Café Japan is a Japanese restaurant at 626 Finchley Road in north west London, a short walk from Golders Green station. It has served the neighbourhood for many years and retains the feel of a focused local dining room rather than a broad pan Asian chain.
Fresh sushi and sashimi are the principal draw, with carefully cut fish offered through individual pieces, rolls and assorted platters. The range lets experienced diners choose specific favourites while giving newcomers an easy way to sample several textures and preparations in one order.
Hot dishes include teriyaki and tempura, providing substantial alternatives to raw fish and useful accompaniments for a shared meal. Rice, soup and vegetable dishes round out the selection, with vegetarian and gluten free choices available for diners who need them.
Lunch is offered on selected days alongside evening service, and the relaxed setting supports both reservations and takeaway. Japanese drinks and attentive table service complete an experience centred on ingredient quality, clear flavours and the established specialist character of Café Japan.
Address: 626 Finchley Road, London NW11 7RR, England
Cafe Japan Menu
Starter
Edamame
Boiled Soya beans
Goma-ae
Boiled Spinach marinated with Sesame sauce
Hijiki
Cooked black Seaweed
Sunomono
Vinegared cucumber and Wakame seaweed
Yellow Pickles
Yellow Radish pickles
Ikura Oroshi
Salmon Roe with Grated Radish
Tako-Wasabi
Tin sliced low Octopus mixed with Wasabi
Nanban Zuke
Cooked Sea Bass and Vegetables, Marinated with sweet sour sauce
Miso Soup
Miso paste soup
Agedashi Tofu
Deep-fried bean curd
Nasu Dengaku
Grilled Aubergine with sweet miso paste
Deep fried Gyoza
Deep-fried Chicken & Vegetable dumplings (6pcs)
Deep fried Vegetable Gyoza
Deep-fried Vegetable dumplings (6pcs)
Chicken Kara-age
Deep-fried Chicken
Octopus Kara-age
Deep-fried spicy Octopus
Sardine Ume Shiso age
Deep-fried Sardine with plum and shiso leaf
Salad
Wafu Salad
Green salad with Wakame seaweed
Seaweed Salad
Assorted Seaweeds with sesame oil based sauce
Side Salad
Salad
Sashimi Salad
Tin sliced Salmon with Green salad
Tempura
Prawn Tempura
4 pieces of Prawn
Vegetable Tempura
8 kinds of vegetable
Mixed Tempura
2 pieces of Prawn and 4 kinds of vegetable
Soft Shell Crab
Soft Shell Crab tempura
Grilled
Chicken Teriyaki
Grilled Chicken with Teriyaki sauce
Salmon Teriyaki
Grilled Salmon with Teriyaki sauce
Saba Shio Yaki
Grilled Mackerel with salt
Grilled Yellow Tail neck
Salt-grilled Yellow tail neck served with Ponzu sauce
Grilled Black Cod Miso
Grilled miso marinated Black Cod
Sashimi
Three kinds of Sashimi
3 slices each of Salmon, Tuna & Sea bream
Five kinds of Sashimi
3 slices each of Salmon, Tuna, Yellow tail Sea bream & Mackerel
Seven kinds of Sashimi
3 slices each of Salmon, Tuna, Fatty tuna Yellow tail and Sea bream; Jumbo Shrimp 2 pieces; Scallop 2 slices
Salmon Sashimi portion
Salmon Sashimi 6 slices
Tuna Sashimi portion
Tuna Sashimi 6 slices
Tuna & Salmon Sashimi portion
3 slices each of Salmon and Tuna Sashimi
Hamachi Sashimi portion
Yellow tail Sashimi 6 slices
Chu-Toro Sashimi portion
Medium Fatty tuna Sashimi 6 slices
O-Toro Sashimi portion
Fatty tuna Sashimi 6 slices
Noodles & Rice
Kake-Udon
Udon Noodles in Hot Soup
Steamed Rice
Sushi Rice
Nigiri or Sashimi
Price per piece
Omelet
Surf clam
Mackerel
Octopus
Squid
Flying Fish Roe
Salmon
Tuna
Sea Bream
Sea Bass
Turbot
Dover sole
Brill
Sweet Shrimp
Scallop
Yellow Tail
Eel
Red Mullet
Chu-Toro
Medium Fatty Tuna
Ikura (Salmon roe)
O-Toro (Fatty Tuna)
Jumbo Sweet Shrimp
Assorted Sushi
Sushi set A
10 pcs of Nigiri Sushi & Negitoro roll; O-toro, Tuna, Salmon, Sea bream, Sea bass, Yellow tail, Scallop, Sweet shrimp, Squid, Octopus
Sushi set B (No Shellfish)
8 pcs of Nigiri Sushi & Tuna roll; Chu-toro, Tuna, Salmon, Sea bream, Sea bass, Mackerel, Yellow tail, Red mullet
Salmon Sushi set
6 pcs of Nigiri Salmon & Salmon Avocado Inside out Roll
Regular Roll (6cuts)
Cucumber roll
Sesame, Cucumber
Avocado roll
Avocado
Yellow Pickles roll
Sesame, Yellow Pickles
Salmon roll
Tuna roll
Natto & Spring onion roll
Negi-toro roll
Fine chopped Toro & Spring onion
Toro-taku roll
Fine chopped Toro & Yellow pickles
Salmon skin roll
Sesame, Salmon skin, Cucumber, Teriyaki sauce
Salmon roe & shiso leaf roll
Ikura shiso maki イクラしそ巻き
Squid & shiso leaf roll
Ika shiso maki イカしそ巻き
Spider roll
Soft Shell Crab, Avocado, Cucumber, Asparagus, Omelette, Mayonnaise & Flying fish roe
Inside Out Roll
Avocado & Cucumber roll
6pcs; Avocado, Cucumber & Sesame seeds
Snow crab California
6pcs; Snow crab, Avocado, Cucumber, Mayonnaise & Flying fish roe
Salmon & Avocado
6pcs; Salmon, Avocado & Sesame seeds
Spicy Salmon
6pcs; Salmon, Spicy Mayonnaise & Sesame seeds
Spicy Tuna
6pcs; Tuna, Spicy Mayonnaise & Sesame seeds
Negi-Hama
6pcs; Yellow Tail, Spring onion & Sesame seeds
Seabass & Yuzu Kosho
6pcs; Seabass, Spicy Yuzu Paste, Shiso leaf, Cucumber
Prawn Tempura
6pcs; Prawn Tempura, Asparagus, Mayonnaise & Sesame seeds
Asparagus Tempura
6pcs; Asparagus Tempura, Mayonnaise & Sesame seeds
Eel & Cucumber
6pcs; Eel, Cucumber, Sesame seeds & Teriyaki sauce
Age Salmon
6pcs; Cooked Salmon, Spring Onion, Spicy Mayonnaise, Sesame seeds & Teriyaki sauce
Age Tuna
6pcs; Cooked Tuna, Spring Onion, Spicy Mayonnaise, Sesame seeds & Teriyaki sauce
Age Butter Fish
6pcs; Cooked Butter fish, Sprig Onion, Spicy Mayonnaise, Sesame seeds & Teriyaki sauce
Age Yellow tail
6pcs; Cooked Yellow Tail, Spring Onion, Spicy Mayonnaise, Sesame seeds & Teriyaki sauce
Chirashi & Bowl
A : Kaisen Chirashi
Assorted selection of fish & Shellfish, Cucumber, Sesame, Nori, mooli, Ginger on Sushi rice
B : Chirashi
Assorted selection of fish, Cucumber, Sesame, Nori, Mooli, Ginger on Sushi rice
Salmon Chirashi
8 sliced Salmon, Cucumber, Sesame, Nori Mooli, Ginger on Sushi rice
Tuna & Salmon Chirashi
4 sliced Tuna & 4 sliced Salmon, Cucumber, Sesame, Nori, Mooli, Ginger on Sushi rice
Tuna Chirashi
8 Sliced Tuna, Cucumber, Sesame, Nori Mooli, Ginger on Sushi rice
Negitoro Don
Fine chopped Toro with Spring onion, Nori, Mooli, Cucumber, Ginger on Sushi rice
Ten don
Prawn(3) and Vegetables(4) tempura on top of plain rice with sweet soy sauce
Una-ju
Grilled Eel on top of plain rice
Omakase
Omakase Nigiri sushi
14 pcs Chef’s choice assorted Nigiri Sushi
Sake
Dassai 45
Yamaguchi Pref. Type: Junmai Dai Ginjo; Rice: Yamada Nishiki; Polishing Ratio: 45%; SMV: N / A; Acidity: N / A; ABV: 16%; Rich and fatty among Dassai collection, 45 has gooseberry and lime skin on the nose. Medium body with mild acidity and tropical notes.
Tosatsuru Ginrei
Kochi Pref. Type: Ginjo; Rice: Yamada Nishiki; Polishing Ratio: 55%; SMV: 1.5; Acidity: 1.3; ABV: 15%; It is a quiet and subtle type of sake with gentle fruity scent of elderflower. Beautifully balanced with its light body, soft texture and clean finish.
Kubota Manju
Niigata Pref. Type: Junmai Dai Ginjo; Rice: 500 Mangoku + Local Rice; Polishing Ratio: 35%; SMV: +2; Acidity: 1.2; ABV: 15%; Sophisticated nose of pear and candy sugar with nice amount of minerality. Smooth and silky texture with beautiful weight. It has vanilla, caramelized banana, rose petal notes with clean finish.
Mio
Hyogo Pref. Type: Sparkling Sake; Rice: N/A; Polishing Ratio: 60%; SMV: -70; Acidity: 4.0; ABV: 5%; Refreshing, delicate and fruity with moderate acidity and a hit of vanilla and blackberry. This elegant sweet and mellow sparkling sake with light alcohol can be perfect for new generation.
Dassai Cloudy
Yamaguchi Pref. Type: Cloudy – Patially filtered Sake / Junmai Dai Ginjo; Rice: Yamada Nishiki; Polishing Ratio: 50%; SMV: N/A; Acidity: N/A; ABV: 16%; Coconut and creamy with light sweet candy notes on the palate. This premium Junmai Dai Ginjo cloudy sake has elegant and velvety texture with lingering finish.
Nanbu Bijin Plum
Iwate Pref. Type: Plum infused Sake – Junmai base; ABV: 9%; Infused sake with Ume plum in All Koji Sake. As All Koji has full of natural sweetness from rice, it has no sugar nor any artificial flavour added. Pronounced aroma of Ume plum and chestnuts with a kick of bitterness of dark chocolate. Quite dry style that can be enjoyed throughout the meal.
Something special…
Mio
Hyogo Pref. Type: Sparkling Sake; Rice: N/A; Polishing Ratio: 60%; SMV: -70; Acidity: 4.0; ABV: 5%; Refreshing, delicate and fruity with moderate acidity and a hit of vanilla and blackberry. This elegant sweet and mellow sparkling sake with light alcohol can be perfect for new generation.
Dassai Cloudy
Yamaguchi Pref. Type: Cloudy – Patially filtered Sake / Junmai Dai Ginjo; Rice: Yamada Nishiki; Polishing Ratio: 50%; SMV: N/A; Acidity: N/A; ABV: 16%; Coconut and creamy with light sweet candy notes on the palate. This premium Junmai Dai Ginjo cloudy sake has elegant and velvety texture with lingering finish.
Nanbu Bijin Plum
Iwate Pref. Type: Plum infused Sake – Junmai base; ABV: 9%; Infused sake with Ume plum in All Koji Sake. As All Koji has full of natural sweetness from rice, it has no sugar nor any artificial flavour added. Pronounced aroma of Ume plum and chestnuts with a kick of bitterness of dark chocolate. Quite dry style that can be enjoyed throughout the meal.
Beer
Asahi Draft Beer
Kirin Beer 330ml
Sake & Plum Wine
House Cold Sake 冷酒
House Hot Sake 熱燗
Takara Plum Wine 梅
Yuzu sake (Yamayuzu-shibori) 柚子
Yamanashi White Peach Wine 桃
Shochu 焼酎
Shirashinken (Barley)
Kurokirishima (Sweet potato)
Wine
House White Wine
House Red Wine
Pinot Grigio
Castel Firmian; Mezzacorona Riserva 2021
Prosecco Brut
Col de Salici Valdobbiadene 2021
Soft Drink
Orange Juice
Apple Juice
Ramune
Coke
Diet Coke
Tea 茶
Hot Green Tea
Hot Hoji Cha
( Roasted Green Tea )