Koya: The best Udon in London

Koya in Soho : source

I am being biased, I haven't really tried udon elsewhere in London, but I have been to Koya three times now and I had lots of udon when I was in Japan. The noodles in Koya are as good as the ones I had in Japan. And that's saying something.

If you don't know what udon is, it is a simple dish, thick noodles in a broth with some vegetables or meat or both. Warming and filling it makes for a hearty winter dish.

The thing I like about Koya is that it does one thing and does it well. They have some side dishes of course but really its all about the noodles. But you cant get bored either - each time I've been there, they have had seasonal specialities and on my recent visit on Friday, I ordered both my udon and small plate from there.

Small plate - Char grilled tempura turnips

Udon with mussels - seasonal special

Koya is a small restaurant based in Soho. They don't take bookings and usually, there is a line outside, but it moves fast, on my last visit I only had to wait 15 minutes to get a table. It was worth it though, I got my favourite table which over looks the kitchen. I could watch the chefs prepare each plate, see the attention to detail in each cut vegetable, garnish and plating, hear the clanking of pots, roar of the gas stoves and bubbling of water cooking the delicious noodles while devouring my own noodles.

Seating by the kitchen

I love Koya, not just because it makes great Udon, I love it because it feels like a place I could have walked into in Japan. Its small and busy and has great attention to detail. For an hour or so, I feel like I've taken a trip back to Japan minus the expensive plane fare :) If you haven't been and you love Ramen or Pho, you should definitely give Udon a try. And do let me know what you think ;)

Have you found a restaurant that takes you back to somewhere you've been?

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Mama Lan at Brixton Village

The busy 'back entrance' to Brixton Village

Brixton Village is fast becoming a popular London "cheap eats" hotspot. It doesn't take much twisting of my arm to get me to try a new foodie spot so when my friend Em suggested we head there for a dumpling dinner on Friday I could not wait.

An impressive line outside Mama Lan

We must have arrived at the perfect time (just after 7pm in case you are wondering) because, not long after we placed our order, a line started forming. I kid you not. This was no fancy-pants restaurant but yes, there was a line full of hungry onlookers staring at or delicious dumplings.

Prime seats! Watch the Mama Lan chefs in action

The lovely thing about Brixton Village is that you can sit outside without actually being outside thanks to the covered market. The outside space is also useful for the restaurants as actual indoor space can be limited. This ends up creating a a really nice vibe for dining out amongst chatter and provides ample opportunity to steal glances at your neighbours food who are at the next restaurant over.

You have to try the Prawn dumplings at Mama Lan

Em and I plonked down at a table just outside the main door to Mama Lan and were immediately provided with their simple menu. We ordered the steamed prawn and water chestnut dumplings, the pan fried beef dumpling, seaweed salad with sesame oil dressing and the spicy fried tofu and  Chinese mushroom and noodle soup. Plus drinks of course. I love eating out with Em, she is a big foodie and is always happy to share food. By the way, if you are not a fan of spicy food, like me, you can ask for it to be left out of the soup. Everything was good. The prawn dumplings though, were by far my favourite. And at the end, the bill for everything including drinks was under £15 pounds. Not too bad for London!

After paying we took a wander around the market hall to see what else was on offer. The popular eats were easy to spot with lines clogging up the avenue. There were all sorts of cuisines, Caribbean, Asian, Italian French, Mexican being cooked up in restaurants, their tantalising scents wafting out to lure in the hungry. People were everywhere digging into a plate of yummy-ness, chatting over a drink or mulling over which delectable dish they should try. 

If you haven't been to Brixton Village, give it a try, you are bound to find something that will have you salivating - just take a friend, coz, lets face it, we all want to try more than one thing on the menu ;)

Tips for visiting Brixton Village:

• Don't confuse it with Brixton Market, they have different operating times
• Take cash! Some restaurants operate a cash only policy
• Most restaurants are open for dinner rather than lunch so its best to go on a Friday night
• Best station is Brixton on the Victoria line (Brixton rail station will also work) and its only a few minutes walk from there.
• All the info you need can be found on the Brixton Village website.

Have you been to Brixton Village? What did you think?

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