A standard Japanese on a forlorn stretch of Rosebery Avenue.

The Venue
The room looks like an office canteen out of the early ‘80s with some Japanese touches. It is dimly lit and slightly shabby and would benefit from a refurbishment. That said, though, the crockery is particularly nice-looking.

The Atmosphere
Ginnan Japanese Restaurant is caught in a time warp. Although it clearly caters to Japanese regulars, most of its customers are students as a lot of LSE students live in the students’ housing up the road. To cater to this crowd they have special student open buffets on some nights. The restaurant is never very busy which makes the polite service even more attentive.

The Food
There is nothing very exciting on the menu. The competent sushi and sashimi is on a par with Yo Sushi and there are all the regular noodle- and rice-based Japanese recipes, as well as some nice teriyaki dishes. The chicken katsu curry is very tasty, but standards usually vary depending on the night and ingredients at hand. The open buffets includes plenty of starches like rice and noodles, as well as soy sauce-heavy meat dishes. There is a mysterious Japanese section in the menu for more authentic dishes, so it would be an idea to take a Japanese speaker with you if you fancy being adventurous.

The Drink
Everything from wine to soft drinks is available. The cold sake is a particularly nice complement to the food.

The Last Word
Ginnan Japanese Restaurant is not one to go out of your way for, but it caters well to a certain clientele and the sake makes up for some of the food.

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