After walking around Picadilly trying to find a restaurant called Toku with little success and getting hungrier by the minute, I ended up giving up and heading to Kingly Street to try another one called Ramen Seto. I’d been past it several times before on the way to Donzoko and I’ve never been able to work out if it was authentic or not, sometimes full of Japanese people, and many other times full with obviously not Japanese people. The restaurant is pretty small, maybe fitting about 20 people though since it was quite late by the time I got there, the lunch rush would have been over.

The menu offers a standard selection of Japanese dishes including sushi, tempura, gyoza, some “don” dishes, and of course ramen. Since I always like to try the quality of sushi, I ordered a sea bass nigiri sushi in addition to the Pork Katsu Curry and Miso Soup set. I really can’t say that the sushi was anything very special though I was suitably impressed that they’d put a slight touch of wasabi between the rice and fish – something that more Westernised places tend not to do. A table next to me had the gyoza dish and each of them looked plump and very satisfying.

The pork katsu curry arrived with the miso soup shortly after. The soup was well made though maybe a little bit salty and had just the right amounts of tofu and spring onions. The pork katsu dish looked impressive with a huge mountain of rice surrounded by a pool of curry sauce and the pork katsu. Unfortunately the katsu was disappointingly overcooked and even drenchings of curry sauce didn’t make it any more moist.

I’m not sure if I would go back to Ramen Seto since it wasn’t particularly impressed by anything and there are plenty more Japanese restaurants to try in the area. Oh, and if you’re wondering the Asian waitresses are definitely not Japanese after over hearing them speak to one another.

Details: Ramen Seto
Found on: 19 Kingly Street, London, W1B 5PY
Contactable on: 0871 3328396
Highlights: Sushi was pretty much on par with Yo Sushi and a decent menu offering. Gyoza looked pretty impressive.
Room for improvement: Over cooked pork katsu
The Kua Rating: 6 out of 10

A couple of weeks back I finally caught up with Ben, Michelle, Gerrod and Kristy at the very enjoyable The Gate restaurant out at Hammersmith. When I trialled Vegetarianism back in January, this place had been on my must-do list although dropped off quickly as the month and the rest of the year flew by. Since it was a place quite close to everyone else, I thought it’d be a great spot to wine, dine and have a nice chat.

The restaurant is in the midst of a bright and airy converted loft, although the building looks like part church. Tables inside this lovely dining space are limited so make sure you book early and with proper numbers to ensure a spot especially on weekends. The menu is uniquely different and takes a step away from being your classic vegetarian foods. Their recipes mix and match lots of different vegetables to achieve fantastic tasting combinations. My starter, the Butternut and Cashew Samosa had the perfect blend of sweetness and crunchiness that was really moreish. Thankfully I held back my temptation to have more as my Aubergine Teriyaki dish arrived at the same time. According to their menu, it’s:

grilled aubergine crumbed & layered with coriander pesto, roasted red pepper, plum tomatoes & horseradish, served with stir-fried noodles

and a very enjoyable different dish at that. The aubergine was crispy on the outside, with its surprisingly sweet filling and the small kick from the horseradish.

To finish off, I could not resist the temptation of the Lavender Creme Brulee. Not one to rarely refuse dessert, I’m very glad it didn’t really cross my mind since not only was the custard perfectly set, and the top caramelised to the right amount, but the unique flavour of Lavender really shone through. As Gerrod mentioned, it was

“like a Creme Brulee and an air freshener put together, but in a good way.”

The menu is not exactly your everyday, run of the mill food and although prices reflect their uniqueness, is quite worth it for the appropriate occasion. I’d definitely go back there again someday!

Details: The Gate, not to be confused by the dozen other “The Gate” places around London
Found on: 51 Queen Caroline Street, Hammersmith, W6 9QL
Contactable on: 020 8748 6932
Highlights: Amazing combinations of really flavoursome vegetarian foods and plenty of options to choose from. The dining room is a really spacious lofty room that gives enough privacy though still feels very buzzing with the number of diners. You can also buy a cookbook to try out some of their recipes at home.
Room for improvement: A well deserved reputation means not enough tables so book ahead. Prices are quite expensive for vegetarian though I still think worth it.
The Kua Rating: 8.5 out of 10

If you want something fast and relatively affordable, then perhaps Soho Pizzeria is for you. A West End Italian restaurant that apparently is popular with lots of locals, this venue also offers live music (lots of Jazz) on most nights of the week. Pizza and pasta offerings are fairly average, though with prices starting at just over a fiver and most other dishes well below eight quid there’s not too much to complain about.

They offer an extensive wine list although be warned it’s obvious they must must quiet a bit from the non-alcoholic drinks (£1.75 for a 250mL juice!). Being an Italian restaurant, this restaurant also offers a decent range of desserts including Tiramisu and a rather disappointing frozen block of Cassata.

Details: Soho Pizzeria
Found on: 16-18 Beak Street, London W1F 9RD
Contactable on: 020 7434 2480
Highlights: Lots of dining table, cheap pizza and pasta and live music on most days of the week.
Room for improvement: Food generally was so-so and drinks are well overpriced.
The Kua Rating: 6 out of 10