Koya Soho

Great spot for lunch. Loved the authentic counter seating, not the best for a dinner date but superb for a solo lunch hideaway. The beef don was really nice but I’m used to having more sauce as I had in Japan, but this isn’t Japan so it’s unfair to compare. It’s still good though. Overall, great location for a lunch spot.

Absolutely loved it. Great food and a fun experience overall. I expected a wait at lunch time but we had a space right away. A definite must if you like authentic Japanese cuisine and you like London ;)

I came specifically to Koya for their prawn tempura udon which was shown on the lunch menu. I arrived slightly before 12pm which was still their breakfast menu time. I didn’t argue — I even ordered a breakfast soup noodle first and waited until 12pm so I could order the prawn tempura. At 12pm when I asked to order it, the staff told me I’m not allowed to order prawn tempura as a topping, and instead I must order a whole full portion. I asked politely if I could at least take away the extra if I can’t finish it (since they were forcing me to order an entire separate dish). The lady then told me they do not provide any takeaway containers at all. The entire interaction made me feel extremely unwelcome, rigidly policed, and honestly punished for trying to order what’s actually on their menu. Totally ruined my experience. Bad service attitude + absolutely inflexible. I left feeling mad and disappointed. Definitely not coming back.