Image Credit: Bycent Chwang
Well-informed Asians (Me), and those who like Japanese food but don’t have an arm and a leg to spare for the average London price, know that there is one steadfast option in the city which can always be relied upon. I am, of course, not talking about SushiDog (of which it must be said, I carry a certain fondness), but about Eat Tokyo, a Japanese food chain that has provided me quality sustenance and most importantly, loads of it.
With several branches around the UCL campus (the closest being just a brief walk away in Soho), I have found myself making the journey in between lectures more often than I’d care to admit. The situation is not helped by their generous lack of service charge at lunchtime, a sparkling rarity in London and the resultant crushing peer pressure from other Eat Tokyo enjoyers to return. Who could blame us? The food? Delicious. The price? Affordable. As a man who has so often been disappointed, not by how the food tastes, but by the hollow grumbling of my stomach, leaving a restaurant feeling full elevates the experience a hundredfold.
For people visiting for the first time, I encourage you not to be perturbed by the colossal menu that is clunked down like a brick at your table. The assortment of bento boxes all arrive with a side of miso soup so piping hot you could cook the sashimi in it – something I have blasphemously attempted – please don’t follow me – I’m a bad example. The staple though, which has brought me and my friends back time and again, is the Katsu curry. Having once made the mistake of ordering the large instead of the regular, and being subsequently confronted with more food than I’d ever seen, it is the ultimate option for those like me who cherish feeling truly full. When I say the menu is colossal, I make no exaggeration; there are also a variety of smaller sushi rolls for anyone who isn’t looking to stuff their faces. Although be warned, the cost of buying individual sushi is somewhat greater, even with the lack of a service charge.
So next time you need a cheat meal, or you’ve been through every sandwich in the student centre café and want real flavour, pop on down to their Soho branch and have a look for yourself. I’ll take the inevitable waddle back up to campus as an endorsement of my recommendation, and confirmation of a good time had.