Koya

Located on the very trendy Frith Street in Soho, adjacent to Mooli’s (see post below), is Koya. This restaurant presents itself as a rarity in London for a couple of reasons, 1) its affordable Japanese!!! 2) its Japanese food without the pretentious ambiance and snooty staff, 3) did I mention it’s cheap?

Right, so onto the food. I will admit, my friend and I did completely missed the point of eating at an Udon (type of thick wheatflour noodle) place by ordering donburi (rice dishes). What can I say, the Indian in me cannot be suppressed. But I did regret my decision (somewhat) when I saw all the tables around me get served some very delicious looking hot and cold Udon.

I opted for the Kamodon which is rice with duck…

…and my friend went for the Ten Curry Don which is basically white sticky rice topped with curry garnished with a massive prawn tempura. This dish looked like a work of art, almost too beautiful to eat...almost.

Both dishes were served with a bowl of piping hot miso, which was very delectable.

The Kamodon was interesting and I don’t mean this in an euphemistic sense. I’ve never tasted duck like this before- it was coated with some sort of batter but not fried. So it retained its yummy duck flavour but had a rather peculiar texture. I wasn’t completely sold on it, but then again that might have been because I was expecting a crispy, roast duck. Yes, I know Chinese and Japanese cuisine are worlds apart. Anyway, like I said before, you might be better off ordering udon here. The Kinoko-Hiya Atsu (cold udon served with hot broth) which is a mushrooms with walnut miso was clocked for next time.

My friend’s dish which was simply delicious. The curry was typical of Japanese cuisine- flavourful without being spicy. The crispy texture of the tempura contrasted beautifully with the mushiness of the rice. Definitely worth ordering if you’re sure you don’t want to try the udon. OK, I’m done reemphasizing what an idiot I was to not order the friggin udon.

There's a certain aesthetic charm that extends itself beyond the food at Koya. The simple wooden tables, the wall-hung wooden panel menu boards, the handwritten specials board all add to the unmissable wabi-sabi of the place.

Koya delivers what it promises- simple and authentic Japanese fare that makes you want to come back for more.

Little word of advise- make reservations. Word has gotten out and this place always has a queue outside.

Check them out- http://www.koya.co.uk/