Misato

No frills, no pretensions, cheap quick and filling. The food isn’t remarkable or memorable but you get a fair meal for a fair price in an area of London not known for bargains. If you arrive early, the line for a seat isn’t too bad and you can order while you wait for a table. Tip: if you order sashimi ask them for thin fish slices, seems the chef was in a hurry and sliced the sashimi top thick.

This place is cheaper than Michael Jordan. Yet food is tasty and comes in large portion.
Definitely go for katsu curry.
You will not find better calorie+taste /​pound ratio around the neighborhood.
Great for broke travelers.

Bueno y barato, bonito no mucho ;) pero está limpio eh! y el servicio muy majete, sólo que es un sitio más de batalla.
Ves sin prisa, porque seguro que tienes que esperar. Es que la comida está buenísima! me estoy acordando y se me cae la baba y además sus platos son muuuuuy generosos.
Nosotros, que éramos dos, nos pedidos dos platos para compartir y quedamos súper bien (por sólo 18 libras)
Si váis por la zona aprovechad!

A gem in London. I was having a horrible time in this city after visiting Paris first and this made my day much better. Quality udon soup and yummy salmon and avocado maki that is inexpensive. Highly recommend!

Are you a student? Are you broke? Are you always hungry? Do you always complain about portion sizes and prices?
COME HERE FOR A £4.50 CHICKEN DINNER!!!
I love this place so much like this place fulfills all of my needs. I can get CHEAP and YUMMY JAPANESE FOOD and BE FULL and NOT BROKE!!! That is pretty much all you need to know.
But if you want to know more, they have quite an extensive menu and everything is considerably cheaper than other establishments considering how expensive London is! Like, this place is cheaper than McDonald’s, LOL. I have a relatively big appetite and I’ll admit, even though I finish all of my food here, I could still definitely eat more. But the important thing is that I won’t be hungry here, I don’t get bloated but I am full! At a great cost! The place is quite «hidden» but it’s worth the search! It’s along the right side of entering Chinatown from Shaftesbury. Food comes out super quick and even though there’s a mandatory 10% service charge, it’s still well worth it. I have had their Zaru Soba, Tori Karaage Rice, Tori Teriyaki Rice, and Tonkatsu Curry Rice! Curry Katsu is more expensive, it’s like £6.50 but it’s still way cheaper than elsewhere. Also, all of the rice comes with a side salad which is AWESOME and wow… their cherry tomatoes? Only one, but so refreshing and awesome from all of the heavy comfort food. Nice touch.
Okay, so you definitely can’t beat value. Taste wise, it is also super good. Their wasabi is really weak though, which surprised me. But, that’s pretty minor. I probably wouldn’t recommend ordering the Zaru Soba (£5.00) since it isn’t really filling but it’s a solid tasting dish (dipping sauce could be better). Tori Teriyaki Rice was REALLY good though, their chicken is crisp on the outside and super moist and juicy on the inside. They cook their chicken really well! The teriyaki sauce was also fantastic, just enough sauce and subtly sweet. Same goes for the Tori Karaage, which was battered perfectly! Outside had a nice crunch and was crisp while the inside still remained juicy and succulent. The rice is also amazing too, like it’s nice and sticky and short grained!!! Great texture and taste, it is seriously some good rice. Tonkatsu Curry was pretty good, but the meat itself was lean at parts. But when you eat the fatty parts… YUM. It was nicely battered and crisp with your standard curry, which was pretty good. I wish they gave you more curry though, since portions are massive LOL. Food tastes essentially like japanese comfort food, and everything is really well cooked! You really can’t beat the price and the quality of the food.
Portions are bigger than a human head and you will definitely be full and happy here! They don’t skimp on ingredients and the food is really well cooked, despite how constantly busy this place is! There’s always lines at your standard dinner/​lunch time so if you’re not looking to wait, try to come a little later or earlier than the typical meal time. However, the wait wouldn’t be really long and they’re super efficient and quick. Their take out is also fantastic, great packaging (they use plastic tupperwares and it pleases me greatly) and portions still!!! Anytime I’m in London and hungry, this is the place I ALWAYS go to. I brought my friend from Nagoya to eat here and she loved it and I quote, «it tastes like I’m eating real Japanese food back in Japan!». So, I guess this place is pretty authentic too, LOL.
Also, MAKE SURE YOU BRING CASH! This place is cash only!
I LOVE THIS PLACE!!!

Stopped by because I was in the area and had not much cash on me. I’d been meaning to check this place out, but never really was motivated enough to walk all the way over there.
The place is kind of hard to spot, as it’s a small door squished between some larger establishments. It is in the «heart» of Chinatown, but like aaaall the way down the street. The interior is pretty humble and simple. At around 7:45 on a Wednesday night, it was still quite packed and I waited for about 15 minutes before being seated. I ordered the curry pork katsu-​don as soon as I sat down, because that’s what I was craving, so didn’t even look at the menu. (The server was like «…LOL ok???»)
It took some time but wow, the portions are indeed very large. I usually eat a TON for someone my size and rarely find things filling enough that I can’t find room for dessert, but that’s exactly what happened! It was so good that I wiped my place clean.
The pork cutlet itself was not as thin as I expected, but it wasn’t the most tender, either. Granted, you do get quite more than what you pay for. A small downside is that the curry seemed a little cold… maybe because it was mixing with the salad? Everything was running together, but that was understandable.
Overall, good place to drop by if you’re on a budget! Heads up that it is cash only.

Stopped in here for an impromptu dinner, and so glad we did! This is what Unilocal is all about: finding a hidden gem that you would never hear of otherwise, and supporting a local business too.
This place can best be described as «cheap and cheerful», like a Japanese greasy spoon. Generally a young student-​age crowd due to the incredibly low prices. It was £3.50 for six piece salmon and avocado rolls, which actually tasted super fresh and were generously portioned. The huuuuge pork Katsu curry plate came with large spoonfuls of Japanese rice, a big portion of meat and a small dressed salad, all for £5.50.
Service is quick and impersonal, but tap water refills come free and often. Expect a wait at dinner time of around 10 – 15 minutes, which you’ll spend lined up in the narrow entrance hallway. But it’s well worth it for a filling, tasty, and cheap Japanese meal. Looking forward to trying the udon next time!

It is very cheap with such a large quantity of food. We ordered Katsu curry, and it was huge.

Good food but seems to be bulked out a little by rice. Ordered takeaway to take back to my office last night (sad I know…) and was happy with the price, but not that happy with how long it took. The Katsudon was ready and bagged and happily steaming away inside it’s cellophane wrapped bowl, but the sushi was nowhere to be seen. It was only 10 – 12 minutes later that the sushi roll turned up.
However, the food was good, a good amount of wasabi was provided as well as a bowl for mixing and dipping (rare!). The egg in the donburi had cooked maybe a tad more than I had wanted and there wasn’t quite enough ‘stuff’ to go with the rice, but it was a good meal.
I’ll head there again for takeout as it was some good food. But I’ll make sure that I order just one dish at a time. Warning if you’re getting takeout, there is a chair but you’ll be bumped every time someone walks past (which happens often). Standing is an option but there really isn’t a place to wait.

The line (queue) builds up as the evening settles in. Price is very good, only paid £15 for two people.
Got the sushi bento and a ramen bowl. Not mind blowing awesome, but not bad either.
Not sure why, but I had a little trouble finding this place. It’s more on the edge of Chinatown, rather than right in the middle of it.
They don’t allow drinks from outside, though that’s a typical rule. My friend brought in some boba and the waitress was like, «Say what?!» But in an asian way.

Food was delicious and prices were great. It’s crowded but they do a good job herding everyone through. You feel a bit rushed but hard to complain.

I walked into Misato after seeing the good reviews on Unilocal and i wasn’t disappointed.
First of all, i know some people noted the place didn’t look like a million dollar or went simple with decorations etc but come on, that’s the point. If you want to lower the prices, that’s first thing you cut. And i’d rather they don’t do cuts on the quality of the food.
We came quite early in the evening so we didn’t queue. The staff was nice and efficient. We were served fast which happened to be extremely convenient for we were starving.
We ordered sushi makis, sashimi and a Tori Soba for me (soup noodles dish with fried chicken).
I was surprised the makis were as good as the ones i’m used to at my favourite Japanese place at home. The sashimi were a generous portion of thick cut salmon. All these dishes were really cheap (6 makis starts at £2).
The Tori Soba wasn’t exceptional but the chicken was reaaaally well cooked. I regretted not taking the curry udon.
All in all i was satisfied and i’d happily return to try out more things.
Note that it’s not your full-​on traditional japanese food restaurant.

Misato is a casual Japanese restaurant in China Town, it is a very popular venue for the Far East students in London as it is known for its very affordable price and massive portions. It is perhaps one of the cheapest Japanese restaurants in London if you excluded the likes of Itsu and Wasbi. While far from top notch, the pork katsu curry here is solid, very smooth and consistent in texture, plenty of mild sweetness and spiciness. Don’t order starters or side dishes unless you are a big eater as the portions here are almost twice as much as most other restaurants nearby.

Slapdash and fancy-​free is my first reaction to this popular and busy Japanese café in the heart of Chinatown. Like many it seems, we were seduced by the numerous positive reviews.
While there’s certainly speedy service and the food portions generous, it’s nothing extraordinary. We each had a teriyaki rice dish with chicken and salmon respectively. Perfectly edible if bland.
The accompanying salad leaves drizzled with mayonnaise were an odd choice; some Asian greens in garlic sauce would have been just the ticket.
Still, for a bill that came to less than £20 for two meals and a beer, you can’t complain. Just don’t expect to linger — queues of hungry customers are waiting, and you’ll be told to leave.

Long queue and rude staff. Although, the food is cheap and it still tastes decent.

If you’re looking for a budget-​friendly place that serves huge portions, definitely come here. If, however, you’re looking for more authentic Japanese food, don’t. This place definitely caters to the former.
A couple friends and I came here on a Friday night and the place was packed. Thankfully we only had to wait about 5 – 10 minutes before being seated. They also hand you the menus to look over in line, so we ordered pretty much right after we got seated. I wanted something light so I ordered the Tofu Steak (grilled tofu & sauce, w/​salad) and asked for the salad dressing on the side. When the dish came out I was already a bit disappointed. Not to be picky, but they didn’t remember to put the dressing on the side. Ok, fine. Whatever. Maybe the dressing will actually taste good? Unfortunately not the case, as it tasted super watery. The dish also came with a mysterious brown sauce (which I assume was for the tofu). Curious, I dipped my chopsticks in and gave it a taste. It literally tasted like diluted soy sauce. Not a fan. By this point I had pretty much given up, so I was actually pleasantly surprised when I tasted the grilled tofu since it was decent, although — again, this seems like a trend but — watery. Nothing special to say about the salad either — I mean, what can you really say about lettuce and a tomato?
Overall I was not impressed. The service was fast and I appreciated that they constantly made sure our water glasses were filled, but honestly the food was so subpar I can’t even justify the incredibly low prices (mine was 4 pounds). I wanted to love it, because it would’ve meant good food for low prices — which is definitely a struggle in London — but I just couldn’t. I will not be returning.

So I am a huge fan of Japanese food, I am also a huge fan of bargains. This place is a real find and I will definitely go again. It’s not the best tasting japanese food i’ve ever had, but it’s delicious and the portion sizes are fantastic.
The waiting staff are so friendly and very happy to help, the food was out quickly, which was brilliant because the lovely smells can induce real hunger pangs whilst you wait. The fish was very fresh and was set out simply and very humbly. The food was delivered as food, not a masterpiece on a plate, but if you don’t mind that (as I don’t) it’s barely a problem.
For value and a reasonably tasty bite to eat, I’d recommend this place.

According to local Londoners, the line for this place is usually out the door, but I guess I just got lucky when there wasn’t even a line.
I got the chicken katsu teriyaki, mainly cuz it was recommended by Unilocal-​ers. Poor decision — the chicken was breaded pretty heavily, lots of fat too, and just drenched in sauce.
Large portion size, if you liked the dish.

The stand-​alone feature of Misato is that it offers mighty portions of Japanese food at budget prices despite its location in the centre of London. It’s also nice that it provides salad with all its meals. The set-​up is very basic with simple furniture and amateur-​like employees. The china or bento box is also plain white and the cutlery or chopsticks without any design and actually reminds me of aeroplane quality. Everything is fine but lacking personality and a touch of class.

pas cher, très copieux (même gargantuesque) et bon … par contre attention on né paye qu’en cash !!!

This place is delicious, cheap, and has humongous portion sizes for London.
It does not seem like much from the outside, but inside you are guaranteed a yummy meal (or two if you have leftovers) for £6! If you are at the M&M emporium, it’s across the street, quite small and could be hard to miss.
I’ve only ordered the Chicken Katsu Curry because it’s such a great deal. I would highly suggest going to Misato for lunch, as you’ll surely be filled till the next day. My friend ordered their soba noodles which looked fine as well, just not as much food if you’re looking for quantity.
My only slight complaint is they add a strange gratuity or tax? I wasn’t sure, and no one at the cashier explained it well so I just paid. Overall, this place is so inexpensive it really doesn’t matter much. The service wasn’t the most attentive, so you may have to call someone over to your table a few times.
This place is quite popular but small, even when my group went for a meal at 4pm.

Once upon a time there was a student studying for hours in Senate House Library. It became very late and she became very hungry, suddenly craving Japanese food for dinner. Using her trusty Unilocal app she found a place called «Misato» that was not very far so she walked to Chinatown to go eat there. And the rest is history.
Seriously tasty food and shockingly inexpensive! The katsu curry is absolutely perfect in portion and flavour, very authentic (even the little salad that comes with it!). I could literally rave about the breading on the pork cutlet for days. I was so hungry when I got here but I left extremely full and satisfied.
I also ordered cucumber maki sushi as a side and that was also wonderful. 6 pieces for only £2.50! I would come back here just for the sushi alone.
Came here after the dinner rush so there was no queue and got a seat immediately. Despite the dinner rush being over all the tables were full so it took a little bit of time for the food to finally arrive. Also, I’m pretty sure I saw a sign that said cash only so bare that in mind!
This is now my «go-​to» place in London for Japanese food. Especially considering the hit or miss of the surrounding places in Chinatown, you can’t beat the prices or the quality of Misato.