Little Tokyo

Little Tokyo is one of Leeds hidden gems that you simply must find and enjoy. A petite Japanese restaurant hidden at the back of House of Fraser, you would almost be forgiven for missing it. However this place has actually been about for years, and if my visit yesterday evening is anything to go by – it’s still going strong.

One thing that really says something about a restaurant for me, is when you see people of that heritage enjoying the cuisine. To me, that tells me the food must be good – and good it is! Little Tokyo looks quite a small establishment and from the outside, and I will be honest, it doesn’t actually look that special. But take a step inside and you are transported to a beautifully decorated authentic haven complete with fairy lights; and a Japanese style foot bridge, that leads over a pool complete with colourful coy carp’s happily swimming around below.

The menu at Little Tokyo is much bigger than I expected, offering a range of sushi, sashimi, bento boxes, Japanese curry and many, many tempting appetisers. My friend and I couldn’t decide on just one meal each, so we opted to go for a selection of starters and a serving of sashimi to share. I also indulged in a homemade lemonade, of which I was offered still or sparking; and my friend a Japanese beer.

The service in here is pretty fast, something we were glad of as the place smells wonderful and makes you feel so hungry! Our food was with us within ten minutes of ordering, even though the restaurant was completely full. On top of our sashimi, we had dim sum, pork gyoza and ebi katsu. The sashimi was beautifully presented and included a selection of fresh raw fish, the mackerel being a personal favourite for me. The gyoza’s were huge, such a generous portion for the price we paid, and were cooked to perfection. But the real star had to be the dim sum – bursting with flavour, these were incredible and even though I was absolutely full to the brim, they left me wanting more. My home-made lemonade I felt was the perfect combination of sweet and sour; and unusually for me during a meal, the one  rather large glass was just enough, and I didn’t have to keep re-ordering drink after drink.

We paid just under £45 for both the food and the drinks, which we were both rather surprised about. I actually had to check the bill to be sure they hadn’t undercharged us. I will 100% return to Little Tokyo, I think it may be my new favourite restaurant in Leeds – in-fact, I want to go back right now. Oh, and did I mention they also offer take out? Amazing.

Little Tokyo, 24 Central Road, Leeds LS1 6DE.