Last Chance Saloon for Tonkotsu

I’ve been a few times to Tonkotsu and have always gone with high expectations that it will be much better than the last time I ate, but I’ve always left feeling disappointed.

This time though on a post gym meal, I left deeply disappointed that I’ve decided I will not be returning again.

Tonkotsu Heaven @ Ippudo in New York

Ippudo was definitely one of the highlights of our weeklong stay in New York last March, yes it’s taken me a long while to finally come to this point.

More Ramen this time at Shoryu Ramen

Like everyone else in London, I’m enjoying the latest trend of Ramen noodle soup and even more with all the new ramen shops opening up left right and centre now.

Ramen Time @ Bone Daddies

You got to admit it’s a pretty bloody silly name for a ramen bar, as when I mentioned this to a friend they thought I was going to a gig.

Momofuku - A lush revisit

I’m a big fan of David Chang and his Momofuku Noodle Bar, this was our second visit in a couple of years and it gave us a good reminder of why we enjoyed it here the first time.

Oddly enough we actually ordered the same two dishes as last time, and what we had was as good now as it was two years ago.

Ramen-ya @ Tonkotsu

Our second meal at Tonkotsu could not have been more different than the first that we had during its soft opening week. I think the less said about that first trip the better.

Ittenbari Ramen Noodles Shop

I think we can all say that Tonkotsu’s opening week was not the best and the least said about it the better. But the day after I was still hankering for some good ramen, as I wanted to have that good ramen feeling again, so after some searching I came across Ittenbari, the reviews I read were all positive and well it couldn’t be any worse than what I had eaten the night before.

J is for Japanese @ Tosa

I cannot even remember what year it was when my one and only visit to Tosa was. Maybe it was in 2006 or 2007? Who knows? But ever since then I have constantly said “I have to return”. But alas I never ever did.

But ever since we began this A – Z of London restaurants J was always going to be Japanese and Tosa was always going to get a mention.

I was thinking that it would have been pretty predictable to go for your normal sushi bar. I am really wanting to try Atari, but kinda nervous as Sushi Hiro could be a hard act to follow. But this time I wanted something different.

I kind of stacked Tosa in my favour as I wrote a gleaming email about it, whilst the other options didn’t quite get a glowing report.

Tosa specialises in grilled meats on sticks over charcoal. This we had many a time in bars in Japan, especially Tokyo, which after dark were full of salary men relaxing after a hard days work with a few beers with some co workers and a few grilled sticks of meat. Hey that I think should be everyone’s after work chill out.

Tosa’s menu is pretty vast, and where the grilled skewers take centre stage, there are some of the favourites that will satisfy all tastes if the skewers do not float your boat.

I wanted one thing and one thing only. Yes, what they are famous for.

I think between the four of us we ordered a vast amount of food that just kept coming and coming. Yes this was dangerous territory as if I have had another beer or two we would have at least doubled the bill. But it would have been worth it.

As Tosa does not really do main meals as such, it’s best to order a bit of everything, which I think we did.

There are too many dishes that we ordered to go over, so my favourites were the Chicken Liver, Ox Tongue, Uzura (Quails eggs), Tebasaki (Grilled Chicken Tips). Sadly the Torikawa (Grilled Chicken Skin) was unavailable.

There is something I love about grilled offal. Ever since my first trip to Argentina and eating grilled innards, I have become addicted.

The Grill Master cooked everything I tasted to perfection, and the liver was perfectly juicy. Delish, really delish.

I was really tempted to have the Zaru Soba (Cold Soba Noodles with a Bonito based Special Sauce), but I think I had ordered enough for this time and the noodles may have pushed me over the edge.

I noticed on the website afterwards that if you send them your email address, there are promotions to be had, like 15% off the food bill this month for Sunday to Thursday evenings. Nice. That means you can order extra skewers.

Next time I’m going all out on the grilled fish. Let’s just hope it isn’t another 5 or 6 years till my next visit.

Tosa is definitely worth a special visit to this part of West London.

Abeno Too

I’ve tried to write a review of this place for ages now. But somehow I cannot get the words out.

So I will just say, Abeno Too is a nice place, has a good buzzy vibe, and sells ok savoury pancakes or Okonomiyaki, if you want to be picky.

The staff are friendly and good humoured and do a pretty good job of cooking your pancakes for you. Well it is not rocket science really.

But in the end for what you get it is pretty over priced, but we are in Soho/Covent Garden/China Town. Not to sure really on where to place it. So beggars cannot be choosers.

It’s good to go if you are with a group of mates wanting to try something different, and have never had Japanese savoury pancakes before. I had, and the novelty wore off pretty quick.

PS – The photo’s are from a Okonomiyaki I ate at once in Nara a few years ago.

Noodles at Ramen Seto

For some strange reason I have never walked down Kingly Street before. I know, it’s incredible. Just why hadn’t I ever crossed over into the back part of Carnaby Street. I’m glad I did as I’ve discovered a whole host of gems. Deshea being one of them, and Ramen Seto being the other.

We were in need of some soupy nourishment. As we walked past 2 happy campers in the window were eating two large bowls of noodles. We were hooked and decided to return later for lunch after some also much needed shopping was completed. 

Luckily when we returned the same 2 window seats were free, and even better it was soupy warm inside. That warmth you only get when everyone is eating noodle soup, so the air smells and feels like noodle soup. Not sure if that explains it but I’m sure you get my drift.

Ordering was pretty easy. We both wanted the ramen soup. Lina had the Seafood extravaganza, and I opted for the pork chashu ramen. It had been a long day so far, so we ordered a small plate of gyoza to get our stomachs happy until the main even came along.

These little pot stickers were first steamed then finished off in the pan, they had a lovely crispy coating that made them easier to pick up with the chopsticks. The filling was a wonderful pork and vegetable, nicely seasoned, nicely cooked. With a soy sauce dip they were the perfect way to relax and get ready for the main event.

I cannot recommend the ramen soups here enough. Both of them were jammed packed with fillings. The seafood was literally spilling over the edge of the bowl. OK a slight exaggeration, but I’ve never had a bowl of noodles so stocked with filling before. Squid, prawn and some very tasty fish balls mixed in with some nice noodles and a pretty good stock base.

My chashu ramen noodles were just as good and packed out. The thin slices of pork were slightly dry but the stock moistens them up somewhat. Thankfully the half slice of boiled egg was not over boiled. Phew. A personal pet hate.

OK the stock base was not the strongest or the best I have ever had, but at these prices it was a whole lot better than it should have been. It was quite mild, but it did allow the other ingredients to speak for themselves.

Ramen Seto will never compete with Koya, but then again who can. But it offers a good bowl of noodles at a good price. Something of a rarity in London these days. I shall return.

Tokyo Diner made me an offer I couldn’t refuse.

Maybe it is a throw back from eating more or less nothing but Indian food for the last 10 weeks that I have been eating everything but…. Maybe I am fed up of those perfectly blended spices cooked in all manor of ways that have been tantalising my taste buds at every meal. Or maybe I really know deep down that the Indian food in London is very poor and no match for a simple restaurant in a small village in India.

I had been thinking what foods I had not eaten and somehow as always when I do this a katsu curry always turns up. I love this simple dish. I mean it is pure genius. Breaded meat, deep fried and served with rice and a curry sauce. But this curry sauce could never be mistaken for an Indian sauce. This is comforting and thick. Real school dinner type sauce.

I’d passed the Tokyo Diner on how many occasions and never actually thought about setting foot inside. But as the Prince Charles Cinema was showing the Godfather on a Friday night, I had to eat there. So cinema first, katsu curry after.

I love the Prince Charles Cinema. Those weird and wacky film events they do. I also love the fact that it allows major alcohol companies to sponsor film events there. Brilliant.

The Godfather is one of my favourite films of all time. It and the first sequel are always in my top 5. But let’s not speak about the 3^rd instalment. Best not to really.

Russian Standard Vodka are doing a series of promotional events around the UK this year. That week was at the PCC. The films they are showing are real classics, well except for one crappy British fluffy comedy. Yes you know who you are.

As we entered the cinema for this FREE event. (I thought we had to pay for the tickets). We were given some vouchers for FREE vodka cocktails. It just keeps getting better.

Once upon a time, in a land far far away I had a liking for vodka. This came about by me living in Israel for a year and a half many moons ago. Cheap Russian vodka was cheaper than a cup of coffee. We drank a lot.

The vodka girls hired by the company also gave us little goodie bags. I was only interested in the small bottles of their vodka. Some nice double vodkas and coke were had later.

Watching the Godfather on a cinema screen was unreal. There were so many little things I’d never seen before. Amazing. The killing of Sonny was seen in a new way that I felt every bullet enter him. But being slightly drunk made it a different experience also. There was a really good atmosphere from my fellow oh so nearly drunk cinema goers.

When we left I never realised it was so late, and the Tokyo Diner was closed. Damn. This was not good. Tomorrow would be a different story. Tokyo Diner then cinema.

So the following evening before we watched The Girl with Dragon Tattoo, which in Spanish is translated as “The Men Who Do Not Love Women”. I mean who chooses these titles in other languages. Talk about lost in translation.

We headed into the Tokyo Diner. My need for a Katsu Curry was getting to me now. I was instantly taken by the place. It is simple and had a nice vibe. It is however more chilled than Misato which also does a nice katsu curry.

I like that they give you a good cup of green tea when you are seated, and it is refilled whenever you want.

After looking at the menu, a change of plan was called for. No chicken katsu curry, I opted instead for the pork Tonkatsu curry. Controversial I know. Lina had the chicken katsu bento box. It was catching. Now this is strangely enough exactly what we had in Misato, and they could not have been so different.

This has been the first katsu curry I have had that has been like what I ate in several train stations in Japan. Boy I had missed that taste. Slightly naff, but oh soooo good and very school dinnerish food.

The portions are large and filling. The rice is cooked excellently. The breaded pork cutlet was perfect. Crunchy on the outside and juicy on the inside. But the curry sauce was awesome. It took me back to those cheap eateries you find around railway stations in Japan. Pure heaven.

The Bento box was beautiful presented, and a perfect portion for a pre cinema dinner. The salmon was quite nice, but lacked any real salmon flavour. The brown sauce for the breaded chicken was really good. It was a perfect match for the chicken. There were some aubergines that had been cooked slowly and were delightful to eat.

I was contently stuffed by the time we had finished. I was happy now to relax in the cinema knowing I had found a real gem in China Town. A hard thing to do these days.

Also the films couldn’t have been so different either. I’m hoping to see more of these film seasons at the PCC, especially those ones sponsored by vodka companies. 

Koya - Noodle Heaven in Soho

Update : February 2011
Hadn't been to Koya for what seems like an age, but as the wife is off home for a couple of weeks, we decided to have lunch at our favourite Udon noodle restaurant. 
As ever everything is perfect, the broth is as favourable as ever. The Prawn Tempura Atsu-Atsu seems to be a main stay with us. But with the addition of Tanuki (extra batter) mixed in with the soup is a real winner.
The Ten Curry Don is the best curry sauce I've had outside of Japan. Really deep and rich in flavour. The accompanying Miso soup was a little weak and lacking in any strong miso flavour. 
But Koya is still streets ahead of any other restaurant serving noodles in London. 

I had to nail my feet to the floor so I wouldn’t go visit Koya when it opened. I’m kinda of the belief that every new restaurant has its tweaking problems. There is always something that isn’t right on its first few weeks. If it’s a good place these will get ironed out and run smoothly. From what I could make out Koya had no such problems, and my expectations grow through me waiting. Thankfully it turned out to be better than I expected.

Maybe I was going mad but everytime I walked past Koya, it was calling out to me. I could hear a soft whisper calling my name. Something was calling me to come in and try their noodles. I could hear a voice whispering that they had good noodles. I had to eat there, and as they specialise in Udon and nothing else. They had to be good.

Koya is very simple in it’s design. It’s not big on clutter, but where is in Japan. The menu is listed on boards on both walls and in keeping with the design of the restaurant, it’s also uncluttered. It’s short and sweet. It’s broken down into roughly four parts.

Atsu Atsu -  Hot Udon in a cold broth.

Hiya Atsu – Cold Udon with hot broth.

Hiya Hiya – Cold udon with cold broth

Danburi – Rice bowl with various additions.

As it was such a beautiful hot sunny afternoon I opted for a Cold Udon with a hot broth with the addition of some pork. Lina as she is a bit traditional in her soups had Atsu Atsu Niku. Hot Udon with a hot Broth with beef.

The meals took their time to come, which I was really happy about, as the expectation had more time to reach unobtainable heights.

When they finally arrived, not only were we taken back to Japan, but also I think I was smiling like a little Cheshire cat. Stupid as it sounds, I was truly happy. The cold noodles dipped in the hot broth for a second made them a delight to eat. The crispy seaweed on top added extra textures I would never have thought possible in London. The broth was rich and meaty but still very delicate. I am so jealous that people can do this with their stocks. The noodles were cooked to perfection and tasted great. Obviously kneading that dough by feet really helps.

Lina’s soup was just as good but totally different. It had a rich miso taste to it that was the other end of the spectrum of mine. Excellent.

The waitress came round to inform us the kitchen was closing and if we wanted to order something else. I had my head over the bowl slurping up some noodles that I didn’t look up, but just shook my head.

That was probably some of the best soup I have tasted since we left Asia. Rich and full of flavour. Awesome. I didn’t think we would get great stuff here in London. But we have.

At £10 a pop the noodles are not the cheapest in London, but they are the best. Oh yes.

Misato – Chicken Katsu Curry

Misato was a place we first visited when we first moved to London over 10 years ago. This was a time when we were pretty broke and we were forced to eat at more economical places.
10 years later, we were back inside ordering what was probably the same meal we had the last time we ate there. We are slightly less broke, but for some reason at this moment we are re-visiting a lot of places we ate at back then. No idea why, but we are. I am pretty sure though we won’t be going back to a few places. Those are better left unmentioned.
Misato sells cheap, large portioned food to hungry people. Mainly students. The food is not particularly well cooked, but the place itself has a charm and a nice vibe. To eat there you must first understand what you are going to receive. This is not fine dining by anyone’s standards.

In places like these, Wagamama included I only seem to eat the Chicken Katsu Curry. This is deep fried breaded chicken breast, a mountain of rice, and a very mild but strong tasting and slightly addictive curry sauce. All this gets served with a small side salad.
We ate at two train stations when we were in Japan, and this is what I ate there both times. So to eat this is a gentle reminder of our time in Japan. Which we enjoyed to no end. Even in Japan the Katsu curry was a very cheap, fast food dish. It is what it is.
The best description I have heard of the katsu curry is that is like school food, and an unashamed excuse for a large volume of rice.

After struggling to finish the food at Misato, and I bet you don’t. Few people do. They will provide a tin foil container to take home for lunch the next day, as you will not be able to eat anymore that day.
So if you are in Chinatown, and do not want to spend a lot of money and are tired of the junk they sell in Chinatown, give Misato a try. Be warned, portion control is out the window.

Sushi Hiro

I used to pass the blanked out windows of Sushi Hiro twice a day as I went to and from Ealing Common tube station for 1½ years. For some reason, as sometimes this just happens we just never entered, even though we knew there was good sushi inside.
Then we moved to Brentford, and trips to Ealing Common became less and less, and Sushi Hiro started to fade from memory. Once we moved to Islington, Ealing Common was a distant memory, and Sushi Hiro was all but forgotten.
So after moving back to London, and the chance to catch up with old friends before they disappear off into the realms of world travel. Sushi Hiro popped back into my mind. Well they do live close(ish), and Lina works closer, so why not. If you can kill two birds with one stone, why not.
Dinner was arranged and Sushi Hiro would be tried and tested. I had never ever seen inside the restaurant. Only ever looking in one window, which showed the ceramic sushi, and a sign saying “Cash Only”. So it was all a bit of a mystery. None of our friends had even heard of it, never mind tried it.
Upon entering I was amazed to find everything white and very bright. In my amazement, I almost missed the welcome you always receive in Japanese restaurant. I would love to hear that in places like Yo Sushi. Fat chance.
Thankfully I had called the day before and reserved a table, as every space available had a reserved sign upon it. A very popular place.
The hours of Sushi Hiro are odd to say the least. It opens at 11am until 1.30pm. Then reopens again at 4.30pm and finally closes for the day at 9pm. The chefs seemed to walk off at dead on 9. Like any good place that sells fish. It is closed on a Monday.
They are not called Sushi Hiro for nothing. They only sell raw fish, either in sushi form, rolled or on top of rice, or as sashimi.
With menu in hand. Drinks were ordered. Sake, sake and some more sake. Well nearly. Cold oolong tea and some seriously sweet plum wine was also ordered. For the ladies, one with and one about to have a headache the next day.
We opted for one of their combination sushi boards with an extra eel and mackerel, and 6 pieces each of rolled salmon and tuna sushi. Plus miso soups.
The miso soup was delish. It was in a small bowl but tasty as hell none the less. The addition of a few clams, still in their shells gave the soup some added texture. Big time.
The sushi all appeared at the same time. With the addition of a nice mound of pickled ginger and some serious nose clearing wasabi. Boy I love that stuff.
Well what can I say really. It was fantastic. The fish had been cut to perfection and sat on top of the perfectly cooked and seasoned rice like a little king on top of his castle. It was pure heaven.
Although it took a few bites to adjust the taste buds to fully appreciate the subtleness of the flavours. But I think it will take a few more visits to really align them to the deftness of tastes that is in Japanese foods. It is going to be some good times ahead I can see.
The eel rocked my world. It was fantastic. The mackerel was pretty damn good also, bags of flavour there. This was the only warm piece of fish. Maybe they think we can eat cold mackerel. Who knows, but it was pretty damn good.
As I said the shop shuts at 9pm. The chef’s begin to clean up and depart. At around about 8.45pm, the waitress comes around and asks if you would like to place another order. This is your last chance. Get you order in and enjoy.