The drinks menu is just as expansive as the food menu, with an impressive selection of non-alcoholic beverages. Not thinking of drinking? A mug of Asahi Dry Zero has the same satisfying beer taste, only not as strong and without the added alcohol.

Green Tea Sake is where Japan’s infamous love affair with Matcha diffuses into the realm of alcohol. This drink gives you the best of both worlds; the initial refreshing, sweet green tea flavour giving way to a subtle sake aftertaste.


Hitching a ride on the bao bandwagon, this pork belly bun is deliciously sweet and moreish. A thick, chunky piece of teriyaki pork belly is offset by the crunch of fresh lettuce and tomato. It’s easy to eat and the bun is sizeable compared to other ones we’ve tried elsewhere. This is a prime contemporary example of the kind of bar snack Izakayas are known for.

Following on the finger food theme, grilled seafood tacos are a mouthful of textures and flavours. Slightly smoky, charred cubes of sashimi are tossed in a light teriyaki and mayonnaise dressing with a hint of chilli and aromatic onion. The shell is impossibly light and bubbly which makes it a little hard to eat, but the tacos are an ingenious fusion of east and west nonetheless.

Contrary to many traditional Japanese restaurants which specialise in a specific type of food (sushi, bar food, rice bowls), Izakaya Samurai branches out into all realms of Washoku. And they do it well, too - Tonkotsu ramen is flavoursome, hearty and tasty, with homemade pork chashu that has just the right amount of fattiness.