Kiraku, W5 3LD
- 020 8992 2848
- 8 Station Parade, Uxbridge Road, W5 3LD (streetmap) (osm) (gmap) (bingmap) (streetview)
- kirakulondon.wordpress...
- Mon-Thu: 6pm-10pm; Fri-Sun: noon-2:30pm, 6pm-10pm
Japanese restaurant in Ealing, near Ealing Common Station. It's in the style of an izakaya, meaning a sort of combination of restaurant and pub, so it serves draft beer as well as other drinks, and the menu includes lots of Japanese-style bar snacks.
The space is small, seating around 40 people at a combination of Formica-topped pale-wood-effect tables and high stools around the sushi bar in one corner. The floor is covered with pale grey tiles, and the walls are painted a pale cream, interspersed with paintings of fish calligraphed with their names.
Kake visited on a Tuesday evening in September 2017. Arriving at their opening time of 6pm, I was the first customer, but it filled up rapidly and by 7pm it was about half full and quite lively; a mix of people on their own and in twos or threes. Music videos were playing with the sound on.
Wakame kyuri su (seaweed and cucumber salad; £3.80) photo was a little too vinegary on its own, but made a lovely complement to the soft, perfectly cooked agedashi nasu (fried aubergine with dashi sauce, £5.60) photo.
Ikura oroshi (salmon roe with grated daikon; £6.80) photo had a good balance between roe and daikon, and the roe was fresh. Gyoza (chicken dumplings; £6.80) photo were nicely browned and had plenty of good-quality chicken inside.
Maguro natto (tuna with natto; £6.40) photo had good-quality tuna, and a good balance between tuna and natto. Negi hamachi maki (yellowtail and spring onion sushi rolls; £5.50) photo were good too; the rice was competently cooked, lightly seasoned, and served warm, while the fish was in whole strips, not chopped, and there was just the right amount of spring onion.
Kake's verdict: It's expensive here, but I'd happily come back if I was feeling flush.
Accessibility: A step to get in. Toilets are down a flight of stairs with a handrail on one side and a bend at the end.
See also:
- Andy Hayler's review
- A Girl Has To Eat review
- London Eater review
- Pies And Fries review
- Tamarind And Thyme review