Waka is a newly opened eatery located near Monument specialising in Nikkei cuisine that’s ready for take away and offered at super competitive price points.
Crash course in Nikkei cuisine (if you haven’t been paying attention to global food trends these past few years): it’s Peruvian/Japanese with plenty of sushi but also ceviche and lots of complex, spicy flavours.
Kinda like a Latin-inspired Itsu or (a considerable spruced up) Wasabi, Waka does grab-n-go hot and cold dishes mostly for al desko lunching.
Prices are right on. Even an avid fan of a large portioned lunch such as me could be sated with items priced just under or slightly over £5. Such fare includes prawn ceviche (£3.95 to go/£4.74 eat in); pork gyoza (£3.25); truffle tuna or steak tataki (£4.55 to go/£5.46 eat in) with lots more sushi, bowls, salads and snacks to boot.
As nice as the prices are, Waka doesn’t seem to be skimming on quality. Or flavour. I was especially impressed with the freshness of the fish and seafood I tried during a recent invited opportunity sample a range of Waka dishes. The most memorable aspect of that tasting was how deliciously fragrant so many dishes were.
If you work in the City (especially near Monument) rejoice in this new dining option. Waka’s aim is mostly for the fast moving lunchtime trade, but there’s plenty of comfortable seating (for quick dining and more lingering meetings) and opening hours increasing to pull folks in off the street earlier and later in the day.
Waka is located at 39A Eastcheap, EC3M 1DE. Find out more at waka-uk.com.
