Kimura-Ya.J Authentic Japanese Restaurant

Advertised as an authentic Japanese restaurant but after we had a few bites of the food we realised that was not the case. We called ahead for a reservation for three, and were sat right next to the kitchen doors so we had to move every time a waiter got in and out. We ordered the otoro fish, kimuraya salad, charred miso eggplant, agadashi tofu and white tonkotsu ramen The otoro sashimi was ok, very thick and too big to pick up with chopsticks, the pieces were cut in significantly different sizes and thickness, something that should not happen in an “authentic Japanese restaurant”. The kimuraya salad was too salty and not with Japanese dressing, with what seemed to be tahini. The charred miso eggplant was inedible and not at all Japanese, with a wierd texture and taste and would not be allowed to be served in a real Japanese restaurant. The agadashi tofu had a very wierd texture, taste and aftertaste and every bite was different, some bitter some sweet and the pieces where to big to pick up with chopsticks and hard to eat. The ramen was also very weird, with no authentic Japanese toppings or textures. The broth was a bit bland and it had raw red onions as toppings something I have never seen before, and for good reason. It didn’t fit well with the dish not in flavour and not in texture. It was topped with chicken that didn’t feel at all Japanese, with a weird taste and even weirder lemony aftertaste. the chicken felt spoiled and we felt very bad afterwards. The one good thing I can say is that the service was good and the waiter’s where very nice and when we told them that the food wasn’t good they listened and asked what wasn’t good and why and didn’t get into a defensive attitude which was very nice. Overall, I wouldn’t recommend going there and won’t be back.It is to expensive the food is advertised as authentic Japanese, but in reality is suited to fit the western taste buds and not in a good way.

I read the reviews and disagree with those who gave one or two stars. The restaurant is exactly what an izakaya should be - you come, eat, and leave, not sit around discussing life. The service is a bit slow because there aren’t enough waiters, yet the food still comes out quickly. The food is tasty, and the cocktails are good too. The gyoza was super delicious, the maguro nigiri with fresh tuna was very tender, the grilled eel is better to order with rice, and the tempura shrimp were also really good. The only downside is that the price was pretty high for four dishes and a couple of cocktails. For the simple Japanese food we had, I’d say it should be about 20–25% less. Still, I’m giving it all 4-5 stars, I’m sure the service will improve, and it already seems like they’ve made some adjustments. Second time here for Saturday early dinner, same good, even faster service and tasty food. Updated service to 5 :)

We had such a great time! The food was absolutely delicious and the service was excellent. Our waiter, Simon, was incredibly friendly and gave us fantastic recommendations, which really made the experience even better. The manager, Adam, was also so welcoming and attentive. We’ll definitely be coming back

Get the Ramen. It was simple and tasty, I would order it again and it's price is very decent. The sushi on the other hand was a bit disappointing both in quality and in price - for some reason, most of the rolls here contain 4 pieces for the same price as other restaurants charge for 6/8, this makes it very pricey and not good value for money. The Nigiri were pretty nice. Overall, I would come back for the Ramen if I want something quick and simple.

The black ramen stock is incredible, toppings could definitely be upped but the stock makes up for it. All the dishes we had were really nice and the atmosphere is lovely. I would suggest adding more nori and changing to pork chashu to the ramen, would happily come again