Japanese

• Tombo goes all out with a Hello Kitty anniversary pop-up

  

  Typical, you wait all year for a Hello Kitty popup and then two come along at once. In addition to the one over at Westfield London at Japan Centre Ichiba, Tombo Japanese Café and Matcha Bar in Fitzrovia, has just launched a four-month Sanrio pop-up experience featuring Hello Kitty and friends. Both are

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• Japan Centre Ichiba is celebrating Hello Kitty's 45th birthday with a special popup

  

  Now, we know Hot Dinners readers love a bit of Hello Kitty, so the 45th Hello Kitty birthday pop-up at Japan Centre Ichiba is probably going to be something you want to know about.

  Kicking off today Ichiba's Westfield London store is serving up a variety of Hello Kitty food and drink including a Hello Kitty Makunouchi Bento Box (with free totebag while stocks last), Matcha sundae and Matcha bun among others. And on Saturday 9 November Hello

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• Nami is the new Japanese street-food bar at Nobu Hotel Shoreditch

  The bar at Nobu Shoreditch is being converted to Nami, a new "supper bar" that combines their cocktails with Japanese street food.

• CoCo Ichibanya is opening a second curry restaurant in Marylebone

  

  Curry and rice are primarily the order of the day at the latest London outpost of this huge Japanese curry chain. 

• YO! Sushi now has YO! Kitchen at Westfield London

  Leaving their conveyor belts behind, this is a "full service" restaurant from the people behind YO! Sushi, with a focus on sharing dishes. 

• Ippudo pick Goodge Street for their fourth London opening

  If you're after somewhere in Fitzrovia to sit and slurp ramen, then this international ramen chain are hoping you'll pick their new restaurant on Goodge Street to do just that.

• The Prince Akatoki London hotel sees luxury Japanese group take over The Arch London

   

  Following a £3m makeover this Marble Arch Hotel is being transformed into a luxury property where the restaurant and bar are promising a full Japanese experience.

• Gordon Ramsay is opening Lucky Cat in Mayfair

  

  Gordon Ramsay's first new restaurant for years in London will be inspired by 1930s Tokyo drinking dens - it'll take over the spot where Maze was on Grosvenor Square.

• Bermondsey has a new Japanese restaurant in HAKATA Ramen + Bar

  Serving up ramen, Japanese small plates and more, this Bermondsey spot aims to be part NYC speakeasy, part Japanese dive bar.

• Kurabu at Dinings SW3 will serve up street food inspired snacks and drinks in Chelsea

  

  This week, Chelsea is getting a new Japanese 'street food' spot - if you can really count the mezzanine floor of high-end sushi spot Dinings SW3 as 'street'. Well maybe that's as street as Chelsea gets.

  Kurabu will be the name of the restaurant's new lounge space, taking over the area that used to be set aside for private dining. It'll be serving a completely new range of Japanese snacks and cocktails.

  Chef Chef Masaki Sugisaki's menu will feature

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• Yaki Yaki are serving up taiyaki, matcha soft serves and a croiyaki in Covent Garden

  

  Covent Garden has a new dessert spot that you should expect to see popping up on your Insta feed from now on. Yaki Yaki is all about the Japanese waffle cones taiyaki and opened a week ago just off St Martin's Lane.

  The specialist taiyaki shop will be serving up the traditional fish shaped waffles in two sizes - mini and regular. The minis come in batches of three filled with either vanilla custard, nutella or cheese and jalapeno. If you pick the regular size,

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• Robata on Old Compton Street is serving up Japanese izakaya dishes in Soho

  

  Soho's latest opening is a Japanese izakaya-style spot. Robata, which officially opened its doors on Old Compton Street today, is a project from entrepreneur Sonny Huang whose family has two Chinese restaurants in Birmingham.

  Sonny has teamed up with designers turnerbates Design & Architecture to come up with this Japanese pub serving up dishes cooked over the open robata grill. On the menu you'll find:

  • Soft Shell Crab bao with spicy mayo, green
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• Where to celebrate Cherry Blossom season, Sakura, in London

  

  As sure a sign that spring is upon us as rows of daffodils in London's parks is the popping up of Japanese cherry blossom installations all over town to celebrate Sakura - the cherry blossom season. We've picked out some of the prettiest places putting on Sakura specials this year.

• Kare Kurry is a Japanese curry house in Piccadilly

  This is a new grab and go Japanese curry spot, from the head chef behind Shoryu Ramen's curries. Expect their curry sauce to be at the centre of the menu with an array of toppings. 

• Test driving Kaia's all-you-can-eat Sunday sushi brunch at The Ned

  Londoners do love an all-you-can-eat brunch and the new sushi one at Kaia at The Ned is a doozy.