GAME & JAPANESE NOODLES SPECIAL: “Venison cooked in Miso! with Nira Greens” by Koya (Soho)

November 16, 2012 at 12:03AM via Instagram http://instagr.am/p/SEdFC2ic_b/

Koya
49 Frith Street, Soho, London, W1D 4SG

It’s the middle of game season in England… from the buzz around the recent opening of Bone Daddies and Shoryu Ramen it also seems to be noodle season . For those of you who like BOTH game and noodles, take a trip to Koya and try their Venison Cooked in Miso with Nira Greens.

Udon Noodles – Thicker and whiter than ramen

Koya is a very popular Japanese Udon noodle house in Soho. Almost every night there is a queue of predominantly Japanese diners waiting outside. Unlike Bone Daddies, Shoryu Ramen, and Tonkotsu it focuses on the thick firm white “udon noodles” rather than “ramen noodles” which are Chinese in style, thinner, and usually contain egg giving them an yellow colour.

In this venison miso dish, the miso used imparts a strong sweetness to the meat. Very different, but perhaps a little too sweet for me. (However, I do prefer my savoury flavours). I asked the staff and was told that the venison has been “cooked in the miso” which explains the intense taste.

For anyone familiar to Malaysian cuisine, it a similar to the Chinese BBQ Dried Pork (a.k.a. “Long Yook”) but a notch sweeter. (For the uninitiated see this recipe by www.citrusandcandy.com for an insight)

The Japanese out there can correct me, but I don’t think that venison miso udon is a typical Japanese dish, so well done to Koya for experimenting a little.

Would love to know what everyone else thinks of this seasonal special. Do let me know!

Koya
Ad: 49 Frith Street, Soho, London, W1D 4SG (map)
Ww: www.koya.co.uk
Tw: @KoyaUdon