Can somebody from England help?

Kirie_Maiden · 12 Mar 2007

I have looked for Japanese restaurants in my area, and all I found were sushi places. Considering I hate regular fish, this isn't too helpful for me. I don't care where, but can somebody please let me know if there are any Japanese food places in England that AREN'T sushi?

If anybody can name some in the Manchester area, that would be helpful.

undrentide · 12 Mar 2007

I'm not from England but I found those pages on the net.
If you don't like fish, how about yakitori - small pieces of meat (mainly chicken but sometimes other meat and vegetables) on a think bamboo skewer?
Manchester | 1,035 restaurants on OpenTable
http://www.manchester2002-uk.com/eat&drink/restaurants/japanese/japanese.html

Karamuucho · 12 Mar 2007

Kirie_Maiden said:
I don't care where, but can somebody please let me know if there are any Japanese food places in England that AREN'T sushi?

Well, I don't know any in Manchester...

In London though, a little further along Finchley Road Station, past the 02 center, there's a small place called Taro. They do Yakiniku (Korean born Japanese style barbequeue) as well as noodles and other non-sushi Japanese food. There's also the food court in Oriental City in Colindale but I hear some American guy bought the place and is going to tear it down, then again it's also not in Manchester, lol.

Sorry I can't be of any more use, but any of the others on this forum and are in London can go to the above, hehe.

Kirie_Maiden · 12 Mar 2007

undrentide: Thanks a lot. That's really helpful.

Karamuuchi - Thanks. I'll check those out next time I am in London.

made of stone · 12 Mar 2007

I don't know anything about Japanese restaurants in Manchester, alas, but if you google you can find places like the ones undrentide kindly posted about.

I live near London, so i'm lucky enough to eat good Japanese food whenever I like.

Taro is quite easy to find - it's a chain, and i've been to the one in Soho. I thought it was more of a western version of Japanese food - for example the Katsu is only chicken!! - and the staff members who served us couldn't understand Japanese, even the names of the dishes on the menu!

Osatsuma near Piccadilly in London has much better food imo, very tasty, a little truer to Japanese cuisine, and quite cheap and big portions (But the service is pretty lazy!)

There is a lovely independent Japanese restaurant called Soho (I think) near Oxford Circus. All home-cooked food, real Japanese grub, and a nice place where they sometimes have live music. The lunch menu is pretty reasonable, and my beloved takoyaki even features:

here's the website

Other than that there's a restaurant n the basement of Mitsukoshi departmen store near Piccadilly that does nice, traditiona set lunches, a little bit pricier. I've only ever seen Japanese eating in there - it's been like being back in Japan

Oh nd the Japan Centre on Piccadilly itself has a cafe, and there's a Japanese fast-food place opposite - lots of Japanese restaurants round there, near the Japanese Embassy.

best of luck in Manchester, let us know what you find up there!

from a now-very-hungry made of stone

:gohan:

pipokun · 12 Mar 2007

It seems a Japanese foods company opens their shop twice a month in Manchester. (They also open them at Cardiff, Derby, Chester, and Telford)
T.K. Trading

Lymm High School
Oughtrington Lane, Lymm
Cheshire WA13 0RB
Language Centre, Room M3

17 March
10:30-13:30
*4ﾅ椎ｽﾋ?按降窶堙娯?愿ｺ窶凖ｶ窶堙俄?堙や?堋ｫ窶堙懌?堋ｵ窶堙??堙債、ﾅ津｣窶愿ｺ窶堋ｨ窶冦窶堙ｧ窶堋ｹ窶堋｢窶堋ｽ窶堋ｵ窶堙懌?堋ｷﾂ。
*The shedule after April will be notified later

I think cheaper rice wine and soy sauce would be available at Asian markets.
So powdered dashi soup stock, kelp and/or kelp&bonito, may be your choice at the shop.

Ra-oh, an instant noodle cup, GBP3.74...

Robster · 13 Mar 2007

If you're looking for a good Japanese place Wagamamas is great. (Though I have a feeling that the dishes may not be true to Japanese recipes). Even so the food is really nice, they do Ramen and Udon mostly but there is some other stuff as well, such as curry. The site is on google, just search Wagamamas. I would link you it but I can't at such a low amount of posts. Also if anyone could tell me how close to true recipes Wagamamas is I would be very interested.

Kirie_Maiden · 13 Mar 2007

Yay! Thank you all!!! I'll be checking those out.

made of stone · 13 Mar 2007

You are most welcome, Kirie_Maiden!

Robster said:
Also if anyone could tell me how close to true recipes Wagamamas is I would be very interested.

Firstly, welcome to the board Robster, very nice to meet you here!

Wagamama's is their own 'interpretation' of Japanese food. I guess you could call it a 'fusion' food in a sense, rather than Japanese. Taro is rather more authentic, and more like an Izakaya in atmosphere. But you're very right to recommend Wagamama - the food is fresh and tasty, the atmosphere's nice and relaxed, and the staff are professional.

I'd say that Osatsuma's the most Japanese in taste, followed by Taro and then Wagamama (which is the only one of the three not to call itself a Japanese restaurant). O and W are both pretty cheap, and great value. Taro can be expensive depending on your order.

For a truly authentic taste of Japan, though, you have to visit Mitsukoshi or Soho (the restaurant) as i wrote. There must be others in London (I know a great sashimi place also near Piccadilly) but those are the ones i've tried and liked a lot.

Enjoy!

Robster · 14 Mar 2007

Hehe thanks, it's good to know I'm not getting somthing that pretends to be somthing it isn't. But cheap ? Well depends on your income...

made of stone · 14 Mar 2007

Robster mate, you could probably beg enough for a three-course dinner for two in half an hour right outside Wagamama. If you're a skint student...

gotta get creative!!

<edit>

I must say for legal reasons that made of stone in no way endorses imitation begging in any sense, shape, or form, even if it is to fund a delicious three-course dinner for two at Wagamama...

MiaCarlax · 14 Mar 2007

Theres a japanese restraunt in Liverpool, not far from manchester I guess
I cant remember the name but its near seel street and is quite big.
It has a noodle bar and proper restraunt, with an open plan kitchen so you can see your food being cooked!

And I know you said you dont like sushi, but whenever Im in manchester I always go yo sushi, just for lunch. I dont like sushi either, theres loads of different things you can have on request!

Good luck finding a nice place near you!

Robster · 15 Mar 2007

made of stone said:
Robster mate, you could probably beg enough for a three-course dinner for two in half an hour right outside Wagamama. If you're a skint student...

Mmmm where did I leave my sign....

Taiko666 · 15 Mar 2007

Kirie_Maiden said:
I have looked for Japanese restaurants in my area, and all I found were sushi places. Considering I hate regular fish, this isn't too helpful for me. I don't care where, but can somebody please let me know if there are any Japanese food places in England that AREN'T sushi?
If anybody can name some in the Manchester area, that would be helpful.

Sorry- although I lived in the north west for a long time, that predated my interest in Japan, so I can only recommend some places in my native London. If you're ever in the smoke, please head for Marylebone Lane (not Marylebone Road.) There, on the left hand side (if travelling north from Oxford St) you'll find a fantastic little Japanese restaurant whose name escapes me. In fact, you'll also find a Japanese hairdressers called J Moriyama, where you can chat in Japanese while getting a great cut and massage. And if you're there on a Wednesday, head down the lane to Bond St station. Very nearby you'll find a pub called the Spread Eagle. In the upstairs room you'll find a Japanese / English conversation club called Hashi no Kai
A little further east, Brewer St (off Picaddilly Circus) has lots of Japanese noodle bars and a J-supermarket.
And of course, there's a great Wagamama just off Leicester Sq.

And there's a very good isakaya in Tottenham Ct Rd, in a basement on the left as you walk north from Oxford St - sorry, forgotten that name too (>_<)

Kirie_Maiden · 18 Mar 2007

thanks. I'll keep that in mind for the next time I'm in London. I am going to beg my brother to take me to watch Phantom of the Opera (my second time), so hopefully I will be down there... but I doubt it. Haha. I will keep this post in mind though and visit those places some time.

made of stone · 19 Mar 2007

Taiko666 said:
Sorry- although I lived in the north west for a long time, that predated my interest in Japan, so I can only recommend some places in my native London. If you're ever in the smoke, please head for Marylebone Lane (not Marylebone Road.) There, on the left hand side (if travelling north from Oxford St) you'll find a fantastic little Japanese restaurant whose name escapes me. In fact, you'll also find a Japanese hairdressers called J Moriyama, where you can chat in Japanese while getting a great cut and massage. And if you're there on a Wednesday, head down the lane to Bond St station. Very nearby you'll find a pub called the Spread Eagle. In the upstairs room you'll find a Japanese / English conversation club called Hashi no Kai
A little further east, Brewer St (off Picaddilly Circus) has lots of Japanese noodle bars and a J-supermarket.
And of course, there's a great Wagamama just off Leicester Sq.
And there's a very good isakaya in Tottenham Ct Rd, in a basement on the left as you walk north from Oxford St - sorry, forgotten that name too (>_<)

Excellent tips, Taiko, many thanks!

I will hunt down one or two of your recommendations next time i'm in London

The English conversation club sounds interesting, I may go along if I can get over the embarrassment of my appalling (and fast-fading!) Japanese. Perhaps i'll tell them I only spent a year in Japan (the minimum required for entry...)

Taiko666 · 23 Mar 2007

made of stone said:
Excellent tips, Taiko, many thanks!
I will hunt down one or two of your recommendations next time i'm in London
The English conversation club sounds interesting, I may go along if I can get over the embarrassment of my appalling (and fast-fading!) Japanese. Perhaps i'll tell them I only spent a year in Japan (the minimum required for entry...)

Hi - glad to be of service! Don't worry about being embarrassed about you language skills in Hashi no Kai- when I first went I could only say a few words- just enjoy the company (and the beer!) It was after meeing some Japanese people in that place that I was introduced to a 'kakure ga' bar in Brewer St - an incredibly cool 'secret' Japanese bar above a noodle shop that stayed open till dawn. Sadly, it's no more, but I'm still in touch with the owner.

made of stone · 24 Mar 2007

Thanks again, Taiko sama!

You encourage me greatly to get in touch with those folks and pop along for some beers

I lived in Japan for six years, so i'm sure i'd be ok. It's just that I never formally studied, just picked things up through immersion. By the time I left I was pretty good at Japanese, but the way I learnt means that in the three years since I left i'm almost back to zero (well not quite, but it sure feels like it!)

Also, the website looked pretty strict about who they let in, and didn't seem particularly welcoming or friendly. Anyway, thanks again for the recommendation - I think i'll try it and just try to keep the himitsu that I spent quite so long in Japan!

:smoke:

Can somebody from England help?

Kirie_Maiden

Rope Shrine Maiden

undrentide

Japa'n vagyok

Karamuucho

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Kirie_Maiden

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made of stone

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pipokun

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Robster

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Kirie_Maiden

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made of stone

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Robster

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made of stone

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MiaCarlax

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Robster

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Taiko666

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Kirie_Maiden

Rope Shrine Maiden

made of stone

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Taiko666

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made of stone

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