Kikuchi – Again. A second bite

It was rather remiss of me not to try the sashimi at the time of my first review of Kikuchi. Please excuse me. But the time has come to share the good word.

Kikuchi has now become a regular haunt when we crave good, local Japanese food. Or the bustling atmosphere of Tokyo. Or a night on the sake.

So, we’ve been diligently saving up our vouchers from each visit (£5 for every £50 you spend) and recently had a big blow out which the neighbours of Hanway Street are still talking about.

So, I won’t rave on (and on...) (again...) about Kikuchi (see my earlier review for more details). But I will say there’s a big difference between bad sushi and good sushi. This stuff’s good. The happy hoards of Japanese business men crowding the room are a testament to the fact. Sit in front of the cartoon character-like sushi bar man, knock back some sake or Japanese beers and watch as the chef’s selection of deliciously fresh slithers of fish, lush flavours, and slippery smooth textures are lavished up on you. Bless him.

The nasu dengaku (aubergine grilled with miso sauce) is another essential for us. The miso caramelises in the grilling process over the smoky aubergine – scoop it out, sit back and luxuriate in the sweetness. If you don’t normally like aubergine, this is the one to convert you.

And I always like to finish off with some cold buckwheat noodles (soba) which come with a side of spicy dipping sauce (often bland, but delectable here). There are reportedly over 30,000 soba restaurants in Japan. Soba noodles have been eaten in Japan for over 400 years, and it is a distinguished Japanese art to perfect them so they stay firm, slippery and intact. Close your eyes, slurp loudly and wallow in the traditions behind your feast.

It’s all wonderful, and you’ll even feel healthy* when you finish (*depending on beer consumption).

Book ahead, and don’t forget the £20 minimum food spend (plus drinks/service).

Kikuchi, 14 Hanway Street, London W1T 1UD

Bincho Yakitori, Soho (London)

When dining Tokyo, it is traditional to be greeted as you walk in the door by an entire roomful of waiters with an enthusiastic "IrasshaimaSEEEEEE!!". It is important that you anticipate this welcome and the significant volume at which it is shrieked (1) to avoid a frequent change of underwear, and (2) to fully appreciate the level of service provided by Japanese dining establishments, where the customer is truly king.

Bincho Yakitori brings a Londonised Japanese izakaya experience to Soho. In Tokyo, izakayas are usually fun little bars closeted away behind unlabeled doorways in dark, forbidding alleys or among the murky depths of the underground metro system. Climb a narrow staircase and you will find yourself sitting before a grill drinking Sapporo beers and watching your dinner being charcoaled to perfection by a man in a bandana.

Bincho brings the flavours, style and the cooking prowess to Soho, but its brazen location on busy Old Compton Street (formerly in the Oxo Tower) and its less intimate setting detract from the full authenticity of the experience. However, while we didn't have the living daylights scared out of us by the traditional welcome greeting, our waitress was helpful and absolutely lovely. We entrusted her with the pivotal task of selecting our copious supply of dishes for the evening.

And so this became the story, not of Tokyo, but of an American, 3 Dutch persons, 2 Australians and an Englishwoman in London. An introduction that sounds like it needs a punchline (what, no Irishman?), but the tale is serious one of feasting on the good stuff and swilling our sake to excess.

Yakitori are grilled chicken skewers, while kushiyuku cover all other skewer varieties. Generally, they are cooked with salt and lemon, or a tasty "tare" sauce (comprised of sake, mirin, soy and sugar) which they are dipped into during the grilling process.

Our delicious array included pork belly (fatty goodness), tebasaki (this may be the only time I will ever recommend chicken wings), aigamo (duck breast, spring onion and wasabi - yes, lovely), salmon, cherry tomato and bacon, chicken and bacon, gorgeous perfectly grilled asparagus, and giant eringi mushrooms which were so scrumptious that, if a mushroom could ever beat a piece of meat, might even have been my favourite dish.

The only oddity arrived in the form of the yuba salad consisting of spinach leaves, grated cheese (or was this the yuba? - dried bean curd) and bacon. Call it what you will, it was basically a caesar salad.

Along with a constant supply of moreish edamame, Asahi beers, a flask of sake (for Greedy) and an impressive flow of wine bottles, we also shared some scrumptious rice bowls - tori yaki meshi - rice with chicken and mushroom (silky and nutty flavoured).

The Greedy Diva always finds the atmosphere is somewhat lost when one moves away from sitting at the bar, gullet poised near the grills, in establishments such as this. However, it's just not feasible for large groups and unfortunately we were down in the dungeon next to the loos. This is my only real criticism of the place (apart from the offending salad), which appears tiny from the street but seems to have lots of hidden pockets in which to sup. If I was going again, I would try to nab a seat at the bar or a table upstairs, although if you have enough sake and lovely food, it doesn't really matter.

I had walked past Bincho before and wasn't overly drawn to it. So thanks Ray, my trusty Tokyophile, for the tip!  Arigatoo GozaimashiTAAAA!

Bincho Yakitori, 16 Old Compton Street, Soho, W1D 4TL