Japanese restaurant Koya set to open Koya Bar next to original site
The team behind Japanese restaurant Koya is planning a new site adjacent to its original 2010 venture in London's Soho.
Open on Monday 2 September from 8.30am onwards, Koya Bar will serve sanuki udon (thick, stiff) noodles and freshly-prepared dashi (stock) in a traditional Japanese bar setting that will see trademark décor touches such as 24 bar stools along a counter.
Dishes will include kama tama (hot udon with raw egg) and yakizakana (grilled fish of the day with rice and miso), with nods to outside influences such as English Breakfast udon (with egg, bacon and shitake) and kedgeree made with "rice porridge".
The menu will also pay homage to favourite Koya dishes, such as "fish and chips" Japanese-style, ten-toji don (prawn tempura with ten dashi, eggs and rice), atsu-age (tofu with Japanese leek) and kinoko nametake (marinated mushrooms with daikon radish and shiso).
Koya Bar, where head chef Shuko Oda will be in charge, will also aim to reflect Koya head chef Junya Yamasaki's preference for using fresh British ingredients where possible.
Commenting on the decision to open another site so close to the original, co-founder John Devitt said: "In the beginning, Shuko, Junya and I had a vision to establish an authentic Japanese Udon restaurant, with a London slant. With Koya Bar opening next door, Shuko gets to embrace a more typical Udon bar offering, whilst Junya continues to challenge our customers at Koya."
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