Food Blog | Engawa | Ham Yard | London

Recently just got back from my trip to London and Amsterdam, so I’m excited to share with you guys the food that I got on my trip there! The first on my blog: Engawa! This was the spot that I brought my girlfriend to for her birthday lunch.

Engawa, Ham Yard, London

Where it Is

It is located at Ham Yard, and is most accessible through the Piccadily Circus station. I would imagine it’s acceessible to most areas if you are in the North London areas on foot - but just check online what other options you have to get here. I highly suggest that you make a reservation before coming, because it is actually a pretty intimate (small) location and you’ll more than likely run into problems getting a seat if you don’t make a reservation before hand.

You can click on this link right over here or the link to their official website over here to make a reservation.

Address: Engawa, 2 Ham Yard, London W1D 7DT, United Kingdom

 

Operating Hours:

Tuesday - Thursday: 5 - 10:30pm
Friday & Saturday: 12 - 3pm, 5 - 10:30pm
Sunday & Monday : Closed

We reached at around 12:30pm and we were the first customers through the door for the day. It got a bit more crowded later on - and some of the seats can be a bit close to other customers.

What it Costs

I would say that their lunch offerings are significantly more worth the money - as their dinner Omakase sets start at 80 pounds. By comparison, their lunch bento boxes start at a more reasonable price point of 35 pounds (salmon don) and 40 pounds (11 selection Hakozenbento box).

We decided to get two different things - just so we could try more things on the menu. My girlfriend went the 14 selection Hakozenbento Box (the signature, must-have dish at Engawa), whilst I went with the Wagyu Don Box.

There IS tap water here, we just made the mistake of saying still water so they brought out a bottle of mineral water - so just take note of that. Additionally, when I was making the reservation on Opentable, I made a mention of a birthday dessert (and that I was willing to pay a small fee) - but I think it wasn’t really taken note of and we basically had to order on the spot. They don’t offer a complimentary birthday dessert here haha - just something to take note of.

Here’s our full receipt:

Still Water - 6 pounds
Wagyu Don - 55 pounds
14 Bento Box - 40 pounds
Engawa Fondue - 10 pounds
Service Charge - 14.43 pounds
Total - 125.43 pounds
(Food VAT included in the food prices)

If you want to take a look at their full menu, click on this link right over here!

How it Tastes

So, I will just go into how it works basically.

For the 14 bento box, you get:

1 Miso Soup
1 Appetizer
14 assortment of different sushi and sashimi

For the Wagyu Don, you get:

1 Miso Soup
8 assortment of different sushi and sashimi (basically a subset of the 14 bento box)
1 Wagyu Don

For two people, I think that this is a good combination that should make you decently full (it’s one of the reasons why I opted for the Wagyu Don haha).

Starting off with the miso soup. A good, decent miso soup with a fragrance you can notice. Not really one of those miso soup with a lot of ‘liao’ (or basically the harder bits in the soup like mushroom, tofu, etc.) but nonetheless, it’s a simple appetizer to start the meal.

Next up is the appetizer from the 14 Assortment Bento Box. I felt it’s so, so. I’m more of a sucker of the more saucy types of Japanese salads (lathered in sesame sauce). But basically this is one of those appetizers where the vegetables speak for themselves. Definitely a pretty and well presented appetizer though!

14 Assortment Bento Box

Now onto the 14 assortment set. One thing I would say is that with regard to the difference between the 14 assortment bento set and the 8 assortment bento set (from the wagyu don), the ones that you miss from the wagyu don bento set are definitely the premium ones. You have dishes such as fatty tuna and what I believe was a deep fried fish roll with some kind of bubble texture (top for, 3rd from left).

If you’re ordering for one, I would definitely order the 14 assortment set - just because of the variety that this box has to offer. If you’re sharing between two - I think that you should definitely consider getting some kind of donburi just so you have more variety to share!

Lunch for 2 @ Engawa, London

In general, I would say that the sushi offerings are good - but it’s not one of those things where you have one bite and have your mind blown. The word I would probably choose to describe the sushi here would be decent. I belive they used some brown rice for their nigiri which stood out a bit (it’s one of those things where either you like it or you don’t) - so just take a note of that.

Engawa Wagyu Don

I personally think that the Wagyu Don was really good. It is beautifully presented and paired with two different sauces. The beef was actually super delicious and melt-in-your-mouth. I think that online, there are a few mentions that at 55 pounds, it is a bit steep in terms of pricing, but I think that compared to the 14 assortment set, I would argue it is probably better value considering you get an 8 assortment bento as well!

Engawa Dessert Parfait

I mentioned above the fact that they didn’t really look at my booking notes or have a complimentary birthday dessert - but otherwise, I think that their matcha dessert parfait was super yummy. They even added a candle on top (although it did make me find it even weirder that they didn’t have a complimentary dessert).

Star Rating

8/10. I do think that on review sites, they do seem to have a lot of criticism - like rushing customers when they’re already fully booked, and some criticism about food - but I didn’t feel that way at all. I think that the bento boxes looked and tasted great, and the wagyu don was delicious! The service was also great throughout the lunch (as again, apart from whatever happened with my mention of a dessert on Opentable). In my opinion, much more bang for your buck coming here for your lunch - and I can imagine it’s a lot less crowded too!.