I’ve been training for this assignment most of my life. It’s no understatement that I love noodles, especially Ramen. I have a WhatsApp group dedicated to it with two close friends.
When I was given the opportunity to visit the new Taro restaurant to see one of the two new venues they have, I didn’t need to be asked twice!
Mr Taro first visited London in 1979 and dreamt of making Japanese food popular by bringing authentic Japanese cuisine and culture to the city of London.
In 1999, the very first Taro restaurant was opened on Brewer Street, they now have seven sites in London, with plans to expand more throughout London and the rest of the UK.
The Taro I visited was in Catford, a bustling neighbourhood in southeast London which has been home to Spike Milligan, Sir Henry Cooper, Ben Elton and Alexander McQueen in the past!
The decor is simple with an old family picture on the wall, dark wooden tables with very comfortable green leather banquette and chair seating that immediately puts you at ease.
The music is contemporary and upbeat, you can also see the open kitchen where everything is prepared for you.
As for the food, there’s a large menu comprising of starters, noodle dishes, rice dishes, soups and sushi.
I started with some Edamame served hot or chilled (I had them hot) with rock salt, fresh and bursting with flavour green beans, with the perfect amount of seasoning.
I then had Prawn Gyoza which consisted of grilled prawn and vegetable dumplings. These were the best I’ve ever had. They had a touch of smokiness from the flat grill they are finished on, which also gives a light crunch on the bottom, the prawns are perfectly cooked and complimented by the veg in the dumplings and the soy sauce on the side gives an umami hit.
Spicy Tuna Temaki followed, which was also excellent. A deep tuna flavour served with rice in a seaweed cone was an absolute winner for me and one to come back for time and time again.
I then had the Pork Ramen for my main in a soy-based chicken broth, with thinly sliced char Siu Pork (Japanese rolled and seasoned pork belly), bean sprouts, seaweed, carrot and sesame seeds. The bowl is absolutely huge! The pork is beautiful and falling apart, the noodles are cooked soft, which is fine by me, and the broth is light and easy to consume.
Finally, the Mochi selection with mango and coconut was served to finish, served with a raspberry and edible flowers
Laxmi and her team looked after me so well with a humble charm and efficient service. I am looking forward to revisiting and trying more of the dishes here.
You can find Taro at 2 Catford Broadway, London, SE6 4SP