KOYA

First Come First Served

Wall Mounted Menu Scripts

Outside bench

Hiya !

Japanese tea Ceremony

Deep Fried Tofu bedded on Cabbage Leaf

Mushroom and Walnut Paste on Udon

Nude Udon,  Tempura - Assorted Vegetable

Prawn Tempura Float

Ram Packed

Heading Home

# 18 Coming of Age

Nude L's

Favourite Places to Eat are places you tend to go back to..... hence they become destination favourites. After my 4th visit to Koya since it's word of mouth inauguration, you could say it genuinely falls into the "favourites' category.

So what's the big deal ? 

Udon. Udon a go-go. It's all about the Udon, the thick soft flour noodles with a discreet slurp soundtrack, that originate from the south of Japan.

These noodles are fast on the draw and could go head-to-head with any gung-ho gunslinger. Perfect when your feeling famished and warding off a cold winter's evening. Though fast doesn't mean at a loss of the authentic assembly and depth of flavour. The key ingredients, (stocks and sauces) are prepared slowly in advance, Udon with love. The Japanese are partial to al dente Udon and this makes sense when observing their quick consumption - to avoid a soggy wicket in the hot broth. 

If you haven't already guessed, Koya concentrates on Udon noodles (even kneading the dough on the premises with their feet- the authentic tradition) but there is much, much more than a one-trick pony with these specialists, having created tsunami waves in noodle circles. The clever bit is their low-key approach, they don't sing and dance about it, or  perform the 'haka' when you walk in. They do wear neat aprons and head scarves and generate an authentic Japanese-London hang out. Even the european staff seem to have been zapped with a Japanese essence.

The decor is just bare enough to notice all the considered details. Ercol chairs, functional accessible wall hooks, large mounted menu scripts and an APC Antwerp style graphic tile floor. The solid oak benches outside provide a welcome pit stop to shoot-the-breeze- and a chance to feel elated at the head of the Udon queue, snaking its way back past Ronnie Scotts. Another celebrant of not taking bookings, it's best to run down there once you clock off, as this place becomes ram packed, in less than fifteen minutes of opening their Noren curtains.

Koya keeps it simple, as all good specialists do and serves Hot Udon (Atsu-Atsu) , Cold Udon with hot broth (Hiya-Atsu) and  Cold udon with cold sauce (Hiya-Hiya). Frequent yelps of Hiya! Hiya! to the staff brings giggles as they say "Hiya" back and raise the bar a little higher.

Little intricate appetisers of pickled beetroot and deep fried Tofu on cabbage leaf set up the forthcoming Udon spectacular. If you don't like amazingly tasty noodles, you can relax as the Tempura is also uncontrollably good here. Try not to pinch others, no matter how tempting that seems.

There is something most attractive about a place that concentrates on one thing and does it with excellence, appealing to hungry 8 years olds as much as a retired ventriloquist or bohemian film director. 

Don't be coy, cuddle up to Koya.