Category:Bistro
Koya –a recently opened Japanese restaurant in the middle of Soho predominantly serving udon - is clearly an enrichment for the London restaurant scene
Udon are thick (and VERY long making them a real challenge to eat) wheat flour noodles. According to the rather enthusiastic review on timeout they are made daily on the premises which apparently takes 5 hours…another interesting detail which should not put you off though is the fact that udon at Koya are kneaded –in the traditional way –with feet. I don’t really want to picture this but I am sure it follows Health and Safety Regulations…
I never before have had udon at a specialised udon place so I was mainly confused when reading the menu:hot udon with hot broth,cold udon with hot broth,cold udon with cold broth to dip,cold udon with broth to pour…and all of these option with different ingredients and toppings. There was a whole new udon world opening up in front of me!
One important piece of information before I get started on the food:do not go there on your first or second date,unless you want to get rid off your paramour. Eating udon is a big mess. We were making fun of the little Japanese boy eating his noodles opposite us until we got our own. We were doing so much worse! These noodles are so damn long,I wonder if there is a way to eat them without major embarrassment? But it’s also fun. And it’s addictive. I read somewhere that apparently you are allowed to slurp while eating udon,but I am still not sure if this would be such a good idea for a first date.
We had Kinoko Hiya Atsu (10.50):Cold udon were served on a little bamboo basket with seaweed flakes on top. The udon were very moreish indeed –they actually don’t taste of much,it’s more the texture that makes them so lovely,kind of soft while still being chewy and slippery in a nice way (very hard to describe,I think you have to go to find out for yourself). With it came a delicious hot broth with mushrooms and –on a little plate –walnut miso. This was lovely and sweet and nutty and actually reminded me of honey with walnuts that I used to love as a kid. I am not sure how we were supposed to eat it (put it all together? eat it separately?) and unfortunately the waitress’English was not good enough to explain.
The Hiyashi Saba (9.50) which basically are cold udon (in a bowl) served with salty and succulent grilled mackerels,green leaves,sprouts and some wasabi. You get some cold sauce with it that you have to pour over. It was very good. In fact is was so good that I could not stop eating not only my portion but also N.’s leftovers. And if had not finally run out of noodles I would probably still be eating.
Several things though I was not so pleased about. Firstly it is not that cheap. We paid 4 pounds for a tiny seaweed salad and also 4 pounds for an equally tiny glass of wine. 10.50 for a bowl of noodles? I don’t know if this is fully justified,also because the restaurant itself doesn’t deliver a huge amount of atmosphere.
Although it could be cheaper and the non-booking policy means you have to queue,I will certainly return as I am hooked. I want more udon. Now!
- Food: 7.5/10
- Ambiance: 6/10
- Service:6/10
- Value for money: 6.5/10
- Chances of returning: 80%
- Verdict:very pleasurable Japanese cuisine that everybody should experience at least once.
Würde gerne mit dir dahin gehen
))
[...] of us ideally should have within 5 minutes of work.For other cheap Japanese places in Soho,try Koya for amazing udon,Tokyo Diner for katsu or Kyoto Sushi for sushi.You may also like:No Related [...]