Koya Japanese Restaurant Soho — Restaurant in London

My first time at Koya Bar was 7 years ago and I could still remember how good the udon was. Naturally this time round I was expecting the same level of quality and was really looking forward to coming back.

We came on a Sunday evening around 6:30 and we're surprised we didn't have to queue that long to get seats (~10mins). It's cool that the one long table setting means that you can watch the chefs cook food in front of you. It's definitely an authentic, Japanese style.

We went with the kakuni (pork stew with mustard), prawn tempura Udon and curry Udon with prawn tempura on the side. Pork stew came out quickly first and we really enjoyed it. The meat was so tender and sweet and savoury in the sweet soy sauce. Mustard sauce almost acted as a palate cleanser so we kept going back for more. Udon though, on the other hand, was quite disappointing honestly. My curry udon broth was so bland, wish the curry taste could have been much stronger. Nice to have all those veggies as toppings, but the Udon noodles were as al dente as they once were 7 years ago. I wonder if it's to do with the change in kitchen staff. As I remember the last time I was here there were many more Japanese staff. My friend was also very disappointed with her Udon, the broth was very bland. The most disappointing thing for us both was how unfresh the prawn was. The batter was ridiculously thick when the prawn meat was tiny, as if it was a way to cover how small it was so they could justify charging £4.50 for one tempura.

Staff were alright, one particular staff kept coming by to take our plates and checking in when we were trying to enjoy our food and have a chat. Felt like we were being rushed the entire time so we didn't feel like staying long. Gotta be honest, I don't think I will come back again. My experience this time is just too different compared to...

I recently visited Koya Soho and unfortunately, the experience did not meet my expectations, especially given their reputation and pricing.

The udon noodles looked promising — the colour suggested a high-quality flour with low ash content. However, the texture was disappointing. Rather than being chewy, the noodles were simply hard. It felt like they might not be made solely with wheat flour, which would explain the lack of proper gluten development and chewiness. Additionally, I found two strands stuck together, which resulted in undercooked portions — not ideal for a dish that should be precise in texture.

The broth tasted quite basic, almost like it was made from kombu powder. Personally, I prefer a more complex and balanced flavour using soy sauce and mirin. The toppings were minimal — only green onions unless you pay extra. It’s surprising that essentials like wakame and tempura flakes cost more, considering how inexpensive and standard they are in a bowl of udon.

The prawn tempura was large and made with fresh king prawn, which was a highlight and deserves credit. Unfortunately, the batter was not crispy, and it seemed the tempura had been left too long before serving. The coating fell off quickly after touching the broth, forcing me to eat the prawn in one go — not the best experience when you’re expecting to enjoy each element of the dish.

Seating was also an issue. I was placed in a corner, and shortly after, a group was seated right next to me. It was cramped and uncomfortable, and I had to ask the person next to me to move just so I could get out. The service was unremarkable, yet there’s a service charge added.

While I understand Koya has been around for many years, I feel that the overall quality — from food preparation to service — needs to be re-evaluated to match the value...

The karaage chicken’s coating didn’t seem right, and it was served with Korean kimchi? The fried tofu—I’ve never had Japanese fried tofu with this kind of seasoning. It didn’t taste Japanese at all. (My friend and I thought it was going to be karaage tofu—sorry, that part was our misunderstanding.) The udon noodles were extremely hard. I’m not sure if this is what people mean by “chewy,” but honestly, it was just really tough. Tempura—I ordered the vegetable tempura with dipping udon, and my friend ordered a side of tempura shrimp. But the staff insisted on giving us only one dipping sauce? I genuinely don’t understand. We asked, and they said they could give us soy sauce? So, if someone only orders shrimp tempura, are they not supposed to get proper dipping sauce? That really doesn’t make sense. My friend ordered the sesame dipping sauce udon, but the sesame sauce just tasted like regular Chinese-style sesame paste, and it was overly salty. Again, maybe it’s just me not getting it. Another friend ordered the karaage chicken rice bowl. The karaage was the same as mentioned earlier, so nothing new to add. But the soft scrambled egg on the rice was already overcooked—more like a fried egg, honestly. And on top of that, it was covered with a heap of raw ginger? I’m not sure which part of Japan serves it like that. Sorry, but we really didn’t get it. The seasoning was incredibly salty. My friend had to keep drinking water while eating. Even the miso soup on the side was overly salty. Just speechless.

To be honest, Taiwan is geographically close to Japan, and I’ve had plenty of Japanese food—even in Japan itself. I’m not saying I’m an expert in Japanese cuisine, but all the signs point to one thing: this so-called Japanese udon restaurant was extremely...