Toku restaurant

Tempura at Toku

I like Japanese food. A lot of people just see it as raw fish, but there is so much more to it. Yes sushi and sashimi are important, but I have been to Japan a couple of times and they do not dominate eating out. You have the glazed grilled food such as Teriyaki, the wealth of noodle dishes, and the deep fried Tempura. All are delicious.

Pickles in Kyoto.

There are many Japanese places to eat in London, but Toku next to the Japan Centre is reasonably priced and the food good. I haven’t eaten there for a while, but recently I revisited. I ordered a bowl of pickles and the Tempura set. It contained a range of vegetables, such as sweet potato, asparagus, and aubergine. In addition there were three prawns, and some squid and white fish. It was all encased in beautifully light and crisp batter, and served with a traditional dipping sauce and some Japanese curry powder. The batter is not at all greasy, but dry and pale yellow, and just crisply falls off as you bite. Inside the fish and the vegetable are soft and perfectly cooked.

I really enjoy pickles. They have a slightly sour taste rather than vinegary as in western pickle. Kyoto is a capital of Japanese pickle and I was lucky enough to go to the food market there, where barrels of brightly coloured vegetables fronted the stalls. Here they came in a beautifully presented bowl with the colours nicely matched. More importantly there was a good helping.

Pickles in London

I washed all this down with some very nice sparkling Sake. Refreshing and crisp! The service was good, especially as the restaurant was busy. I can recommend this place highly. Go and buy some Japanese food next door when you have finished!!