Japanese food has a lot going for it, especially in the current climate of free range chickens, organic vegetables, fruit smoothies and healthy eating. As a nation the Japanese have the longest life expectancy of any nation on earth, and a large portion of this must be down to their diet, which as any man on the street can tell you, is largely based around fish, rather than meat.

As more and more people realise not only how good Japanese food is for you, but also how tasty it is, so more and more restaurants open up, and the choice gets wider. Of course, sushi has been fashionable for years, if not decades, but there is a lot more to the cuisine than just that.

“So” is a new restaurant which has opened recently on Soho’s Warwick Street. The theme is that of a Japanese tavern, and they serve a variety of different foods, ranging from sushi (they also have sushi making courses for the super-keen), through to yakitori (little stick of grilled meat) through to conventional fare like tempura and teriyaki.

We stated with a plate of crunchy and salty edamame beans – delicious as always – and then moved onto a big platter of tempura, fresh from the deep fryer. The prawns and vegetables were piping hot and wonderfully flavoured, especially with the dipping sauce, although the soft-shelled crab was not as good as I had hoped.

Next I had ordered a selection of sushi, and a couple of items off the a la carte menu. It was nice to find a place where they have Toro (tune belly) in stock, so this was a must, along with my favourite – yellow tail. The fish was obviously fresh, and there were no complaints at all, the fact that it all disappeared so quickly points to how good it was. Grilled Wagyu beef was a welcome sight on the menu as well, and it came to the table beautifully cooked and presented, and luckily its tenderness and taste lived up to the first impressions.

The drinks list has an impressive selection of Sakes, and the usual Japanese bottled beers are available – I think these are what best compliments the food’s light style. By the end of the meal everyone had tried each of the dishes (an essential component to a good meal in my opinion), so there was no room left over for pudding. I did see some other people eating what looked like a very good cheesecake though, so next time I will make sure to leave room for a taste. But with sushi this good, I may have a tough time.

www.sorestaurant.com