobello mushrooms. Buns are served in a traditional steamed basket with a side of sauces, salad and pickles for you to stuff in. If buns aren’t your thing there’s also mains of poke don and hot stone rice. Sophie Knight
Price: ££
Address: 1a Phillimore Gardens, London W8 7QB
Other locations: Oxford Circus and Covent Garden
Website: fleshandbuns.com
Anton Rodriquez24. Koya Ko
Koya Ko, founded by Shuko Oda and John Devitt, is the latest addition to trendy Broadway Market. Tucked just off the main road, the place is easy to spot as there are almost always queues at the door. Order your udon or rice dishes from the till and wait for your ticket to be called (which doesn’t take long), before nabbing a table either inside or out, or at the standing counter for a quick udon fix. The canteen dining space itself is laid-back and minimal – bright walls and wooden tables with pull out stools – and the menu is concise; there’s only one hard decision to make: which flavour udon dish to go for. Should you find yourself in the area in the early hours, the English Breakfast (Kama-Tama-style) – served with raw egg, udon, bacon and butter-soy mushrooms – is worth a try, while from the daily menu we loved the Ko Meaty, made with slow-braised beef shin and a chilli oil broth. You can also personalise your udon with extra toppings of tempura batter, soy-bean, wakame seaweed, poached egg and prawn tempura. If you’re just popping in for a snack, we recommend trying the marinated and fried chicken kara-age and the house slaw made with kohlrabi, apples and seeds. Sophie Knight
Price: ££
Address: 10 Broadway Market Mews, London E8 4TS
Website: koya.co.uk