Slapdash and fancy-free is my first reaction to this popular and busy Japanese cafe in the heart of Chinatown. Like many it seems, we were seduced by the numerous positive reviews. While there's certainly speedy service and the food portions generous, it's nothing extraordinary. We each had a teriyaki rice dish with chicken and salmon respectively. Perfectly edible if bland. The accompanying salad leaves drizzled with mayonnaise were an odd choice; some Asian greens in garlic sauce would have been just the ticket. Still, for a bill that came to less than £20 for two meals and a beer, you can't complain. Just don't expect to linger - queues of hungry customers are waiting, and you'll be told to leave. read more

Great price for a large amount of decent but average food. There is nothing special about the dishes like a unique take on these traditional dishes, which is why I'm giving this place 3 stars. Chicken curry katsu is just chicken curry katsu. Rice is rice. Salad is letuce + dressing. I could have put this dish myself. Also, the curry tasted like the bullion curry bricks you can buy in the asian grocery stores...not the made from scratch goodness. This place is worthy of a second visit though. read more

Misato - Chicken curry katsu - Japanese Near Me - London, XGL

A good and cheap Japanese restaurant in London! I ordered the vegetables tempura with steamed and it was as good as the one I ate in Japan!

Quick, cheap and delicious. Large plates make it one of the best values in China Town.

Easy place to find in chinatown at the end of the street. Came here around 6pm but got sitted right away after 5 mins Ordered the Katsu Chicken bento. Very cheap price and large portion. They give you a big amount of rice which was ok but a tad too mushy for me. Also there was a large portion of chicken katsu that was pefectly crispy. My boyfriend ordered two plates of sushi but they were quite small sized so I would not reccomend ordering sushi plates because of that. Overall nice staff and cheap place to go for good asian food in london read more

I only had a california maki roll and surprised that the rice they use in the sushi is chinese rice and not japanese rice??

Huge portions of decent Japanese food, great location, unbelieveable prices. What more could you ask for? Sure, the restaurant's pretty basic, but tables aren't crushed together to the point of discomfort. Service was also prompt and polite. The only downside with this place is that they don't take reservations, so there is almost always a long queue out the door of people waiting for seats. The day I was there, I ate the teriyaki chicken rice which was accompanied by a generous portion of salad. The sauce was delicious, and there was a lot of meat and a lot more rice. I ended up giving one third of the chicken to my dining companion because I simply couldn't finish! read more

Stumbled upon this little Japanese hole in the wall. Once I saw Katsu Don on the menu, I was hooked! And sure enough it's spot on with ones I've had before! I tried the sushi and that not bad either. Cheap, good eats, good service! Authentic with a great price point! read more

Super affordable casual dining in Chinatown. This place is great for the price and portion, but the food isn't anything spectacular. They have simple bentos, rice plates, noodle dishes, and sushi. CASH ONLY. read more

Food isn't outstanding or unforgettably tasty, just simple, normal japaniese cuisine, but the prices are increddibly low and portions are huge. Beef udon was too salty. read more

Stopped in here for an impromptu dinner, and so glad we did! This is what Yelp is all about: finding a hidden gem that you would never hear of otherwise, and supporting a local business too. This place can best be described as "cheap and cheerful", like a Japanese greasy spoon. Generally a young student-age crowd due to the incredibly low prices. It was £3.50 for six piece salmon and avocado rolls, which actually tasted super fresh and were generously portioned. The huuuuge pork Katsu curry plate came with large spoonfuls of Japanese rice, a big portion of meat and a small dressed salad, all for £5.50. Service is quick and impersonal, but tap water refills come free and often. Expect a wait at dinner time of around 10-15 minutes, which you'll spend lined up in the narrow entrance hallway. But it's well worth it for a filling, tasty, and cheap Japanese meal. Looking forward to trying the udon next time! read more

One of the best Japanese places if you want to have katsu curry and rice or any other bentos for lunch/dinner. Very generous portions at very reasonable prices! However, that comes at a cost. There will inevitably be very long lines for this popular establishment for weekend lunch and dinner, often an hour's wait in the street outside. Also, the tables are packed together. Good place to have lunch among friends, but a horrible place to bring a date! read more

The line (queue) builds up as the evening settles in. Price is very good, only paid £15 for two people. Got the sushi bento and a ramen bowl. Not mind blowing awesome, but not bad either. Not sure why, but I had a little trouble finding this place. It's more on the edge of Chinatown, rather than right in the middle of it. They don't allow drinks from outside, though that's a typical rule. My friend brought in some boba and the waitress was like, "Say what?!" But in an asian way. read more

If you're looking for a budget-friendly place that serves huge portions, definitely come here. If, however, you're looking for more authentic Japanese food, don't. This place definitely caters to the former. A couple friends and I came here on a Friday night and the place was packed. Thankfully we only had to wait about 5-10 minutes before being seated. They also hand you the menus to look over in line, so we ordered pretty much right after we got seated. I wanted something light so I ordered the Tofu Steak (grilled tofu & sauce, w/ salad) and asked for the salad dressing on the side. When the dish came out I was already a bit disappointed. Not to be picky, but they didn't remember to put the dressing on the side. Ok, fine. Whatever. Maybe the dressing will actually taste good? Unfortunately not the case, as it tasted super watery. The dish also came with a mysterious brown sauce (which I assume was for the tofu). Curious, I dipped my chopsticks in and gave it a taste. It literally tasted like diluted soy sauce. Not a fan. By this point I had pretty much given up, so I was actually pleasantly surprised when I tasted the grilled tofu since it was decent, although - again, this seems like a trend but - watery. Nothing special to say about the salad either - I mean, what can you really say about lettuce and a tomato? Overall I was not impressed. The service was fast and I appreciated that they constantly made sure our water glasses were filled, but honestly the food was so subpar I can't even justify the incredibly low prices (mine was 4 pounds). I wanted to love it, because it would've meant good food for low prices - which is definitely a struggle in London - but I just couldn't. I will not be returning. read more

Misato - Tofu Steak - Japanese Near Me - London, XGL

So, I've heard a lot from several sources about Misato, but hadn't had a chance to try it until yesterday. That's mostly because whenever I'm around in Chinatown I don't usually have a Japanese meal in mind (even though I love it). But yesterday I was out with some budget-conscious, sushi-loving friends and we decided to give it a try. It was past 9pm so there was no queue. The local itself is small and rather plain, doesn't look pretty or anything. But it's not the wrapping, but the gift itself, so... The staff were very polite and took our orders quickly. The food came in giant plates. I had Tendon (tempura veggies and prawns over a bed of rice and a side salad) and was quite good. The bento box the girl next to me had was the biggest I've seen in London. I wouldn't classify this as gourmet food, but it wasn't bad at all, either. Very good price/quality ratio, specially considering it's Japanese food, which tends to be on the pricier end of the spectrum. We spent about £10 each and were really satisfied! I'll probably come back some time again :) P.S. It's cash only, so remember to bring some before going in (there's an HSBC nearby on Gerrard St). read more

I know and am very fond of Japanese food, having travelled to Japan very often some years back. The problem is that it can be quite expensive in London. We were all the more surprised to discover this establishment in Chinatown, while vaguely thinking about eating Chinese. A cursory glance at the menu (and prices) drew us in straight away. Pretty basic and no-frills, but at that price, I don't give a damn.Yakitori starters, followed by sushi and sashimi starters, with plenty of Japanese beer were very enjoyable indeed. Seemed to be a lot of students there, which reinforces the cost-effectiveness aspect. I don't understand comments from other Qypers who mentioned rude staff. Japanese people do not do rude. And they certainly didn't when we were there. Four stars for value. read more

My my, it was a rainy March evening when my friend and I stumbled across this restaurant. It was recommended by an employee in Waterstones Bookshop. First off, the place is tiny. The line from the hostess extended down to the steps outside. We were waiting for about 15 minutes I believe. All I remember was being so hungry but for some reason I remained patient. I ordered the tofu steak which came with white rice and salad. I also ordered a miso soup to warm up from the cold. Food was incredible! What made it even better were the HUGE portions. You receive a plentiful and you'll definitely satisfy your hunger. I will definitely come back. Probably for lunch on a weekday next time so it's not so crowded. read more

Stopped by because I was in the area and had not much cash on me. I'd been meaning to check this place out, but never really was motivated enough to walk all the way over there. The place is kind of hard to spot, as it's a small door squished between some larger establishments. It is in the "heart" of Chinatown, but like aaaall the way down the street. The interior is pretty humble and simple. At around 7:45 on a Wednesday night, it was still quite packed and I waited for about 15 minutes before being seated. I ordered the curry pork katsu-don as soon as I sat down, because that's what I was craving, so didn't even look at the menu. (The server was like "... LOL ok????") It took some time but wow, the portions are indeed very large. I usually eat a TON for someone my size and rarely find things filling enough that I can't find room for dessert, but that's exactly what happened! It was so good that I wiped my place clean. The pork cutlet itself was not as thin as I expected, but it wasn't the most tender, either. Granted, you do get quite more than what you pay for. A small downside is that the curry seemed a little cold... maybe because it was mixing with the salad? Everything was running together, but that was understandable. Overall, good place to drop by if you're on a budget! Heads up that it is cash only. read more

Fresh succulent sashimi, sushi at reasonable prices. Soba just average. Recommend for different Asian cuisine within Chinatown. read more

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Loved this little Japanese restaurant. Got the chicken katsu curry with rice, pork katsu curry udon, salmon teriyaki with rice, and shrimp tampura. All were really great, and cheap. Each dish is about 6-7 pounds. Highly recommend. read more

If you like Wagamama and fancy bigger portions for a lower price then Misato is the place for you. Having said that, apart from the menu, the two couldn't be any more different. Misato is a tiny little Japanese restaurant, only slightly longer than it is wide, hidden away on Whitcomb St, right next to Leicester Square. It is instantly recognisable in that there is nearly always a queue which often stretches out onto the pavement, past the shop front and blocking the doors of its neighbours. If you weren't looking for it, you'd miss it. The menu is varied, from sushi and bento to katsu curry, and it all looks great. The portions are big and unless you're very hungry you're unlikely to polish off a whole curry as the volume is simply overwhelming. Some of the dishes are a little too salty for me but for the price you pay, which can be as low as £5-6 a plate, it doesn't hurt much. The staff are great, but unless you go when it is a bit quieter, it can occasionally feel like they are rushing you out to get the next customers in, and with the restaurant seating maybe only 40 at a time, it can take a while to get to the front of the queue, but I would advise anyone to stick it out. My only other criticism is that it does get very hot in there sometimes due to the lack of air conditioning, but hey, good food, cheap and cheerful with a great atmosphere. As long as you brought good company, you're in for a lovely time, and a filling meal. (I've also updated the info to reflect its actual location on Whitcomb St, not Wardour St!) read more

As a Vancouver sushi snob I can't recommend the sushi dishes, but the rest of the food was fine, especially considering the crazy cheap prices. GIANT portions of salmon, curry and katsu! They also have cheap plum wine and other Japanese sakes and beers! Definitely worth the lineup if you are looking for something casual and satisfying. read more

The girls who work here are so hard working. It's a small restaurant but my goodness their food is amazing. I got the pork Katsu curry udon. It was amazing! And we got the egg pancake like appetizer. That was good too. My husband and I were so cold from the weather and wanted something warm to eat. Perfect place and price was not bad. Definitely come here for good food. Line was constantly out the door. read more

Misato - Pork katsu curry udon - Japanese Near Me - London, XGL

I was about to give Misato only three starts but because it is so hard to find a decent food for 'normal' price in London, I decided to go higher. As the reviews have already mentioned, this is nothing special, the sushi is fresh though and probably the best thing on the menu. Curry is okay and I would not order any of the soups again. Although I have to say they don't taste like full of sugar or salt as usually in other restaurants that are considered to have better seasoning in their food. Their drinks are quite fun, you can get some stuff that is a bit different than anywhere else and are cheap as well. So if you are in the area, quite hungry but angry at the society for pricing other ramens around 10 quid a portion, this is a great place to go to. read more

Excellent food and very reasonable prices, service was very nice, tourist friendly...hidden gem!

Amazing. Food came really quickly I mean in less than 10 minutes and the staff is so friendly. Food is priced very fairly as well. We had the kitsune and Katsu bento with a side of curry sauce. All DELICIOUS!! read more

Misato - Japanese Near Me - London, XGL

So I am a huge fan of Japanese food, I am also a huge fan of bargains. This place is a real find and I will definitely go again. It's not the best tasting japanese food i've ever had, but it's delicious and the portion sizes are fantastic. The waiting staff are so friendly and very happy to help, the food was out quickly, which was brilliant because the lovely smells can induce real hunger pangs whilst you wait. The fish was very fresh and was set out simply and very humbly. The food was delivered as food, not a masterpiece on a plate, but if you don't mind that (as I don't) it's barely a problem. For value and a reasonably tasty bite to eat, I'd recommend this place. read more

This is an awesome place for big eaters like me. Even better when I bring my girlfriend along as the portions are so enormous that she can only finish half of hers and I get to eat her remaing portion as well. So dinner always mange to fill me up and get me belly busted taking a full on one and a half portions. I suggest trying the Chicken Katsu Curry and add an omelette on top! The ultimate combination! The restuarant is a casual sort and offer quite a cheap night out. Do try to go earlier or later than normal dinner time as there is always a queue (quite long) in front of the shop. You will be reuquired to wait for between 30-45mins depending on the crowd. As a rough gauge, dinner for 2 with drinks cost about £15-20. read more

Great amount and not too pricey. Great if you are a budget backpacker same as me. Go their earlier (around 6) if you don't want to wait too long. Also check the map first because it is so easy to miss the place. read more

Misato - Japanese Near Me - London, XGL

Portions are a great size, in fact it could be argued that a standard rice dish is too large for all but those with the biggest appetites. We had the chicken teriyaki rice dish along with an order of the Sake Maki roll. Between the two of us, it was a fine meal. I did not care especially for the quality of the chicken in our dish (very fatty, etc.) and the sushi was acceptable yet plain. Our experience was really hampered by the service. We waited about 25 minutes for our order to be taken although food did come out quickly after that. Once we finished our meal I was still a bit hungry and wanted a second roll as well as a beer. The language barrier was so thick between the staff and myself I ended up receiving no roll and all and a second person coming around to inquire about the beer since the first person forgot to ask which I wanted. On top of all of this, my communication with the staff was very rudely conducted over the heads of the guests next to us since the tables are oriented against one another. The in my opinion the only redeeming quality of this restaurant is the fantastic volume of food you receive for only a few pounds. read more

Great location, delicious food, fair price. Can't ask for more from the experience. Would definitely revisit. read more

Misato - Nice food, convenient location, friendly service and very efficient in serving food. The price is very fair indeed. Will revisit - Japanese Near Me - London, XGL

Loved the FOOD... Its very economical and after waiting in a LOOONGGGGGGGG Queue? It's Worth the wait... YUM! Try my fave Beef Rice, Torikara Age Rice, Pork tonkatsu While waiting for your food try ordering edemame beans... and Asahi Beer Perfect! Hope to see u there!!! read more

I don't know how many times I walked on Wardour St and never noticed this tiny gem. I'm so lucky a friend of mine told me about it and actually brought me there. The place is small and obviously always crowdy, so be ready to stand in a long queue. The menu is simple and honestly you don't have a lot of dishes to choose from but the price and the amount of food is unbeatable. I ordered a Sushi bento and was enough naive to add a small bowl of rice... I seriously had some trouble finishing it! The food is very good and, having been in Japan, really authentic. They use wasabi in the sushi rice and this little detail tells a lot about how really japanese this place is. It's difficult to spend more than 15£ because people cannot understand how cheap this restaurant is until they go and eat there. Moreover, there is no service charge, but leaving Misato without leaving some kind of tips would make you feel very, very bad. read more

can have BIG heavy meal with CHEAP price! but normally its bit salty and sweet- need lots of water after few hours! One annoying thing is, ONLY CASH! read more

Yummy, reasonably priced Japanese food I don't think you can do better than this if you're on a budget. I think their Teryaki sauce stuff is their specialty some of the other stuff on the menu is less to write home about. There are long queues, but this is because it's great maybe lunchtime isn't the best idea if you're in a hurry though! read more

I found this little gem through Yelp, which is why I love using it now. It's a little place, easily missable on Wardour street near Chinatown. When I got there, it was fully occupied and we had to wait in a queue outside just to get in. I waited for like 10 minutes to get in. I think it's easier for groups to get in since the tables really prefer groups over singles. The decor wasn't that impressive, nor should it be. Simplicity is key to this place. For only £6, I ordered the Chicken Katsu curry and it was really great. I love Japanese cuisine but I admit I've never been to Japan so I wouldn't know how the real thing tastes like. But this place offers big portions and for that I was excited. Prices are really great (compared to other Japanese restaurants I tried) I definitely recommend anyone to try it and I will definitely go there again! read more

I love Misato. I go here every time I visit Chinatown. It's cheap and very affordable and yet the food is absolutely tasty and delicious! It may not be the fanciest restaurant you find but the atmosphere is absolutely friendly and lovely. I've been here so many times but every time I visit, I've had such a nice welcome. I feel very at home when I eat in Misato 4/5 because it's a very casual place and the building itself isn't fancy but that's all! Everything else is very good. read more

This place wasn't TERRIBLE, but I honestly thought from the reviews that it was going to be some kind of underground experience where the sushi was low key mind blowing. We ordered nigiri (they called it something else on the menu but this what we call it in the States) and the rice was cold and chewy. They were pulling it from a fridge and plopping some raw fish on top. It was cheap, sure, so I suppose you get what you pay for. Not mad about it, but would have def gone somewhere else for sushi and paid top dollar for legit nigiri. I think you're better off going elsewhere for a few bucks more. read more

Once you eat here you understand why there's a line outside. The fish is so fresh it melts in your mouth like butter. Inexpensive, no flash and all substance. Make it a destination! read more

IMO, this place is overrated. It is okay and very much akin to many of the mid-range Japanese places where I live. I've had much much better versions of the few dishes I had here (I had the katsu, pork ginger, popcorn chicken (though it was not called this--I forgot what the actual name was)). I am willing to give this place another try, however, as the sushi looks very good. If you are from the SoCal area, I'd just pass on this place, if I were you. If you are a local, this restaurant might good to go to if you happen to be in the area. read more