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Abeno Too

17-18 Great Newport Street, WC2H 7JE Full details & map

Café: Japanese

Time Out says 5 Users say 3/5 Rate it

By Time Out Editors Posted: Oct 20 2011

Nicknamed 'Osaka soul food' because of its popularity in the Kansai region of Honshu, Japan's main island, okonomiyaki is akin to Spanish tortilla, but with shredded cabbage dominating the eggy base instead of potato.

At Abeno, pioneer of this specialism in Europe, you can order typical Japanese side dishes too; the standout is asparagus and tiger prawn gyoza. There are also not-so-typical combinations of egg and noodles (om-soba) or rice and noodles (soba-rice) - Atkins dieters, beware.

But the main event is to select fillings as simple as pork or as outlandish as mushroom, lotus root and cheese, then watch the mixture cooked ('yaki') as you like it ('okonomi') on a hotplate at your table. Service comes with a smile, plus advice on sauces, fish flakes and seaweed sprinkles. The result is comfort food that each diner can help themselves to with their own knife-edged spatula. You may want to decline generous spirals of mayonnaise and okonomiyaki sauce to let the fresh, flavoursome ingredients speak for themselves.

The simple menu is matched by no-frills surroundings: cream walls, brushed steel panels, and hollow bench seating in which customers can stow valuables. It's a relatively good-value option too - if you don't succumb to the temptation of fillet steak teppanyaki or the Kansai special mix.

Tags: Asian, Japanese, Creative cooking, Something different, Central, Covent Garden, Budget, Snack bar/Fast food, Restaurant, Café

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Abeno Too details

Address

Abeno Too

17-18 Great Newport Street WC2H 7JE

Transport Leicester Square tube

Telephone

020 7379 1160

Abeno Too website

Meals served noon-11pm Mon-Sat; noon-10pm Sun

Main courses £9-£24. Set lunch (Mon-Fri) £9.80-£19.80

Credit cards MC, V

Facilities

Babies and children welcome ( high chairs ), Bookings not accepted, Takeaway service

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Comments & ratings 3/5 (Average of 5 ratings)

By Grrrr - Jan 7 2012

2/5

Interesting experience, but extremely expensive for what it is!! I think paying 10 to 20 pounds for what is essentially an omelette is a joke. Miso soup for 3.50 really!!! This style of food is cheap street food in japan, so its odd that this place is so up market with there prices. I mean cabbage, eggs, noodles and bacon are cheap bog standard ingredients, how classy can you really make it. I was a bit miffed when I ordered the pork okonomiyaki and they gave me bacon. One scoop for the green tea ice cream is a little tight I think, when it costs 3.50. There is this great stall at the sunday up-market on brick lane that sells these for 4 to 5 pounds!!

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By m923 - Jun 26 2011

2/5

it suppose to be just a snack and it's too expensive and too hot and too slow...

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By Jo - Apr 2 2011

2/5

Yummy pancakes, and it's great that they cook them in front of you, however I found the customer service very disappointing. They also had the wrong prices on their menu in the window, it was more expensive inside!