Edokko

Given the influx of ultra-fashionable Japanese restaurants, it’s easy to forget the more humble eateries quietly & consistently plying their trade around London. Long-serving Edokko offers a bona-fide experience: it’s dark & tiny, with most diners sitting cross-legged & shoeless on tatami mats or with their legs dangling in a sunken ‘footwell’. As for the food, the emphasis is on quality: sashimi is ultra-fresh & thick-cut, though there have been gripes over steep prices. For real value, order the meaty grilled eel, tender beef teriyaki or something from the udon list – including the rarely seen nabekayi (a noodle & vegetable dish cooked in a ‘nabe’, or metal pot). Language problems can be an issue, but smiling & pointing always goes a long way.