This high-end Asian is found at Japan House London, which is part of a global collection established by the Japanese government to encourage cultural interaction (there are other sites in Los Angeles and Sao Paulo). Japan House London takes up three floors of a Grade II-listed building on Kensington High Street, and Akira can be found on the first. The menu, from chef Shimizu Akira, majors in dishes cooked over a Robata grill, alongside sushi and chargrilled kushiyaki skewers made from wagyu beef, pork, chicken, seafood and vegetables. Rice is prepared in a donabe (clay pot), while cocktails make use of Japanese ingredients, including rare sake, yuzu and shisho. Those in a rush can instead visit the snack stand, which serves Nel Drip coffee, before perusing one of Japan House’s exhibition spaces or the expansive library.