Restaurants

Asakusa is crammed every evening. The young Camden crowd, Japanese and otherwise, don’t come for the frankly rather dingy, ‘squat-chic’ decor; they come for the low prices and the food, which is generally very good. Relentlessly cheerful servers bear constant smiles and a willingness to help decipher the menu. This makes few concessions to readability, but lists a staggering array of inviting victuals. Teishoku (set meals) make a decent starting point. Our mixed tempura (fat prawns and various veg) was hot and crisp. Sushi (juicy eel maki) and sashimi (yellowtail) are of a high standard and there’s a varied range. Small dishes are difficult to resist; our beef tataki wasn’t the most tender meat in town, but had plenty of flavour and was nicely presented. Buta kakuni, a slow-cooked pork belly dish, was rich and warming with an appetisingly sweet undertone, but we’d have liked it cooked a bit more, until it fell apart under the pressure of chopsticks. Most customers stick to large-format bottles of beer or tea, but there’s saké on the drinks list too. Book ahead if you’re after a ground-floor table; otherwise, it’s down to the basement.

Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2009