Asa Kusa in Mornington Crescent

ASA Kusa in Mornington Crescent is one of Camden’s great survivors.

This Japanese restaurant has been quietly trading for decades – so long that most people walk past without a second glance.

Not much has changed since it first opened. The scruffy awning, disintegrating for years, has finally been replaced. Faded stickers on the door hark back to accolades from 2012 and 2013. Their last Instagram post is dated 2017.

Asa Kusa now has a website but whole sections are incomplete. Scroll down to read their story and it states: “I’m a paragraph. Click here to add your own text and edit me.”

Marketing may not be their forte, but don’t let this put you off. The key fact is that Asa Kusa is still busy – a heroic achievement for any hospitality business these days.

The laid-back atmosphere evokes the Japanese izakaya, a kind of tavern or pub. It’s a no-frills and casual place to eat out, serving what they describe as Japanese soul food at reasonable prices.

The restaurant is set over two levels, with a sushi counter right at the back. Shelves of sake bottles line the walls, along with images of maneki-neko, those iconic lucky cats. A Samurai headpiece gleams in an alcove next to our table.

The menu is epic in scale, with long sections featuring sushi, tempura, noodles, stews, deep-fried dishes and yakitori skewers.

The drinks selection is just as exhaustive. Explore their range of sake, Japanese whiskeys, plum wines or their high-balls, made with whiskey, soda and lemon.

A favourite dish was deceptively simple: fried noodles with vegetables, cleverly spiked with soy and a hit of ginger.

The gyoza dumplings, stuffed with vegetables or pork, are spot-on. You fry them on one side only and these had a most satisfying crunch.

An aubergine dish was intriguing. Half an aubergine cooked until soft and yielding, then topped with prawns and flakes of bonito (skipjack tuna flakes) which wriggle and wave in the residual heat.

Our selection of sushi was well put together, showcasing fresh fish at the correct temperature.

But we barely scratched the surface of this menu. Bestsellers include Kinipiragobo, which is chopped burdock root and carrot cooked in a dashi stock, or skewers of deep-fried chicken skin. I liked the look of their sardines with vinegar and chilli.

Service at Asa Kusa is friendly but can be erratic. Most dishes arrive fast but logjams are frequent with sushi, as these are made to order by the chef at the back of the room.

It’s wonderful that Asa Kusa is still going strong, offering a reliable and cosy night out. Online reviews range from rave (“Camden’s Little Diamond!” “A Proper Gem”) to the occasional rant.

Our meal also triggered memories of happy nights at El Parador, another veteran Camden restaurant, which was a few doors down.

This tapas place lasted three decades but closed in 2018. Their last Instagram post shows their handpainted sign, now relocated to a back garden.

Asa Kusa
265 Eversholt St, NW1
www.asakusalondon.co.uk
asakusalondon@outlook.com
020 7388 8533