Bincho Soho Asian Food / Dinner / Good for Groups / Groups / Japanese Food / Lunch / Moderate / Outdoor Area / Seafood / Street Parking / Whiskey Bar / Japanese Restaurant / Asian Restaurant

I've making the effort to develop upon my love for Japanese food over the last few years and Bincho is definitely one of the best places I've tried lately. Bincho takes it's name from 'Binchō-tan' - a type of charcoal prized by Japanese grill chefs for it's clean, slow burning properties. And in light of the type of food that is served here, this makes sense... Bincho is inspired by a type of Japanese bar called an 'izakaya', which instead of serving large sit down meals, instead opts for lots of smaller dishes made up of grilled skewers of seafood, meat and vegetables. So not perhaps the usual sushi restaurant you may have come to equate with Japanese food. This makes Bincho a great place to go with friends and share a large meal made up of lots of smaller courses. In a way could be seen as a meat & fish centric, Japanese version of Tapas. The atmosphere's great, with a lot of thought going into what seems like clean and minimalist design. You can also see the chefs at work through a clear screen, which is a very Japanese feature. Food prices are pretty reasonable, but there's a caveat, there's normally 'minimum order' of two skewers, and so you can find that prices can spiral a little with a large party, just something to bear in mind… Recommendations? Try the 'Unagi' (eel) for a memorable texture, the Sanma (whole, salt grilled mackerel-pike) for pure fish excitement. Also get a 'Seven Samurai' - which lets you taste a wide range of Bincho's skewered offerings, including tiger prawns, shiitake mushrooms and pork belly. Oh, check out the drinks menu too, it is extensive - try a Shochu if you haven't already!