Japanese
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TSUNAMI
- Monday: 5:00 – 11:00 PM
- Tuesday: 5:00 – 11:00 PM
- Wednesday: 5:00 – 11:00 PM
- Thursday: 5:00 – 11:00 PM
- Friday: 5:00 – 11:30 PM
- Saturday: 1:00 – 11:30 PM
- Sunday: 1:00 – 10:30 PM
Tsunami has been going in Clapham since 2001 (including a major refurb in 2015) and it’s still the place to come for sushi in SW4. Whilst there are a range of Japanese dishes like agedashi tofu, chicken gyoza, shrimp tempura and beef teriyaki on the menu, the sushi really is the star here – there’s a range of nigiri, maki and temaki on offer but you won’t want to miss the tuna & truffle mayo and the Tsunami special rolls. Pair it with sake, Japanese beer or a tasting set of Nikka or Suntory whisky.
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"MU"
- Monday: Closed
- Tuesday: 6:00 – 11:30 PM
- Wednesday: 6:00 – 11:30 PM
- Thursday: 6:00 – 11:30 PM
- Friday: 6:00 PM – 12:30 AM
- Saturday: 6:00 PM – 12:30 AM
- Sunday: 6:00 – 11:00 PM
The team behind Brilliant Corners, Giant Steps, and Idle Moments have continued their tradition of venues named after jazz albums with their latest venue, which is called “Mu”, after Don Cherry’s 1969 album. They’ve done a great job on the interiors, keeping some of the dark moody atmosphere of Rotorino (which was the previous occupant), but thoroughly smartening the place up with a wood-panelled curved ceiling, hanging globe lights, and sleek modern furniture. There’s a large bar and a performance space which is the heart of the room and the headline feature of the “Mu” experience. There’s regular live music every night, with a mixture of resident musicians and guests, with two performances each night. Alongside the music, you’ll definitely want to tuck into the Japanese-inspired food and drink. Go heavy on the snacks like the scallop skewers; beef tartare served with crisp toasted seaweed; fried aubergine and white miso; and fresh sliced yellowtail with yuzu and pomegranate.
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SUPA YA RAMEN
- Monday: Closed
- Tuesday: 6:00 – 10:00 PM
- Wednesday: 6:00 – 10:00 PM
- Thursday: 6:00 – 10:00 PM
- Friday: 6:00 – 10:30 PM
- Saturday: 12:00 – 3:00 PM, 6:00 – 10:00 PM
- Sunday: 12:00 – 3:00 PM
Cult ramen spot Supa Ya has finally come south of the river. Chef Luke Findlay (formerly of Berber & Q, Patty&Bun, The Hand & Flowers and NOPI) started the restaurant off as a super club until landing the first permanent spot on Kingsland Road for his new-wave ramen bowls in 2021. In keeping with the concept behind the OG, Supa Ya Peckham is Findlay’s take on the classic ramen bar, serving up bowls with bold flavour combos and British influence. There are brand new dishes on offer, including a ramen-burger hybrid, the Cheeseburger Mazesoba, which is made with a smashed burger patty, bread & butter pickles, American cheese and burger sauce. If you’ve already developed a taste for the Dalston dishes, don’t worry, some of the classics have made their way down sarf too, including the Roast Chicken & Corn bowl and the Noodle Ice Cream with Miso Caramel.
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KOYN
- Monday: 12:00 – 2:30 PM, 5:30 – 10:45 PM
- Tuesday: 12:00 – 2:30 PM, 5:30 – 10:45 PM
- Wednesday: 12:00 – 2:30 PM, 5:30 – 10:45 PM
- Thursday: 12:00 – 2:30 PM, 5:30 – 10:45 PM
- Friday: 12:00 – 2:30 PM, 5:30 – 10:45 PM
- Saturday: 12:00 – 2:30 PM, 5:30 – 10:45 PM
- Sunday: 12:00 – 3:00 PM, 5:30 – 10:30 PM
She’s already got Chinese restaurant MiMi Mei Fair and Indian spots Jamavar and Bombay Bustle to her name and now Samyukta Nair has taken Japanese food with her latest opening KOYN. Like Nair’s other restaurants, KOYN has a strong concept. – it’s inspired by the duality of Mount Fuji and the balance of modernity with tradition. The two-storey space is divided into two distinct areas; Midori, a green room on the ground floor representing life on the peak with Magma, representing an active volcano, below. It’s all seriously luxe, with dishes like A5 wagyu served on a hot stone, hay-smoke lobster in umami butter, Chilean seabass with shiso salsa verde, and gochujang pork belly on the menu, so be prepared to blow a hole in your wallet.
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NÉCCO
- Monday: Closed
- Tuesday: 12:30 – 10:00 PM
- Wednesday: 12:30 – 10:00 PM
- Thursday: 12:30 – 10:00 PM
- Friday: 12:30 – 10:00 PM
- Saturday: 12:30 – 10:00 PM
- Sunday: Closed
A complete lunch in central London for under a tenner is a thing to behold, and although it may not seem like it, they do exist. Nécco (meaning ‘cat’) in Exmouth Market is a Japanese cafe and bar with a super affordable menu of sushi, curries, noodles, donburi, homemade cakes and desserts, beers, sake and cocktails. Head over any time between 12.30pm – 3pm to take advantage of their lunch set deal, which’ll get you two Japanese tapas items, a bowl of rice and a drink for just £9.50.
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ROJI
- Monday: Closed
- Tuesday: Closed
- Wednesday: 6:00 – 10:00 PM
- Thursday: 6:00 – 10:00 PM
- Friday: 6:00 – 10:00 PM
- Saturday: 6:00 – 10:00 PM
- Sunday: Closed
London’s home to a fair few exceptional sushi and omakase restaurants, but few can boast an entrance that gives out the serious Tokyo vibes like Roji, hidden down a Mayfair alleyway. Once inside the tiny restaurant you’ll see a wooden sushi counter that wraps around an open kitchen and stools for just 10 people. In the kitchen there’s husband and wife team Tamas Naszai and Tomoko Hasegawa, who have experience working at some of the best Japanese restaurants all over the world. Roji is their first restaurant together and a real labour of love – you can tell the thought and care that’s gone into this place. The 14-course omakase experience makes use of British fish as well as UK-grown vegetables, and is a series of small plates, then a selection of nigiri, before closing out the meal with dessert, and it’s some of the finest sushi you’ll find in London.
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ROJI
- Monday: Closed
- Tuesday: Closed
- Wednesday: 6:00 – 10:00 PM
- Thursday: 6:00 – 10:00 PM
- Friday: 6:00 – 10:00 PM
- Saturday: 6:00 – 10:00 PM
- Sunday: Closed
Husband-and-wife chef team Tamas Naszai and Tomoko Hasegawa, who’ve worked at Tokimeite and Sake No Hana between them, have opened ten-seat Japanese restaurant Roji in partnership with the group behind Chisou and Sushi Atelier. Roji, which can translate to ‘journey’, ‘path’ or ‘hidden alley’, is tucked away on South Molton Street in Mayfair and serves up a seasonal menu of sushi, pickled and preserved dishes, and charcoal-grilled dishes, with a focus on British produce like Cornish seafood and veggies from Nama Yasai farm in East Sussex. The pair are also showcasing crockery made by small family producers in both the UK and Japan.
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DAI CHI
Dai Chi specialises in kushikatsu, a form of Japanese street food that involves skewering various meats and vegetables, covering them in panko breadcrumbs and sticking them in the deep-fryer. It’s more of a fine-dining restaurant than it sounds, with some of the skewered combos include venison & shiitake ponzu; courgette flower, miso mascarpone & nori; seabass, shiso & sesame; and scamorza & moromi miso. And you can pair your kushikatsu with one of the creative cocktails or some sake or wine from the international list crafted by their sommelier. This is one to hit up for a real taste of Osaka in Soho.
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APOTHECARY
- Monday: 5:00 – 11:00 PM
- Tuesday: 12:00 – 11:00 PM
- Wednesday: 12:00 – 11:00 PM
- Thursday: 12:00 – 11:00 PM
- Friday: 12:00 PM – 12:00 AM
- Saturday: 12:00 PM – 12:00 AM
- Sunday: Closed
Japanese izakaya Apothecary is a twist on the traditional Tokyo tavern, mixing classic features – a robata kitchen counter and handcrafted wooden screens – with more contemporary elements such as exposed brick and a wood-burning stove. The drinks list carries everything from local and Japanese beers, through hot and cold sake, to Asian-influenced cocktails. Choose from a range of small plates to snack on while you drink, including robata grilled skewers, sushi, sashimi and hirata steamed buns. And drop by on Friday and Saturday nights for disco, funk, soul or electronic DJ sets.
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SUSHI ON JONES
- Monday: Closed
- Tuesday: 5:00 – 10:00 PM
- Wednesday: 5:00 – 10:00 PM
- Thursday: 5:00 – 10:00 PM
- Friday: 5:00 – 10:00 PM
- Saturday: 5:00 – 10:00 PM
- Sunday: Closed
Sushi on Jones started life in Bowery Market in NYC in 2016 (with two more branches in the city to its name) and it’s now come across the pond to London, taking up a spot in the Goods Way development in King’s Cross. The premise of Sushi on Jones is simple; it’s a nigiri omakase experience featuring 12 pieces of sushi chosen by the chef, served over 45 minutes, so it’s very much an in-and-out job rather than somewhere for a long, languid dinner. The menu changes depending on what’s in season and what head chef Mattia has selected, and if you’re sat at the counter, you can watch everything being expertly prepped and get an explanation of what each piece of sushi is. It’s £48 for the omakase, and you have the option to order some extras after the main menu has been served. We can’t say you feel full like you would after a regular dinner following the twelve pieces, but the quality of the sushi is outstanding so it’s something sushi fans should have on their radar.
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YATAY
- Monday: 12:00 – 10:30 PM
- Tuesday: 12:00 – 10:30 PM
- Wednesday: 12:00 – 10:30 PM
- Thursday: 12:00 – 10:30 PM
- Friday: 12:00 – 10:30 PM
- Saturday: 12:00 – 10:30 PM
- Sunday: 12:00 – 10:30 PM
Yatay is a robatayaki restaurant inspired by izakayas and street culture of Japan and it occupies a three-storey space in Chinatown, with the restaurant on the ground and first floor and cocktail bar Zoku in the basement. It’s a broad menu, with bites, cold, hot, skewers, meat/fish and veggies/rice, on there so it’s worth taking your time over with a cocktail in hand. The skewers are the main focus but there are lots of tasty things to be found around those, including nutty beef tatare, garlic-ginger chicken karaage with spicy tofu dip, tuna tataki and pulled pork buns, so its best to hit each section. There are twelve different skewers on the menu, ranging from trout with kizami wasabi and koji-cured lam to roasted shallot with miso and cured beetroot with garlic, but if you can’t choose, Yatay has a six skewer roulette where the kitchen picks for you.
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THE AUBREY
- Monday: 4:30 PM – 12:00 AM
- Tuesday: 4:30 PM – 12:00 AM
- Wednesday: 4:30 PM – 12:00 AM
- Thursday: 4:30 PM – 1:00 AM
- Friday: 4:30 PM – 1:00 AM
- Saturday: 11:30 AM – 1:00 AM
- Sunday: 11:30 AM – 3:30 PM
Bar Boulud closed up shop at the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park in 2020 when its ten year contract came to an end, and The Aubrey London (the sister to The Aubrey in Hong Kong, one of our fave places in the city) has taken over the spot. The first UK venture from HK-based restaurant group Maximal Concepts, The Aubrey London is an “eccentric Japanese izakaya” restaurant that serves up A4 wagyu sandos, charcoal chicken karaage with yuzu mayo, edomae-style sushi, and crab korokke with tonyu bechamel, alongisde the city’s first omakase cocktail experience.
