Every week we will be revealing five pearls of wisdom from a member of the Tileyard London community. From creative industry tips, to top places in London to eat and drink, there’s a whole host of knowledge at Tileyard that you definitely don’t want to miss.

This week we spoke to the team at Ajinomoto. With a 100-year heritage of quality and innovation, Ajinomoto Frozen Foods bring authentic and innovative Japanese menu ideas to the UK foodservice market. We gave them the tricky task of narrowing down their five favourite restaurants in London for Japanese food. Here’s what they had to say…

Japanese cuisine is much more than just Sushi. If you’re looking for authentic, Japanese restaurants in London, read on.

1.Eat Tokyo

Eat Tokyo was established more than 30 years ago in Tokyo and now has eight restaurants across London. The menu offers a range of dishes including sushi, sashimi, bento boxes, nigiri, chirashi and unagi. They also serve sake and traditional beverages.

2. Chisou Restaurant

There are two Chisou Restaurants in London. They both serve fresh sushi, sashimi and larger plates (noodle soups, fried dishes, salads etc). We love ordering from the small plate menu because it’s great for sharing which means you can try lots of different dishes in one visit!

3. Tombo Cafe

Tombo Cafe is an independent and family-run group of Japanese cafes, specialising in healthy Japanese food.

4. Defune Restaurant

Defune Restaurant is the longest running Japanese restaurant in London – they have been here for over 35 years! The restaurant is split over two floors and is beautifully decorated with natural stone and neutral tones. Defune offers various dining experiences from à la carte to Teppanyaki.

5. Akira

Akira is on the first floor of Japan House London in Kensington. Visit to experience Japanese-style omotenashi hospitality and the theatre of cooking. The chefs prepare dishes using seasonal ingredients over roaring robata (charcoal grill) flames.

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