WOW Simply Japanese is an independent Japanese restaurant at 18 Crouch End Hill in North London. Open since 2006, it was the first Japanese restaurant in Crouch End and continues to combine a relaxed neighbourhood dining room with freshly prepared food and friendly table service.
Sushi and sashimi are central to the menu, with nigiri, classic rolls and chef selected combinations allowing diners to explore several fish and rice preparations. The focus on freshness and careful presentation makes these dishes suitable both as a light meal and as the starting point for a broader order.
Hot food expands the selection through grilled dishes and other seasonal Japanese specialities. Ordering across cold and cooked sections gives a table useful contrast in temperature and texture, while the changing approach lets the kitchen work with ingredients that suit the time of year.
Lunch service is available later in the week, with dinner served from Tuesday to Sunday. Takeaway and delivery add flexibility, but the calm restaurant atmosphere remains an important part of WOW’s identity for guests who want to sit down and share several carefully prepared plates.
Address: 18 Crouch End Hill, Crouch End, London N8 8AA, England
WOW Simply Japanese Menu
Salads and cold starters
Homemade Oshinko
Assorted pickles
Hiyashi Wakame
Sesame seaweed salad
Horenso Ohitashi
Spinach with tahini sauce
House Green Salad
With ginger dressing
Tuna Tataki Salad
Seared tuna, mixed greens with house dressing
Salmon Tartar
Salmon, ikura, avocado with Sumiso dressing
Beef Tataki
Seared beef carpaccio, chillies, spring onion, garlic with ponsu sauce
Octopus Salad
Octopus, asparagus, cucumber, seaweed and sumiso sauce
Uzaku
Eel, cucumber, wakame, hint of ginger, Amasu vinegar
Tuna Tartar
Ikura, spring onions, wasabi vinaigrette
Hot starters
Miso Soup
Tofu, wakame and spring onion
Sumashi Jiru
Japanese clear soup with chicken gyoza
Tofu steak
Fried tofu, teriyaki sauce
Agedashi tofu
Fried tofu, grated mooli, ginger, tensuyu
Tenderstem Broccoli
Fried shallots, miso teriyaki sauce
Nasu Dengkaku
Aubergine with sweet miso
Vegetables Gyoza
Pan fried vegetable dumplings
Edamame
Boiled soya bean pods with sea salt
Wok Fried Chilli Garlic Edamame, Spicy!!
Asparagus Spicy Dengkaku
Asparagus with spicy sweet miso
Chicken Gyoza
Pan fried chicken dumplings
Yakitori
Skewers of chicken grilled with balsamic teriyaki
Ika Kara Age
Crispy squid served with homemade chilli jam
Tori Kara
Fried marinated chicken
Tempura
Prawns
4 pieces of succulent prawns
Shojin (vegetables)
A mixture of seasonal vegetables
Sweet Potato
Seabass and Asparagus
Sashimi
Tuna
Salmon
Seabass
Yellowtail
Shime Saba
Salt cured mackerel
Omakase
Chef’s special selection, catch of the day, 20 pieces
Special Sashimi
Poppy Crusted Tuna
Crusted with poppy seeds, served with seaweed, sliced cucumbers and sumiso dressing
Spicy Salmon Tataki
Seared salmon, seasonal cress with ponsu
Nigiri Sushi
Asparagus
Avocado
Inari (Tofu pouch)
Unagi (Grilled eel)
Ikura (Salmon roe)
Shake (Salmon)
Hokkigai (Surf clams)
Fatty Salmon
Ebi (Prawn)
Tako (Octopus)
Hotate (Scallop)
Suzuki (Seabass)
Maguro (Tuna)
Hamachi (Yellowtail)
Tamago (Omelette)
Shime Saba (Cured Mackerel)
Classic Hosomaki (Sushi roll)
Cucumber Roll
Oshinko Roll
(Yellow pickle)
Plum, Shiso, Avocado Roll
Tuna Roll
Salmon Roll
Spicy Tuna Salmon Roll
3 pieces tuna, 3 pieces salmon
Teriyaki Roll
(5 pieces) Grilled salmon, avocado, cucumber
Tempura Roll
(5 pieces) Prawn tempura, avocado, spicy miso
Zen Maki
(5 pieces) Asparagus, cucumber, sweet gourd, avocado, yellow pickle
Uramaki (inside out roll)
Salmon Skin Roll
Salmon skin, avocado, tobiko, spring onion
California Roll
King prawn, avocado, cucumber, tobiko, mayo
Spicy Scallop Roll
Scallop, avocado and shichimi sauce
Salmon Avocado Roll
Salmon, avocado, mayo
Asparagus Tempura Roll
Asparagus tempura, teriyaki sauce
Chef's Signature Rolls
Godzilla Roll
(8 pieces) Prawn katsu, sweet potato tempura, Japanese mint, seared beef, spicy mayo
Crazy Roll
(8 pieces) Spicy salmon,inside out, tuna, white fish, avocado, tempura crunch, tobiko, spicy sauce
Wow Roll
(5 pieces) Spicy tuna, cucumber, avocado, deep fried in batter
Dragon Roll
(6 pieces) Eel, cucumber, inside out avocado
Caterpillar Roll
(8 pieces) Sweet potato, asparagus, pickles topped with avocado, teriyaki glaze
Donburi
Tendon
Prawn, vegetables, fish tempura
Beef Julienne Don
Beef slices, onion, teriyaki glaze
Unagi Don
Grilled eel on rice
Oyako Chirashi
Salmon sashimi, ikura on sushi rice
Bento Box (miso soup, salad, rice)
Shojin Bento
Assorted vegetables tempura, wok fried mixed vegetables
Double Teriyaki Bento
Salmon teriyaki, beef teriyaki
Chicken Teriyaki Bento
Chicken thighs, tofu with mixed vegetables
Sashimi Bento
Selection of fresh seafood, tofu, hiyashi wakame
Wow Bento
Sashimi, tempura and chicken teriyaki
Soup Noodles
Tempura Udon/Soba
Prawn tempura, vegetable tempura
Nikku Tamma Udon/Soba
Beef, poached egg, spring onion, wakame
Kitsune Udon/Soba
Inari tofu, seaweed and spring onions
Fried Noodles
Vegetable
Chicken
Curries
Katsu Curry
Chicken katsu with curry, rice, miso soup
Yasai Curry
Vegetable curry, rice, miso soup
Other main dishes
Salmon Teriyaki
Served with mixed vegetables
Grilled Black Cod
Served with lime and miso
Spicy Black Cod
Sirloin Steak
Served with mixed vegetables. Choice of sauces: teriyaki or balsamic teriyaki glaze or miso
Chicken Teriyaki
Served with mixed vegetables
Chicken in Breadcrumbs
Served with mixed seasonal salad
Extras
Steamed rice
Garlic Egg Fried Rice
Garnished with spring onions
Spicy Egg Fried Rice
Diced prawns, spicy sauce, egg and spring onions