Food review: A taste of the orient in the heart of Wolverhampton, but be patient
The world of Japanese cuisine is one which carries a number of misconceptions and gaps in knowledge.
It has been seen as a land of Sushi and Sake, with the main idea being raw fish, rice and lots of wasabi and soy sauce and a diet based solely around different ways of preparing fish.
However, if you look closer, you will find a range of dishes and ways of cooking and preparing food, using not just fish, but also chicken, beef, cheese, corn, tofu and even eggs and asparagus.
I’ve always been intrigued by Japanese food and wanted to find somewhere with a different feel to give it a go, away from the homogenised and staid feeling of a Yo! Sushi or a Wagamama.
I got the chance to do this when I found out about Hi TOKYO on Stafford Street in Wolverhampton, a new Japanese and, additionally, Korean restaurant within walking distance of Wolverhampton University.
Having phoned and booked a table, I turned up on a Tuesday evening to find it empty, apart from the two members of staff. I wasn’t terribly impressed when I said I had a table booked and the main server didn’t have any record of my booking, but they gave me a table, which was a start.
I took a minute to see the interior of the place, which had authentic plates and chopsticks and a mixture of touches from a traditional Japanese restaurant, including cherry blossoms in the window and pictures with Japanese text on the wall.
I was passed a menu and proceeded to take a look at the different dishes on offer, interested to find out what there was apart from Sushi.
I was pleased to find Ramen on the menu, a Japanese noodle dish consisting of Chinese-style wheat noodles served in a broth, with typical toppings including sliced pork, nori, menma, and scallions.
Other dishes included Okonomiyaki (a savoury pancake containing a range of ingredients in a wheat flour-based batter), Robata Yaki (grilled dishes where items of food are cooked over varying speeds over hot charcoals), Demburi (a traditional rice dish simply served in a bowl with toppings), Sukiyaki (a Japanese hot pot), Bento Boxes (a selection of dishes in a box) and fried rice dishes.
Of course, being a Japanese restaurant, there is Sushi and there are several different ways of serving it, including as Nigiri (a mound of rice, pressed between the palms of the hands to form an oval ball) Maki (rice and filling surrounded by Nori) and Temaki (a cone-shaped piece of Nori).
It was a lot to take in, and that didn’t even include the different Japanese and Korean appetisers such as Spicy Beef Soup, Kimchi Fried Rice, Fried Fish Balls and Octopus Balls.
One thing you will see repeated in this review is criticism of the service, which I don’t mean to use as a basis to say ‘don’t go here’, but as a way for them to learn and do better.
The first instance came as I was looking at what I wanted to order, with the server doing what I would describe as “looming with intent”, which made me uncomfortable as I don’t like to be rushed, but however, after I politely told him I wasn’t ready, he did leave me to it.
I settled on the Octopus Balls for my starter as I like squid and thought it would be a unique taste, then looked at the Ramen menu as I love Ramen, although I couldn’t work out what the different names meant between Miso, Shoyu and Tonkotsu (It would take too long to Google it right now).
I went for the Miso Ramen with Chicken in the end, asking for a little bit extra chilli, then settled on a chocolate ball creation called Mochi for dessert.
For a drink, I ordered the Oolong Tea, a tea which carries a lot of anti-oxidants and is neither black or green tea. Either way, it came in a nice tea pot with a bamboo handle and a handy little cup to drink it from and, as a simple creature, that sort of thing impresses me, plus the tea was very nice as well.
My second criticism of the service (and this was a very small thing) was that my main course came before my starter did, mostly because it was done first.
However, I did eventually get both together and went for the Octopus Balls first, which came with a dark sauce and a topping of green laver and dried bonito.
Biting into the first one, I was met with a taste of ginger and onion amid diced octopus, which gave a pleasant taste and smooth texture and the toppings adding to the flavour with mayonnaise and a sauce similar to Worcestershire sauce.
The starter came with five balls, but with rich flavour that made it more than enough.
My main course, the Miso Ramen with Chicken, came in a sizeable bowl with three big pieces of chicken, lots of noodles and what I think was seaweed on top.
Using the chopsticks provided, I dug into the chicken, which was melt in the mouth and with a nicely spicy taste, while the noodles were soft and easy to pick up with the chop sticks and mixed well with the sea weed, plus the broth was thick, tangy and covered with a lovely layer of oil which, had I had some, I might have dipped some bread into.
I was able to let both settle and drink my tea as, probably due to a party of 12 people coming in, the server sort of forgot about me, busying himself with the other tables.
It was only after I politely reminded him of my dessert that he brought it over, with a layer of cream covering what were effectively two frozen ice cream balls. They were lovely and cold, but nothing special and I felt like I could have just ordered the ice cream and had the same taste.
Somewhat apologetic, the server did give me a 15 per cent discount and, for a three-course meal and a pot of tea, I only paid around £20, so it was decent value for money, although Hi TOKYO does not have card facilities, so make sure you bring cash with you.
Overall, I would say the food was top notch and very well cooked, but the service was either too enthusiastic or lacking in attention, so needs work and time in my opinion. I would go back, but I would want them to fix the booking system as I would have been annoyed to miss out on a table because of being overbooked. 5/10
Sample menu
Starters (Japanese):
Octopus Balls £5.49
Chicken Prawn Mushroom Soup £7.99
Japanese-style Fried Tofu £4.50
Starters (Korean):
Kimchi £3.99
Cheesy Fried Chicken Nuggets £7.99
Spicy Beef Soup £10.49
Main Courses
Ramen
Miso Ramen with Chicken £9.49
Beef Shoyu Ramen £9.49
Cha Siu Tonkotsu Ramen £9.49
Sushi Nigiri
Tuna Nigiri £5.99
Ebi Nigiri £3.50
Seared Eel Nigiri £4.50
Sushi Maki
Cucumber Maki £3.00
Fried Nori Crab Naki £6.99
Special Fried Maki £10.99
Sushi Temaki
Tuna Temaki £6.99
California Temaki £4.29
Ebi Temaki £4.80
Sushi Sashimi
Octopus Sashimi £5.50
Sea Bass Sashimi £5.99
Tuna Sashimi £6.99
Okonomiyaki
Scallop £3.49
King Squid £12.99
Beef Ribs £11.99
Robata Yoki
Prawn Skewer with Teriyaki Sauce £3.99
Grilled Prawn with Mentaiko Sauce £9.49
Grilled Smoked Eel £14.99
Stir-fried and Stewed
Japanese Dumplings £7.99
Prawns with Tomato Sauce £8.99
Chicken with Teriyaki Sauce £7.49
Donburi
Eel Don £14.00
Salmon Sashimi Don £10.99
Oyako Don £9.49
Fried Rice
Vegetables Fried Rice £6.99
Duck Fried Rice £9.49
Eel Fried Rice £11.99
Sukiyaki
Mushroom Sukiyaki £12.80
Beef Sukiyaki £15.80
Seafood Sukiyaki £15.80
Japanese Bento Box £10.99
Vegetarian Bento Box £9.99
Dessert
Taiyaki £1.99 each
Dorayaki £3.99 each
Caramel Bananas £4.50
Address – Hi TOKYO, 175 Stafford Street, Wolverhampton, WV1 1NA
