Reaching for the Stars #3 | Machiya (Soho, London) | Cheap eats

Machiya is one of my favourite spots for a quick dinner in central London – I love it so much that I’ve made at least 25 visits since its opening in early last year. The name means townhouse in Japanese and refers to houses built within traditional Japanese compounds. Also worth mentioning is that this place is run by the people behind Kanada-Ya, the best tonkotsu ramen shop in London. (I am so ready for a 30-minutes argument over this)   

The restaurant seats 30 people, including five counter seats. It has a simple, wooden décor and the minimalistic vibe does feel aptly oriental. Machiya offers a surprisingly non-compromising array of dishes that are very authentic. This charming little place is always flooded with regulars and you will often see Japanese salarymen enjoying their meal here after work. This may very well be taken as a stamp of approval from the local expat community.   

Ebi Chahan (Shrimp fried rice with ikura on top) from the daily surprise menu

The menu used to be relatively small, but the update made just after new year has really upped their game in small dishes. Dishes such as tsukune (minced chicken skewers), yakitori (grilled chicken) and spinach ohitashi (cold marinated greens) are perfect for solo diner or a group of diners who are looking for a Japanese izakaya experience. These dishes are small, but also reflected in price – You will find most priced between three to five quid. My favourite though, is their fried chicken wings. The wings are perfectly fried and covered by the homemade spicy soy butter sauce which gives your tongue a heavy blow. I honestly cannot think of better a fried chicken in London to go with an ice-cold pint of lager.   

For people who are looking for something more heavyweight, there is also donburi (rice bowls), noodles and some typical Japanese curry that is loved by many. Machiya serves their noodles in four different, but distinctive ways. They all very good, especially the abura soba which is noodles mixed with soy-sesame sauce with broiled slices pork. That slightly burnt aroma is just impeccable.   

Their donburi offering broadly covers the most popular varieties. It ranges from gyudon to the exotic poke to luxurious unajyu (grilled eel over steamed rice) which is priced at £17. While neither of them is comes close to the level offered in Japan, the quality is beyond acceptable and should be considered a bargain in this expensive Soho area. It is worth noting that the portion for dishes in this section are quite generous. More often than not, I just order a gyudon and leave the restaurant with my happy little stomach. These is also a grilled & fried section of which I recommend wagyu katsu for the play value and yuzu salmon for the absolute Japaneseque experience. Interestingly, you can find some western-influenced desserts here and the highlight is probably their mille crêpes. I just wish that they continued serving the genmaicha (brown rice tea) variant.  

Finally, DON’T FORGET TO VISIT THEIR BAR DOWNSTAIRS. (To be continued?)

★★★★☆ – Reasonable value for money. I will eat here every day if given the opportunity.  

Recent reviews:

Reaching for the Stars #2 | The Clove Club (Shoreditch, London) | *

Reaching for the Stars #1 | A Wong (Pimlico, London) | *