Category Japanese Food
Guide pages on Japanese food
Guide recommendations
Not all the supermarkets in Chinatown have a Japanese section, but Loon Fung on [Gerrard Street]? does, selling sushi rice, nori, wasabi, instant miso soup, and a few pickles.
Recently opened near Charing Cross Station is Wasabi, a pick-n-mix style sushi takeaway.
Hmmm, there are lots of excellent Japanese food places in London. Start with the best, the rather excellent Gonbei (Now closed unfortunately). Sit at the bar and say "feed me" for the most amazing culinary experience of your life (and moneytap to match). For an authentic experience with an seemingly exhaustive menu and a more reasonable impact on the wallet, try Ten Ten Tai.
In Chinatown there is the standard Tokyo Diner, which does generically good food. Their sushi and sashimi has sadly really gone downhill. A few doors down there is Zipangu which is an interesting place. Try to get a seat downstairs in one of the holes for a rather cosy location. Their sushi and sashimi is the best in Chinatown. Up by Oxford Street there are several branches of Soba, a small noodle bar similar to Wagamama, but perhaps not quite as nice.
Up on the Edgware Road there is Oriental City NW9 which has a US-style food court. Shared seating and perhaps 15 or so vendors. Good sushi, sashimi and other Japanese food can be gotten there.
Other places
There's a Benihana in Swiss Cottage. It's basically the same as any other Benihana - Japanese food for tourists more than the Real Thing. Streetmap. There is also one on the King's Road.
Wagamama now has a food allergy table on their website. It lists which menu items are suitable for gluten-free, nut-free, vegan, dairy-intolerant and diabetic-friendly diets.
I've been to Wagamama (the one in Covent Garden) once. It was rather good. (I took some photos.) --Earle
Also in London is the experience of conveyor belt Sushi. There is a chain called Moshi Moshi Sushi, with several branches, including Liverpool Street Station, Canary Wharf. You sit at a bar with a continuous conveyor with different coloured plates of food going past. You help yourself to whatever you fancy as it's going past. The different coloured and patterned plates denote different prices, and the stack of used plates is used to add up the bill.
See also
- The Sushi Infosite (explanations and pictures of the different kinds of sushi)
- Beginners' Tips and Sushi Bar Etiquette from the World Wide Sushi Restaurant Reference
- An animated gif showing how to use chopsticks (scroll down if you can't see it)
- Useful sushi-related phrases from the Sushi World Guide
- Glossary of sushi-related terms from the World Wide Sushi Restaurant Reference
- Sushi World Guide -- London restaurants
- World Wide Sushi Restaurant Reference -- London restaurants
- Eat-Japan.com is devoted to Japanese food and culture, with recipes (including an illustrated sushi making guide), restaurant listings, bookshop and more.