Marufuku

Although usually the speciality of Korean restaurants, Marufuku adds a Japanese slant to the DIY meatgrilling experience.

The first thing you’ll notice at this ordered restaurant is the size of the grills – the surface area of each one isn’t much bigger than a shoe box.

As a result, to stave off hunger, a steady meat-grilling production line needs to be maintained to satisfy a group of four or more.

As for the meat itself, beef tongue (49RMB) and fatty pork (39RMB) are presented in small, manageable medallions that brown easily on the grill and maintain that all importantnot-too-chewy consistency.

The radish (7RMB) and garlic (5RMB) sauces make for lively condiments, and the assorted vegetables (20RMB), which include cabbage, sweet potato and onions, add a light touch to such a meaty feast.

Unable to totally ignore the value of Korean cuisine in this setting, Marufuku’s kimchi (15RMB) is heavily spiced, but its paste is too thick.

The replacing of the grill plate, which happens with annoying regularity at other joints, is blissfully infrequent – it’s exchanged once during the entire meal.

Food aside, the feel of the restaurant is explicitly Japanese, from the Japanese students waiting the tables to the shochu bottles that line the windows.

Portion sizes are not excessive, and for a meat-heavy meal that’s not going to leave you feeling disgusted with yourself, this place could be the perfect spot. Simon Fowler