Koo

There’s more to Ludlow than Michelin stars. Mari Kure’s intimate & friendly Japanese restaurant is well worth seeking out for Japan’s biggest culinary export, sushi – as well as gyoza, vegetable tempura, miso chicken, yaki niku (stir-fried beef in a fruity sauce) & unusual vegetable sides such as kimpira gobo (burdock cooked with sesame oil, chilli, soy sauce & mirin). It’s a flexible formula that’s proved very popular: Thursday to Saturday, a short-choice, four-course set (including sushi) is offered for £22.55, while three courses (minus the sushi) is available for £18.95 on Tuesday & Wednesday. This is good Japanese home cooking & given the decent-value prices, the ingredients are more interesting than you might expect.