The West End welcomed us again as we headed to Tokyo Diner via an aborted visit to Japan Centre [1] I had been to Tokyo Diner before and was a fan of the simplicity of the food and menu - I am not sure it has ever changed. The restaurant has been going for a while and, strangely for Japanese restaurants in London, was not staffed by Japanese people but a mixture of nationalities although they did still use smatterings of Japanese in speech with the ritualised greetings and goodbyes. I think this is the kind of thing that makes some people doubt the quality and "authenticity" of the food without trying it which does annoy [2] me a little. Although it is difficult of things that don't annoy me a little.
Of course, we both ordered gyudon and the sides, this time, were tofu and broccoli. As we had both eaten here before, we were kind of aware of how the sides would be which meant fairly basic but solid. I enjoyed them both with their subtle, simple flavours.
The gyudon tasted quite different from each of those we had already eaten and it wasn't clear straight away as to whether it was good or not. Visually, it looked right as it wasn't too dark and the beef looked suitably stringy. It was, however, not quite right and the meat itself was a little flaky like tuna which made the whole dish feel a bit weird.
I like Tokyo Diner and the service and selection is very good overall. It is located really conveniently near Leicester Square on the edge of Chinatown so is a good place to meet. The gyudon wasn't what we wanted and the flakiness of the meat was just not the right texture for us but the restaurant as a whole is definitely a recommended "starter" Japanese place. It is odd because the sides were also not great (although they were good) so it is odd to recommend but this is based on much of the rest of the menu which is quite decent and is very easy to eat. The restaurant is very welcoming and the staff are helpful and friendly with an ambience that lets you linger.The menu is written in a charming way and there is a clear sign that tips[3] are not expected nor accepted and if for nothing else, that is reason enough to support the restaurant.
Cost of gyudon: £9.30
2 Newport Pl, London WC2H 7JP
1. The initial plan was to have gyudon from Japan Centre but a misunderstanding of what was in the menu meant a reallocation and a walk over to Tokyo Diner.↩
2. As does this idea that restaurants on holiday must be good if they have lots of “locals” in there. So does Burger King, why does that rationale not work for Burger King?↩
3. The dishes are arguably a little more expensive than they would otherwise be so the total amount paid is similar but is much more transparent. In Japan, it is not often that you pay service charges - the food itself includes that price.↩
