Katsuma premium Japanese to go — Restaurant in London

[SHORT VERSION] One of the best Japanese food we’ve had in London. Prices were MORE than reasonable and the portions are big. You should eat here.

[LONG VERSION]

The Food:

We first had the Yuzu Yellowtail Tiradito. The first mouthful me and my partner had, we looked at each other and said, this sort of flavours could be easily served in fine dining restaurants. Very complex sweet, sour, and a small beautiful hint of spiciness to it and then the yellowtail tasted so fresh. Not one bit of slimy/fishy smell or flavour to it. We then had the mixed tempura. There was no usual dipping sauce and we thought it was a bit sad, but when we had our first bite, it was so crunchy and tasty that too much sauce would ruin it. You could really taste the freshness of the prawn. My partner and I think that proper japanese chefs pay attention to detail, so we check how they prepare their food, and they delivered. The tails of the prawns were completely clean with no black marks at all and the vegetables were so fresh too. We also had the pork katsu curry, which had the entire bowl covered with the pork cutlet and a really powerful japanese curry sauce(very flavourful)[no photo as someone took a better one that does justice to it].

The Chef and the Place:

To be honest, I found out about this restaurant passing by it early morning(it was closed) on our to the bus stop, and I checked the reviews(high). I thought we would drop by later that night. They said that they don’t do reservations as it is really a small place(mainly takeaways), with bar like setting(stools lined up along the window and along where the chef prepares sushi) and 1 small table on the side. We went in later for dinner and were surprised that there wasn’t a single Japanese staff in the place, I even looked outside to check if we were in the right place. So we’re like, ok let’s just order, we’re here already and as soon as we tasted the food, we loved it. We talked to this Sri Lankan chef and asked how the hell his food tasted this good and we all had a good laugh. He’s been in the Japanese Fine dining field for 25 years and he wanted to start his own little restaurant serving cheap but high quality food. We spent 2 hours talking about Japanese food, and how they store, prepare, and present their food. They even showed us that they use only the highest quality ingredients all the way down to the salt they use for the sushi.

These guys are lovely human beings and they are also highly skilled in what they do and they need the recognition.

Thank you for the lovely meal. It was a pleasure meeting you guys.

P.S. Thanks for the special off-menu...

Katsuma is one of those unexpected gems that combines tasty food, affordable prices and friendly service in a casual unassuming space.

The shop space is small, with one table for two and five bar seats. Takeout is the preferred choice for most customers as it gets busy from 12.30 to 1.30. Katsuma features a large fridge were drinks, bowls and sushi plates are stacked for takeout. At first glance it does not like the place that would cook fresh and flavour filled dishes including chicken katsu, sushi rolls and rice bowels - including salmon rice (my favourite dish, priced at £5).

The menu focuses on a few tasty hot dishes (including Chicken Katsu Don, Chicken Teriyaki Don, Chicken Yakisoba) and sushi (Soft Crab Shell Futomaki, Salmon and Avocado Futomaki, Salmon Chirashi). The portion sizes are generous and the food full of flavour.

Katsuma also features a loyalty program that comes with its own card and offers attainable discounts. Finally these guys are environmentally conscious. Case in point, their packaging is environmentally friendly, their fish supplier only works in partnership with fisheries that are Marine Stewardship Council certified and the waste oil produced is collected by a company who then recycles it...

Wow, having Katsuma as our neighbourhood spot has been a true joy.

The food they produce is, without exception, wonderful quality and perfectly flavoured. Their takeaway menu is always prominently displayed in the kitchen, and for good reason. A lot of the reviews are focusing on the sushi, but our go-to dishes have tended to be somewhat heartier fare, like the Aubergine Katsu Don and their special Chicken Miso Noodle Soup/Ramen. Full of flavour, and always piping hot and fresh. (Based on these reviews though, looks like we should try the sushi and sashimi soon.)

As an extra note, the staff and team at Katsuma are always a bright spot in my day. So friendly and very easy to communicate with. Thanks very much to all of you, and we'll certainly see...