Koya is a new little Japanese cheap eats that has popped-up in Soho. The menu is simple – noodles, noodles and noodles (with sides of tempura and maybe a few bits and bobs …) Those not familiar with Japanese noodles you get all sorts: fat ones, thin ones, flat ones, round ones, ones made of wheat, ones made of buckwheat, served hot or cold there’s quite a selection.

Koya is an udon shop and it’s a no fuss venue with simple tables and chairs which are crammed fairly close together though strangely there is a big amount of empty space down the middle of the front room. The staff are all genuine Japanese too which was very welcome because they were all so very friendly, efficient and humbly polite! Such a Japanese trait! Although for the most part the customers at Koya were a mixed bunch Jenny and I got to sit next to some proper Japanese customers – one lady, once she was finished, actually said thank you for sharing the table with her.

Man I love the Japanese – they are so polite!

So, Koya – my problem? I’m not a Japanese noodle fan! but I still found options on the menu for me. I went for one of the non-noodle dishes on the menu – gyudon which is basically beef on rice. It was good but the tempura that we got to accompany our meal, perfectly lightly battered, was nicer.

This is not a eatery where you will spend very long eating your meal (though there is no pressure for you to vacate upon finishing its not the kind of place to really linger, especially when you see the giant line out the door and also when you find you’ve sat through two rounds of people finishing their dinner …) but you will spend a long time here. Riddle? Well, if you like noodles then there’s not doubt that you’ll be a Koya visitor time and time again.

Hey – on another topic – I like how Jenny’s and my nails went together. Very summery!