YEN, LONDON WC2

Japanese owners of noodle specialist Yen in Paris have brought their art to The Strand, London, in a space so smart it could be mistaken for a concept design store – maplewood, bespoke Italian furniture and a cedarwood sushi counter. It’s very swish and Zen; yet it retains a welcoming, warm feel from the back-lit Japanese paper that’s slotted between wooden panels, comfy chairs that tilt back and pretty handmade Japanese crockery.

The extensive menu is split into sections for sushi, noodles and rice dishes as well as the usual starters and mains. You can opt for an ‘omakase’ menu chosen by the chef, otherwise the informed staff are happy to advise on dishes.

The selling point is the soba noodles, handmade twice daily in a glass room in the middle of the restaurant from buckwheat dough by soba masters trained in Yamanashi, Japan. The springy noodles were delicate in flavour, enhanced with a stone mug of dashi broth, punchy fresh wasabi and spring onion. Other highlights include silky tofu mousse, whipped into Angel Delight territory with dashi sauce, fresh ginger and spring onions, and French black chicken marinated in red miso and then given a smoky char on the grill.

Save room for indulgent desserts – thick yuzu and white chocolate mousse was served like a Japanese cheesecake, and the wagashi was a sundae of Japanese ingredients (mochi, black sesame ice cream, peanutty red bean sorbet, matcha yogurt).

Our food was paired with sakes, including a sparkling sake aperitif from Hyogo in south-west Japan, and there’s an extensive wine list, along with eye-catching cocktails and plenty of Japanese whiskies. (Words by Alex Crossley)