Chisou's attempt to go fast and casual is lacking.

The Venue
Only a turn away from the Oxford Circus tube is Go Chisou. Tucked on Prince Street in between buildings more weathered in appearance than itself, this upbeat establishment is sister to the next-door izakaya of the same name.

The interior is made up of three spaces: a front room filled by a takeaway counter and sushi bar with few seats; a high-ceilinged, modern back dining room; and a stubby, plain, underground dining space. Wooden tables and chairs occupy both dining spaces, but the basement lacks the glass etchings, benches, mirror, beer bottle decorations and brick wall that the back dining room features. These features take the ground floor room away from being harshly plain.

The Atmosphere
The air is clean, cheery and contemporary, typical of a London Japanese takeout establishment. Both waiting and cooking staff work at a fast and efficient pace, a quality that is appealing to its working and shopping clientele. This, however, still only means that the back room is merely half full during the weekday lunch hours.

The Food
Fast Japanese made with average-quality ingredients. The presentation is not the usual slick display: the Tendon set (£8.50) is a messy arrangement of sauce-drizzled prawn tempura placed atop a bed of unsticky rice. The tempura, although crisp, has to be consumed immediately before the batter becomes exceedingly soggy. Its accompanying sauce is sweet, not the usual light tempura dip, and the miso soup is unspectacular from the kelp having turned into goo. The six-piece ration of yellowtail with spring onions maki (£4.50) is a slight improvement in appearance but the rice is hard and does not gel as well as it should.

The Drink
The green tea is of the generic bagged kind, and is complimentary with meals. Still and sparkling water are offered, as are bottled soft drinks and beers.

The Last Word
This casual branch-off of next door izakaya Chisou is good value for lunch money, especially as an Oxford Circus establishment. But see if you can swap out the miso soup, or just try not to drink the dregs.

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