Nagoya

I was in the area for a seminar that finished late and I was searching for a takeaway place around 10pm. The only places that seemed to be open were pubs and I did not want to walk too far.
I saw Nagoya open, Unilocal rating 3 and I decided to take a chance. They had only one couple who were finishing up when I went in.
It’s a small space (they may have more seating in the basement) around 5 tables with a sushi bar. Décor is very reminiscent of small Chinese style restaurants.
The lady at the counter was very sweet and gave me some recommendations when I asked her.
It took some time for me to get home (partly because a certain bus driver refused to stop & I had to wait 20mins for the next one), but the fried chicken had gone a bit soggy. The taste was very good and the chicken beautifully marinated and super tender and juicy. Family and cat loved the prawn tempura which came with a dipping sauce.
The chicken Gyoza was densely filled (personally I prefer a bit more give in my fillings) and tasty. Loved the mini 3ml bottle of sauce that came with it.
The pork ramen was packed with the soup separately. Just 2 thin slices of pork and half a boiled egg (so not too much protein in the dish — more noodles to fill you up though) with sliced mushrooms & sprouts. The soup was a mild broth flavoured with miso. I enjoyed the clean flavours, but brother decided to spice it up. A nice complete meal in itself, if you aren’t a protein addict like me.
The lady very sweetly offered me complimentary green tea while waiting for my order and I loved the fact that they lined the base of the bag with a piece of cardboard cut in the right size to keep everything steady.

Really average japanese best to avoid if you can. I believe it is not ran by Japanese or Japanese who have been oversea for too long… so it is not authentic… Forget some reviews mentioning filled with japanese businessmen… It is not authentic and everything is a bit off…
The décor is quite old school and feels a bit messy… Food tastes okay but far from japanese. For me, I would go to nagomi near bond street than coming here if I am craving japanese and in marylebone.

Walking around the area, looking for a reasonably priced restaurant, I stumbled across this tiny japanese. It wasn’t too busy and the waiter was very attentive. He recommended I try the chicken katsu (really really good) and also sent someone to an off licence to get me a coke zero, when I requested one.

Back in Australia with fond memories of my recent trip to London it’s not hard to be sentimental about the meal we had here. Simple Japanese, simply prepared and served. I enjoy the freshness and the lightness of the meal.

Considering the moderately strong alternative Japanese options in the area, Nagoya earns middling status. It’s far from disappointing, and in almost any circumstance, I’d rather be bathing myself in fatty pork ramen.
That said, on a cold and dreary day, there’s not much like a massive steaming clay bowl of nabeyaki udon to warm your innards. It’s not as spectacular as the version at Edokko, considering they’re equivalently priced. Still, it’s a five minute walk from the office and makes for a decent lunch pick-​me-​up.
On a positive note, the last time or two I’ve been in, I’ve seen a good number of proper Japanese businessmen dining there, so that speaks well of the authenticity, right? Either that, or they just need to Unilocal up some other local joints to try out…

The first thing you’ll notice when you step inside Nagoya for lunch are the numerous Japanese salarymen types at the tables. I registered this positively and my dining companion (himself once a resident of Japan) felt the same way.
If you’re after a bento, kaarage chicken or kitsune udon, Nagoya’s a solid lunch spot.
On my last visit the wait for my soup was strangely long and my lunch partner got his food a full ten minutes before I saw mine. I hope this was a one time thing. Another thing that gave me reason to pause: they charge for green tea, which no self-​respecting Japanese restaurant should do.
Still, the kitsune udon is fairly priced, tasty and comes with a few pieces of sushi. Some of the details need honing but I’ll definitely return to Nagoya.

Nagoya opened recently and had a special offer for Monday lunch. On our first visit, they offered everything on the lunch menu priced £8.90 for £5. We tried Pork Cutlet; it was OK but served on a bland stir-​fried vegetables, making the cutlet soggy. Katsu Don was one of the best I’ve tasted in London, but was slightly salty. Miso Soup was just horrible — tasted just MSG and salt. The dessert was either a Sesame Panna Cotta or Fresh Fruit Salad (big slice of melon with oranges, etc). We tried the former and it was wonderful; it had a subtle flavour of black sesame seeds.
On our second visit, the menu shrunk and the dessert was four small chunks of melon & oranges. Miso Soup tasted better, but still lacked good stock made from dried bonito flakes. We both had Katsu Don, this time it wasn’t salty but the rice portion was smaller.
The service was OK; the waiter was not Japanese and his English might be dodgy. Most of the time he was the only one serving, but on our second visit, they had a Japanese waitress as well.
The main dining area had a sushi counter, which made the place smelly. As I don’t like fish much and would never eat raw fish, I felt a bit uncomfortable. They had a huge basement dining area as well.
We might go there again just to have Katsu Don.