Koya Bar (Restaurant)

Top Five Things we learnt about Koya Bar after a visit.

1) Where do you go when you want to expand your successful restaurant without investing a huge pile of money? Simple: open up next door with just a counter and 25 stools.

2) Oh, you also need a small kitchen – which I know they have because the cooks are seen at work there from seats at the counter.

3) It’s Soho but feels like a corner of Tokyo, especially if it’s not yet 9am and you’re tucking into grilled fish, sticky rice and miso soup.

4) I’m here at 6pm -- but only three seats unoccupied -- to see if the handmade udon noodles taste as exceptional as they so famously do at Koya restaurant next door.

5) A lip-smacking affirmative is the answer to that question. It was cold and wet outside and I wolfed down the atsu-atsu (udon in a hot broth) with a fervour evoking that octopus-eating scene from Oldboy. The Anglo-friendly daily specials beckon.