Kenji

A traditional Japanese eatery from an experienced team with meticulous attention to detail.

The 2018/19 edition of The List's Eating & Drinking Guide is out now – only £7.95 (+p&p).

With just two dozen covers split over two rooms, this cosy, pocket-sized Japanese restaurant fills up fast, and if you pitch up during rush hour without a booking you may have to join the queue of Deliveroo guys outside. Once seated, service is swift and friendly – what takes time is choosing from a vast range of sushi, be it maki, temaki, gunkan or nigiri, plus the sashimi, noodle and bento box options. Don’t neglect the starters which include the sublimely soft, honeyed, grilled aubergine goma, and some very tasty deep-fried king prawns in wasabi mayo. Moving to mains, the avocado-based California roll sushi is a little bland, unlike the pork katsu don – deep-fried, breadcrumbed pork chops on a generous bowl of steamed rice. It is pure Japanese comfort food and will leave you with little space for a pudding but if you can’t resist, try a traditional toasted sesame seed ice-cream mochi.