Located at the far end of Charlotte Street, Kazu blends traditional minimalist looks (bare wood, a sushi counter, an open kitchen and severely black-clad staff) with a friendly welcome and some contemporary flourishes on a menu that rarely puts a foot wrong. Sharing plates might bring stir-fried pork belly with kimchi, beef tataki and renkon chips (actually deep-fried lotus root), while agedashi tofu sees lightly fried, barely set beancurd in a delicate broth. Elsewhere, our hamachi (yellowtail) with jalapeño was prettily arranged (we were grateful for the sparing use of the fiery pepper), although nothing could trump the flavour-packed, miso-marinated ‘fisherman’s roll’ wrapped in a fold of seared salmon and packing a wasabi punch. We’re also pleased to report that the menu now offers bigger portions and friendlier prices, with all-in set lunches offering particularly good value for the likes of chicken teriyaki, grilled sea eel and prawn tempura – all served with miso soup, rice, salad and dessert. In short, Kazu’s low-key approach will appeal to diners turned off by the wallet-emptying flash of some other modern Japanese hotspots.