japanese

Dinings is one of my favourite Japanese restaurants in London. Dinings is very different to your average Japanese restaurant as it serves fusion British/ Japanese food, and does it so skillfully I am always amazed. I never thought you could do good British/Japanese fusion food before I went to Dinings, but they do it perfectly, and you almost think this sort of fusion food could rival Japanese food. The food was originally based on the traditional Japanese Izakaya style of cuisine, however since opening 6 years ago Dinings has created a new type of fusion Izakaya food.

There have been a lot of Japanese ramen restaurants opening in London recently, and all in or around Soho – Tonkotsu (MMM), Bone Daddies (MMM) and now Shoryu Ramen, and I find it quite hard to differentiate between them. I personally think Tonkotsu and Bone Daddies have more character to the place (maybe Shoryu Ramen better food) and I was surprised to see how polite and European and sophisticated Shoryu Ramen was.

This is such a gem of a restaurant. Sola has 1 Michelin star and serves fusion French and Japanese food for very reasonable prices (EUR50 for a lunch tasting menu which has 6 courses that could easily be served in a top Michelin star restaurant and for a price you don’t usually see in any Michelin restaurant) it is an absolutely bargain and just wonderful. The main chef is Hiroki Yashitake and he comes from south of Japan and he has worked in many French restaurants around the world before starting in Sola in December 2010 at the age of 30.  Sola is located in the 5th district close to Notre-Dame Cathedral and it is located on a side street so unless you know where to go, chances are you are not going to walk past this place.

This ramen noodle place is one of the reasons why I love Schiphol airport in Amsterdam. A few years ago my friend William recommended that on my way home to London when I am in Schiphol airport I should try this ramen noodle place called “noodles”, and ever since every time I am in Schiphol airport I go there (I once almost missed a flight as I had to stop at the noodle place before my flight). The place is like a hut, it is not a restaurant, but just literally a hut serving noodles, with little models of different noodle soups you can order at the front behind a glass window so you can see and chose, which is great, as you always know what you are going to get. London has had a recent “noodle craze” with a lot of noodle restaurants opening up, but this place has been there for years.

Sushi Tetsu is the most amazing and homely and sweet sushi place in London, and I really want to work hard and earn loads of money just so I can afford to go there more. Sushi Tetsu has been named one of the best new restaurants in London by the Hardens guide and received recognition from various other food critics and it is located in Clarkenwell on a small alley way and run by a husband and wife, Harumi and Toru Takahashi. The husband is the sushi chef and the wife does everything else from welcoming you, to taking your order and to washing the dishes. The place only seats 7 people, as the sushi chef physically cant make more sushi for more people, so it is extremely cozy in the room as you sit by the sushi counter and watch the husband make sushi.