Soho is set to have three ramen restaurants open in the space of just a few months. The opening of Brazilian-Japanese fusion restaurants is shaking up the London Japanese dinning scene and Danish chain Sticks ‘n’ Sushi has opened their first UK restaurant in Wimbledon. Hungry shoppers in London's West End should head to aqua kyoto for their new donburi savvy lunch menu.

A New Playground for Sushi

Yoobi is London’s first temakeria. Their concept is an exciting new take on sushi – Brazilian influenced temaki that are freshly hand-rolled to order in an informal, contemporary environment.

Temaki were traditionally an informal Japanese family favourite. That was until a new breed of creative chefs in Rio de Janeiro’s hip neighbourhood Leblon liberated them from the back page of the menu and put them centre stage. This was the birth of the Brazilian temakeria. Yoobi have brought their own unique temakeria to Soho, London.

Yoobi’s innovative menu boasts an exciting range of healthy, freshly prepared temaki and maki sushi, salads and soups. The temaki are hand-rolled to order as you wait (in under 60 seconds). There are a variety of unusual recipes to choose from classed as ‘simple’, ‘special’ and ‘deluxe’, depending on how adventurous you want to be. Yoobi uses seasonal and sustainable virgin ingredients then adds an unexpected creative twist – such as the Spanish influenced Tuna Tartar or the Japanese pear mixed with 20-hour cured Salmon.

Vegetarians are not forgotten; they’re offered the treat of Avocado and Asparagus or Sunkissed Tomato temaki. Each temaki rolled uses sushi rice made from Yoobi’s own bespoke rice recipe and is then wrapped with the filling in a crisp nori cone.

The name is derived from the word ‘yubi’, Japanese for fingers, which reflects the ‘hands on’ nature of Yoobi’s food. Yoobi. Tasty, healthy, easy. www.loveyoobi.com

SUSHISAMBA Comes to London

SUSHISAMBA will debut its first European location in London in July 2012. Located in the top three floors of the Heron Tower, SUSHISAMBA promises to deliver a unique blend of Japanese, Brazilian and Peruvian cuisine, culture, music and striking design to the City of London.

Two outdoor terraces will flank the restaurant, offering unparalleled views of the cityscape. Award-winning architects Cetra Ruddy will design the restaurant’s 1,247-square-metre space, which will have direct access via two scenic elevators from a dedicated entrance on Bishopsgate. The space will offer two restaurants serving breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner and include outdoor dining, a bar and lounge, and premier event space. For more about SUSHISAMBA visit sushisamba.com.

Sushi for Me –Yakitori for You

Sticks’n’Sushi, one of the successful restaurant groups in Denmark, has opened their first UK restaurant in Wimbledon. Sticks’n’Sushi serves high-quality, fresh food based on a unique combination of traditional sushi and yakitori sticks from the grill. So for those less keen on fish, there is a selection of chicken, pork, beef and vegetable skewers - all grilled fresh to order.

Attracting both families and trendsetters, the brand is known for making the fashionable, friendly and affordable. Sticks’n’Sushi was founded 18 years ago by brothers Jens and Kim Rahbek and Thor Andersen. Taking inspiration from their half-Japanese, half-Danish background, they created a unique cuisine that combines two culinary traditions.

The concept took off with overwhelming speed and success. The freshness and the high quality of the food and the relaxed atmosphere made Sticks’n’Sushi one of Copenhagen’s busiest restaurants almost overnight. Today there are nine restaurants in Copenhagen and now their first in London.

For more about Sticks ‘n’ Sushi, visit www.sticksnsushi.com.

Donburi Savvy Lunch Menu launches at aqua kyoto

Savvy Londoners can now break free from the hustle and bustle at lunchtime and head to the serene environment of aqua kyoto to enjoy a premium three course Japanese set menu at a fantastic price of £12.50. During the week, the new gourmet donburi menu offers guests affordable, authentic cuisine in express time, perfect for those looking to escape from the office for an hour or host a sophisticated business meeting.

Head Chef Jordan Sclare has created a set menu of 5 ‘Don Buri bowls’, offering a variety of healthy and creative options such as salmon sashimi with ikura donburi or udon noodle soup with braised pork or tempura prawns. Each donburi bowl will change bi-monthly to ensure variety to regular diners and will be served with a mini entrée such as baby squid and seasonal vegetables, Japanese pickles, fresh miso soup and a desert such as white chocolate and coconut mousse.

aqua kyoto encompasses all that is essential to a captivating lunchtime location and is set to be the hot spot in the city and west end for working lunches. The donburi savvy lunch menu offers a quick bite to eat at an affordable price without having to sacrifice on the high quality of food presented by the highly skilled Japanese chefs.

aqua kyoto is in the heart of London’s West End at Fifth Floor, 30 Argyll Street, London W1B 3BR.  www.aqua-london.com

Ramen Restaurant Boom in Soho

Ittenbari

In March, a new ramen bar opened in Soho from Ryukishin, Osaka. Ittenbari’s stocks are chicken-based and you can choose from miso, shio or shoyu (soy sauce) flavours. It’s the first ramen place in London that we’ve seen offering the traditional Japanese custom of being able to get a noodle top up for just £1.50. Also on the menu are gyoza dumplings, curry rice and sushi. Ittenbari is at 84 Brewer Street, London, W1F 9UB.

Tonkotsu

Following months of perfecting their ramen recipes at a series of pop-ups, the owners of Tsuru Sushi have now opened their new ramen bar in Soho.  Tonkotsu, which means ‘pig bones’ and is also the name of the richest, porkiest ramen dish on offer - is serving a variety of authentic-styles of ramen with various starters, sides, artisan Japanese beers and whiskies to complete the menu.

Every day there will be three ramen dishes on offer: these might include London Ramen, Tonkotsu Ramen, Shimeji, Shiitake and Miso (v) or Tokyo Spicy, which has shredded pork and their home-made chilli oil. In addition to the ramen, there will also be fresh, hand-made gyoza (dumplings) and a crab cream korokke (Japanese croquettes).

Tonkotsu is now open at 63 Dean Street, London W1D 4QG. See @tonkotsulondon on Twitter and www.tonkotsu.co.uk for more details.

Bone Daddy?

We’ve heard rumblings that an ex-Nobu/Roka chef will also be opening a ramen restaurant in Soho. Follow us on twitter to hear more about this and other Japanese restaurant news.