There is a delicious irony in a Japanese restaurant being operated by a team of staff seemingly exclusively from Italy given the love affair of the Japanese for Italian cuisine.
The above will be the last time I use the word "delicious" in this review.
I was greeted with an half hearted "irasshaimase" and a beat of a drum upon my arrival (which becomes annoying to hear after a while of sitting down). For all intents and purposes this looks like and sounds like the real deal, counter / bars are predominate throughout but there is some traditional seating if the bar vibe isn't your thing.
I skimmed the menu and decided to go with the house recommended "Kotteri Hakata Tonkotsu". A richer broth was billed but it was the thickness that I was keen on. Having spent a year and a bit in Japan eating pretty much nothing but ramen and tonkatsu pork, this seemed the most exciting thing on the menu. I added extra bamboo, as this didn't appear to be included, paid no mind to the cost, sat back and waited for my lunch.
Waiting for my dish my attention turned to the setup and theme of the place. I choose the word "theme" carefully here because that's exactly how this place struck me. This is a theme restaurant. A Japanese theme restaurant. It looks a bit like a Japanese restaurant, it even sounds a bit like a Japanese restaurant with the Italian chatter between the team being interrupted with the occasional "irasshaimase" and the equally occasional bang of a drum but this is not a Japanese restaurant.
My noodle soup arrived. I was pleased to see the usual suspects of ingredients hanging . about the surface of the broth. Egg, pork belly, spring onions....big wooden spoon etc.
Having given everything a good old stir, I tucked in. Don't get me wrong, the food was okay. The broth was creamy, it certainly wasn't thick but then again neither was it particularly thin. I have to say the egg was cooked well, this can always be a risk. I was disappointed with the pork. Thinly sliced and to be honest had a slightly...limp consistency.
Having finished my meal, my attention turned to the bill which, in turn, had me reflect further upon my meal. For £17 I would have expected more bang for my buck. A well cooked egg aside, was this really worth £17? No. For that sort of money I would have expected the full works of tastiness. My pork, thicker cut and flame grilled for example.
Once I had plucked the sesame seed from my beard it was time to leave. Will I return? No. Would I recommend? No.
I know I'm not in Japan anymore but for £17 shouldn't my meal have made me feel like I was? read more