Update 24-06-2009: Taro in Knightsbridge has now closed! We went yesterday to get bentos for lunch and the place was stripped and boarded up. No more cheap bentos for us. Sigh…
There are few good and cheap lunch places around where I work in South Kensington so when a new place pops up on our radar, we’re all over it. That latest place is Taro in Knightsbridge. You may be familiar with the two branches in Soho (Brewer Street and Old Compton Street), you know, the ones with the cartoon faces? But what differentiates this branch are the lunchtime takeaway options.
In front of the restaurant is a refrigerated display case full of packets of sushi and edamame. A large at £2.50 gets you a variety of maki sushi while a small at £1.50 will procure you two nigiri sushi. £1.50 will also get you a packet of ready to eat edamame.
It’s not very clear in the photo but this was some thickly cut maki sushi – I got a few California rolls and some avocado and quite a few avocado and salmon hosomaki (the little rolls). The two packets filled me up nicely for lunch. The California rolls were a bit heavy on the rice but I couldn’t fault the rest. It’s nice finding affordable sushi!
If you’re not in the mood for sushi, walk into the restaurant and ask to see their takeaway bento menu. There’s a list of about 10 choices for the main dish and each comes with rice and a few accoutrements. They’re priced right too, with most running at £4 and a few at £5. An extra 50p gets you some miso soup on the side.
Here’s my fried chicken (chicken katsu) bento (£4).
The chicken is freshly fried and most pieces remain crisp by the time I get around to eating it. It came with some Bulldog sauce to drizzle over the fried chicken and a delicious sweet soy sauce on the rice, in case you feared that the meal would be too dry! I hear the tonkatsu (pork instead) bento is also very good!
And here’s Mirna’s eel bento (£5). Notice the different side dishes. Her reports indicated that it was great!
These aren’t just for weekdays either – my friend Rach picked up a bento on a Saturday too! The restaurant’s location makes this a good lunch time option for those working in the area or the many tourists visiting Harrods or any of the three big museums nearby (Science Museum, Natural History Museum, V&A).
Taro
136 Brompton Rd
London SW3 1HY
Thu, 30 Apr, 2009 at 09:10
That’s excellent value for the eel bento box. I wish I worked closer to Kensington now!
Thu, 30 Apr, 2009 at 09:14
Great tip – it’s hard finding good-value sushi, especially around South Ken. I’ll remember it next time I’m over there, and then of course round things off with some gelato from Oddono’s.
Thu, 30 Apr, 2009 at 10:09
yum. will make a note when for my next visit to london. thx!
Thu, 30 Apr, 2009 at 10:12
looks delicious!
Thu, 30 Apr, 2009 at 15:05
The eel bento box looks great! I lived in the area for many years a long time ago, but am really out of touch with restaurants there now. Do the Soho branches do takeaway too (or did you mean the options in South Ken are different to the Soho options)?
Thu, 30 Apr, 2009 at 18:13
Ah, those look super fresh and oishii! The nice thing about bentos, too, is that they’re easy to make at home…even without all those dividers used to separate the different items. We made our own for a recent hike that was pretty great. In Hawaii, too many store-made bentos have SPAM. Consider yourself fortunate that you live in a SPAM-free part of the world!
Thu, 30 Apr, 2009 at 21:13
Nice red shoes!
Fri, 1 May, 2009 at 16:35
That eel looks magnificent!
Sun, 3 May, 2009 at 21:43
Lizzie: Trust me, you don’t.
An American in London: Ah, my favourite gelato place! That’s a wonderful “menu” you’ve got planned!
caper berry: Oh yes, museums + bento box make a pretty fine day!
kat: They definitely were – I’ve had a few of the others on the menu since then and they’re all good.
Helen: Unfortunately, I have no idea about the Soho branches – I’ve never been there at lunchtimes. This is just for the Knightsbridge branch.
sapuche: Oh, I think it would be a a glorious day when Spam is accepted into bento boxes in London! I love Spam!
ivan:
Thank you!
Johann: I hear it was great – I have to order that next time.
Tue, 5 May, 2009 at 11:32
@ sapuche
SPAM free?
Definitely not – many UK greasy spoons are still like this place:
Fri, 8 May, 2009 at 12:55
meemalee: That reminds me of the Spam fritters that I had in a greasy spoon that looked straight out of the fifties. Mmmm… Spam fritters!
Mon, 11 May, 2009 at 10:22
Hi,Su-lin!
I was very surprized at finding eel-o-bento in your HP. Because I had believed Foriners never eat eel.
And that Takuwan-yellow pickled radish, it’s very popular one in Japan.
Someday you should come to Japan.
I’ll show you here Japan and real Japanese foods.
I hope you understand my English.
Mon, 11 May, 2009 at 20:23
Masae: Hello! Oh yes, I’ve definitely had eel that’s not Japanese in style. I had some tasty (though with lots of bones) morsels in France once. And in London, jellied eels are quite traditional (though whether they’re popular can be argued).
One day, I would love to go to Japan – I bet I’ll end up eating a lot when I do go! And don’t worry about your English; it’s very good!