Abeno Too...It's Alive!

Abeno Too
17-18 Great Newport Street
WC2H 7JE
Tel: 020 7379 1160

Date of Last Visit: Saturday, 16 February 2008

The Victims: Me, myself, and I

The Damage: £20, which was a bit more than I was expecting. No free refills!

The Background: Sometimes, people ask me why it is that I go out to eat so much. I think part of it is very certainly laziness, but I'm going to blame my mother for the rest! I remember when I was a kid, a shopping trip was ALWAYS accompanied by lunch somewhere fun. Often, my mom would cut out articles in the newspaper about new restaurants, and when it came time for back-to-school shopping or just a random trip to the mall, she'd pull the review out of "the junk drawer" in the kitchen and off we'd go.

So you see, every time I go shopping, I HAVE to go out to lunch. :)

A while back, I read a post on Howard and Ben's blog about Abeno Too and it sounded like my kind of place. And after enjoying okonomiyaki at The Sunday Up Market on Brick Lane on more than one occasion, I thought it was time.

Abeno Too is pretty packed when I arrive, but I get a seat with my back to the wall. I'm seated on a high bench that opens so I can put my stuff (new shoes!) inside. This is very clever.

I order a pork and something okonomikayi and a miso soup and I sit back to watch the preparations. It takes a little bit longer than I expected, but it is worth every bit of the wait. I can't really explain the flavor--it's salty and hearty and rich and dense and filling. Maybe this is the mysterious "unami" flavor that I've heard talk of. Whatever it is, it's pretty dang delicious. I don't have to tell you what it looks like because of the magic of video. This is my first ever forray into blog-eo, so be kind.

The Verdict: I'll be back. Many times. But they shouldn't charge for barley tea refills. That's a rip-off.