Underneath the arches at Tonkotsu Battersea –

Tonkotsu, Battersea sits in a railway arch near the revamped Battersea power station. The area has been redeveloped as a sort of gastronomic fun park packed with different eateries and a couple of bars, all of which probably featured curved ceilings.

I was dining with a friend who’d been enticed by the first table early bird offer, two for one food if we were sat before 6pm. Making our way, or ways as we went several times in the wrong direction from Battersea Park station, we made it just before the deadline expired.

Inside Tonkotsu has the hipster bare wood look of a place that has been semi done up by a DIY enthusiast who wandered off to another project halfway through. Naked MDF boards are rampant, and you can’t shake off the feeling that this is what it would feel like to dine in a B&Q.

We secured a table close to the serving area and were promptly presented with the menus. I think the best way to describe what’s on offer here is Japanese comfort food, a mixture of ramens, katsu curries and gyozas on the side.

Side orders run between £4-£8 with the usual edamame beans mixed in with some appetising looking chicken wings and tempura prawns. We ordered a helping of both the pork and prawn gyoza and some Asahi beer to wash it down with,

The gyoza were well done and packed with a delicious salty, umami flavour. The problem was that it was difficult to tell the difference between them. Had we been delivered some porky prawns or prawny pork by mistake.

For the main course my friend had ordered the eponymous ramen, that on the picture looked a bit like a Sunday roast drowned in noodle soup. He declared it great, with a nice large helping of pork included and a pleasant tasting broth zinging with enough garlic and beansprouts to break the monotony of the noodles.

My chicken katsu curry was satisfying and warming, but like the ramen was perhaps not as big as you thought it was when it first arrived. It did have a pleasant home made quality about it, though that might just be the chunky carrots.

Like the side orders, the main courses were quickly disposed of and the bill promptly appeared. We had ordered a second beer each, but even so I was a bit surprised that with discount our total came to about £50, to be frank this is what I feel the meal would be worth.

It’s a pleasant enough place to be and a great spot to stop off when exploring the power station and surrounding area, just keep an eye on the purse strings. We went on to explore the microbrewery pub down the road, the other worldly concoctions of which seemed to transport to a different plane, well that’s how I felt the next morning at least.

Rob

Tonkotsu, 6 Arches Lane (Entrance off Queenstown Road)
Battersea Power Station
London
SW11 8AB. 0207 720 7695

www.tonkotsu.co.uk