Really good Miso soup

Restaurant, Tajima Tei, London

Miso soup seems like such a simple thing. You can buy it everywhere, and it’s usually nice. But you forget what it’s like when it’s really good.

It’s a traditional Japanese soup, made from a stock called ‘dashi‘, which is mixed with miso paste. According to customs, the other ingredients in a miso soup reflect the seasons. I’ve read you can get Miso soup with potato or mushroom in, but I’ve only ever experienced tofu and/or wakame seaweed.

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Anyway, back to really good Miso. Last night we visited one of my favourite restaurants, Tajima Tei on Leather Lane. It’s a proper hidden gem, and I suspect is one of the best, underrated Japanese eateries in London.  They run a different menu for lunch and dinner, but both menu’s have the amazing Tajima Tei Bento box – which comes with a miso soup.

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The soup was rich and almost creamy, served piping hot in miso soup bowls with lids. It was very moreish and comforting. The only additional ingredient was seaweed – it didn’t need anything else. Perfect start to the bento experience, which features a range of hot and cold dishes including tempura, as well as sushi and sashimi. It’s plentiful and filling and everything tastes lovely. Especially when washed down with delicate warm sake.

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Words and pictures by @ladylavish