The Japanese Canteen

This place totally exceeded all my expectations and thats why it deserves such a high rating.

I had heard such good things about this place prior to visiting and I have to admit I was slightly skeptical. But all my doubts disappeared as one friday lunchtime my friend and I walked in and saw the long queues outside the entrance. There must be something good about this place to have such a crowd with the incredible Pizza Union as its neighbour.

So we decided to experience what this canteen had to offer. After waiting in the queues for some time, the staff who took our orders was very friendly and as it was our first time at the canteen he explained how the seating arrangments and the ordering system works. After contemplating about a few options on the menu, I decided to stick with the classic chicken katsu curry. My friend got the duck yaki udon.

After placing our orders, we found a seating for 2 amongst the school type long benches. After a very short wait, the food was bought to our tables. As I took my first bite of the katsu curry, I wished I had found this place sooner! It was the best chicken katsu curry - the chicken was so moist and there was a generous portion of the sauce and veg added in the curry. My friend really enjoyed her duck yaki udon and couldnt find any faults.

Overall, I really think Wagamama and Wasabi have some serious competition as the service and the food are both great here. I will go even far as saying I can see this being my new favourite place for lunch and I will definitely be back to try out some of their more adventurous dishes on the menu.

Japanese food doesn't really get the credit it deserves, except for sushi that is. I however absolutely love a good chicken katsu curry and I never miss a chance to have one when I can. That's why I really like visiting the Japanese Canteen. The decor is simple, as you would expect in a canteen, but the food is great! I have tried a few of their dishes so far and, while they are all quite good, it is definitely the katsu curry that's the star for me. I must say that I can probably eat two of those bowls if I am really hungry and I have seen guys do that as well so you may need to get more food. I guess that's why Japanese people are so thin. I think the food is too good to resist though.

Oh boy. I didn't see this one coming. My first 5.0 review on Zomato, and it's going to a sparsely decorated, vaguely municipal chain restaurant.

We'd been wandering Aldgate for almost 40 minutes, desperate to find somewhere to eat. Androuet? A tad too expensive. The Diner? Nah. If I want burgers or dogs, there are better places for it. Finally we see a bright orange sign above grand wide windows. Like moths we are drawn to it.

A big empty room, bar small wooden tables that are only a tad more Habitat than Ikea. But through the window we can see some of the food upon the tables. That, alone, is enough. We move inside. We eye up the menu. She chooses a 'safe choice': pork katsu. I opt for the irresistible, a sizzling bowl of seafood bibambap. Alongside it we share calamari and dumplings.

The calamari comes first. It is exceptional. Gently spiced, the batter is incredibly light, and puts to shame every fried squid dish I've tasted in recent memory. The katsu is delivered next, and I steal a spoonful of the sauce - warming, and subtly flavoured.

Our dumplings are delicious. Even the terrific (and Michelin-starred) Yauatcha is defeated on the dumpling front here. And then: bibambap. Oh boy.

Delivered to the table in a heavy stone bowl, sizzling and cooking the seafood within. Shrimps and salmon and more of that wonderful octopus (does he know how valuable a sacrifice he made to our evening?). The staff member (it's a canteen, and canteens do not have waitresses) mixes the ingredients at the table, sears the fish and collates the flavours in the burning bowl. I eat. It is perfect. Comfort food at its very finest. By the end I am left with a bowl plucked clean of everything. Not even a single grain of rice remains.

The Japanese Canteen is no nonsense and has less pretensions than a hillbilly mud wrestle. The interior designer was seemingly given an empty white room and twelve tables and told "You can do whatever you want, as long as you don't change a thing". But my god. This little canteen takes its humble settings and excels with every other element of the meal. Simply perfect.

Would definitely recommend the bibimbap grilled chicken. It came with a small bowel of miso soup. Bao bun was a bit dry so will not recommend. A nice pot of tea only cost 1.95! All in all, 5 stars considering the price and food quality. Would definitely come back again.

The food was really good and inexpensive compared to many other Japanese restaurants. I had the chicken katsu curry which tasted great :) Really liked the canteen layout as well. Lost one star as my friend didn’t like her food but enjoyed everything else. I would definitely recommend for a chill and cheap meal.

Average meal but huge portion for good price. Nice staff but we were waiting for a long time for food. They have 10% student discount.

Good food for reasonable price in the centre of city. Any chicken soup is good but I can highly recommend one with Sichuan pepper - chicken tantanmen noodle soup. On my image it is on the left. That is something very special really. And it is quite cheap here 8.5 £ or so. Overall place is just fine, clean.

Can happily recommend as a cheap and easygoing place with good food and canteen seating. We had the handpulled noodles with chicken (pictured top) and tantanmen with pork belly (pictured bottom) and both were great in some ways, slightly disappointing in other ways. Overall, 4/5 would try again, but manage your expectations slightly. Good value for money. Prawn dumplings were delicious.