Misato

You’ll often find customers queuing out the door of this cafeteria-style Japanese restaurant: portions are huge and the food is pretty good.

It’s a no-frills spot, with minimal decor and tables close together. Service is fast and friendly, and the menu has old-school photos of every dish, just in case you don’t know what udon noodles are. The menu ranges from sushi and bento boxes, to large rice dishes, katsu curry and noodle soups, and it’s ridiculously good value for this part of town.

Come with a friend (or two). The epic rice portions are big enough to share and leave customers audibly sighing with satisfaction as they push their empty plates away. Tempura udon soup had a light and complex dashi broth with tender, slurpy noodles and iconic slices of swirly narutomaki fish-cake garnish. Grilled salted mackerel (saba shio) was a highlight, as the crisp skin held beautifully moist flesh with a light soy dressing.

Tori karaage was essentially just deep-fried chicken – but the thick crust had a sake and soy-infused sweetness that was mildly addictive, especially when dipped in homemade mayonnaise. Only seafood dumplings and vegetable tempura were faintly disappointing: they were crisp, just a little on the bland side. (Side note: they seem to serve everything with iceberg lettuce here.)

Misato is cash only, no reservations, but busy any time of day. It’s worth muscling your way in though for a great, cheap evening out in Soho.