Koya - Frith St W1

Koya has been the bloggers' and food critics' darling for the last 6 months or so and I finally got there today (that pretty much sums up my life, I used to be so organised, so cutting edge..sigh).  As you push your way through the blue curtain and open the door, Koya does feel like an oasis of calm in busy Soho [Quick diversion, when I first typed this I mistakingly wrote "an oasis of clam" which gives a whole different slant.  Just thought I'd share] despite being pretty much always packed to the rafters.  The pared back decor and chilled out (but really friendly) staff add to the vibe.  I liked the fact that I got a bottle of water as soon as I sat down and I loved my cute little silver teapot full of nutty Japanese tea, but like all the other reviewers the thing I loved the most was my udon noodles.  This is the focus here - handmade udon, either hot or cold, in broth and with various additions.  I had Atsu Atsu (hot udon in hot broth) with tempura, which was basically one giant prawn.  It was delicious - although tempura in broth is always kind of a weird one as the batter naturally comes off, but in a way that made the broth even more comforting, adding bulk to the savoury goodness.  The noodles were slippery, warming and perfect and the whole slurpy experience was pretty much spot on for both the weather and my mood.  Compared to the usual noodle crap you get around Soho this is not just another league, it's another universe so if you are a noodle fan you have to check out Koya - just be sure to get there early.