Tsuru

Amex Shop Small brought me to this gem, which is among the few places in the City open for both lunch and dinner. That said, it is packed for lunch but very quiet for dinner (there were only 2 other parties in the restaurant around 6:30 pm). I ordered the chicken katsu curry and the chicken karaage, and also got a small portion of the chilli oil that they are reportedly famous for. I thought it was really interesting that you can choose your choice of katsu (and not just chicken and pork!) but between chicken breast, chicken thigh, beef, and vegetable. I also liked the way it was served, in a bento box with rice and chicken on one side and the curry sauce on the other. I am not a big fan of when they put the curry in a separate container and you DIY pour it yourself. That said, I think the curry was fairly average… a bit on the watery side and nothing special. The chicken karaage, on the other hand, was fantastic. It’s definitely the best fried chicken I’ve have in London and might be one of the best I’ve had of all time. It was so well seasoned and piping hot and I tried it with the chilli oil along with the sauce provided and it was just fantastic. The chilli oil was great as well, and I intend to return here to purchase it soon. Apparently it was so popular that they were asked to bottle it and now it is available for retail sale. I find it difficult to find chilli oil I like in London (the only other one I really like is Chi Noodle’s) so I am very excited to be able to enjoy it at home. I will definitely make this a frequent lunch spot provided I manage to find a way to avoid the lunchtime queues!

Went today for the first time and I will think about coming back again. Probably I will give it another go as it is quite popular, but first impressions weren’t really good.
I ordered salmon teriyaki that came with rice and little salad. 6.50£, similar price to the Japanese Canteen that is almost next door. The quantity was good and the rice was really tasty but the salmon has been cooking for a long time until an unlucky costumer (me) came and ordered it. The bottom was really crispy and the piece itself was really dry, not as I was expecting it.