Ginnan

samantha_tan

Disappointing Monday night buffet 6th July 2009

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For the full review including course-by-course pictures please see my blog at:

http://bakecookeat.blogspot.com/2009/06/ginnan-japanese-restaurant-monday-night.html

As a huge lover of sushi, I am always on the hunt for all-you-can-eat offers which allow me to eat truckloads at a time. Unfortunately in London these are few and far between- the Hi Sushi chain fills a hole, although mainly with salmon and not much else-unlike Malaysia where lavish Japanese buffets are all the rage. As such, I was uber excited to discover upon some Google research that there was apparently a place called Ginnan in Angel with an all-you-can-eat deal on Mondays between 7pm-8.30pm for £15.50, consisting of various maki, nigiri, katsu, noodles and rice.

Now as far as I'm concerned, all-you-can-eat automatically implies a buffet-style service where all the food is spread out for you to help yourself. Not so with Ginnan; what they actually mean is that they will serve you the food omakase style, course-by-course in a set order. For us who went there primarily for sushi, this meant over an hour of sitting impatiently, getting increasingly annoyed, as they brought us plate after plate of food we didn't want before the sushi finally made an appearance. It was obviously structured to save the restaurant money: fill the customer up with lots of cheaper carbohydrates so that they're no longer hungry by the time the more expensive stuff comes!

To be fair, I believe if Ginnan had described this offer more accurately as a course-by-course sampling of Japanese cuisine rather than a buffet we would have enjoyed it more. The hot food, despite us not really wanting it, was tasty all round and the sushi fresh and delicious when it eventually arrived (although again, somewhat limited in variety). And whilst one waitress was moody and seemed indifferent to our presence, we were pacified slightly in the end when another nicer one obliged with several more plates of nigiri and maki upon demand, even beyond 8.30pm.

Whether or not Ginnan's buffet is good value depends entirely on what you are looking for. If all you desire is a hot dinner that's filling and tasty, then Ginnan could be your thing. If however, like me sushi is your priority, then my advice would be to steer clear and go elsewhere for your fix.

Niamheen

Delicious traditional Japanese fare 3rd November 2008

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Ginnan is a lovely Japanese restaurant off Exmouth Market, offering a range of dishes from katsu curry to tempura to sushi and sashimi. They offer an enormous menu, which often is a bad sign in a restaurant, as most places can't offer consistency on a wide range of dishes. This doesn't seem to be an issue here.

Like most traditional Japanese restaurants, each meal comes with a delicious miso soup. At lunch there's an express menu, although it's hidden at the back, and can take some finding. It offers gems such as chicken katsu curry for £6.50 and it's as good as I've had in London. Monday evenings there's an all you can eat offer which I've yet to sample, but I've heard it's good. The sushi and sashimi is very good, very fresh and well made.

The service, as with most Japanese restaurants cannot be faulted. It's a very pleasant place and I've become a regular. I would heartily recommend that everyone try the katsu curry at least!

kaichanvong

I love Ginnan 19th May 2008

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They server one of the best Katsu curies in all of London, the size is insane and the taste better than any I've had.

The sushi buffet is pretty good, but if you're into stuffing you're face and not after the taste of lots of different things this may not be for you. The buffet includes a variety of maki/futomaki/curry/soba/udon noodles/rice and fresh nigiri at the sushi counter.

Oh and they offer coke/sprite with the buffet too...

Niamheen at 28/08/08

Got the katsu curry at lunchtime on your recommendation. Yum! Thanks for the tip :)

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Izabel_blue

Friendly Japanese bistro 1st May 2008

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I've been to Ginnan about 5 times now and it's never disappointed. The food is fresh and the service is friendly, and it's not too pricey for as many Japanese places can be. The sushi is especially good - there are some great, creative handrolls on the menu, the one of which really stands out for me is their 'dragon roll' which is almost too beautiful to eat!


The express lunch at £6.50 is especially good value and don't miss the all you can eat buffet on Monday nights at 7pm - there's a wide assortment of cold and hot dishes on offer (Japanese curries, noodle dishes, handrolls etc) and the sushi chef is busy at work making nigiri sushi for you to load up on your plate too.

A real gem for Japanese food lovers!

walid

Unpretentious Japanese 26th March 2008

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Ginnan is a great little Japanese restaurant where you get a great lunch time menu at £6.50 with Salmon and Chicken Teriyaki. The service is efficient and the venue is both clean and quiet. Great for having a light fast lunch and being able to have a conversation without the noise. Also interesting to hear what other tables are talking about... but sssshhh you didn't hear that from me ;-)

qwghlm

Tasty and at a good price 1st February 2008

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I only get takeaway from here and every time it's been tasty and the service is really nice and friendly. Can't testify to the sit-down part but it looks decent enough.