Historical version 4 of Okan, SW9 8PS (view current version)
- 4th Avenue, Brixton Village Market, Atlantic Road, SW9 8PS (streetmap) (osm) (gmap) (bingmap) (streetview)
- 12:30pm-3pm Mon-Wed; 12:30pm-3pm, 6pm-10pm Thu-Sat; closed Sun
Japanese restaurant in Brixton Village, specializing in okonomiyaki and other Osakan street food. It opened in mid-2011.
The venue is austerely but cheerfully decorated to resemble an Osakan street cafe and is a light, airy space. There is table seating for 16 inside and 12 outside, with another four seats at the counter.
As of September 2011, otumami (starters) range in price from £1.75 for miso soup to £3.25 for a tofu salad; all but one of these are vegetarian. There is an option to have four starters on one plate, as a sharer or light main, for £6.50. There are nine different combinations of ingredients for the okonomiyaki; cheese and sweetcorn (£6.50) is the cheapest and the only truly vegetarian option (due to the fish sauce in the kimchi), while the Okan Special (£8.25) combines kimchi, prawn, squid, and sweetcorn. Noodles can be added to any okonomiyaki dish for £1. There are also pork (£7), prawn (£7.25), or tofu (£6.75) yaki soba. The only dessert option is green tea ice cream (£3.25) from LAB G, another Brixton Village establishment.
Tea and freshly prepared cordials are £2.50, with still or sparking water (£1) and fruit juice (£1.75) also available. Okan does not yet have a license and there is a £1-per-person corkage charge.
On a September 2011 lunchtime visit, itsbruce found the service to be friendly and helpful. The staff assumed that I wanted chopsticks rather than western-style cutlery. I opted for the set lunch menu, which included "Okonomiyaki of the day" (I chose kimchi from the two options on offer), miso soup and a salad for £6.50. The salad (mixed green leaves and edamame with sesame dressing) was small but crisp and vividly flavoured. The kimchi okonomiyaki was delicious, quite a respectable portion and very filling. The miso soup was light and contained good quality fresh tofu. The presentation of all three dishes was very attractive. To accompany the meal, I had an elderberry and fresh ginger cordial, which was tart and refreshing and had fresh-cut slices of ginger suspended in it. The final bill was £9.
itsbruce's verdict: Friendly staff, cheerful service, delicious and well-presented food. I intend to become a regular visitor.
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