Japanese in Wardour Street

 We're meeting up with a gang of old friends, so need somewhere interesting that can fit in 10 of us and two kids. B had spotted a Japanese place in Wardour Street  - Yatay - that had featured in the Guardian "Blind Dates" column, so that is where we end up choosing. 

With that number they ask that you book one of their set menus, at £45, £65 or £95. Unsurprisingly, we opt for £45. So after a quick drink in O'Neill's across the road, we fetch up at 1pm. It's not very busy downstairs, but we get shown upstairs where we have the place to ourselves. Downstairs had high tables and stools but upstairs is better for us old folk, with normal tables. Plenty of room for the pushchair too.  It's a dark, sultry looking place, with quite loud music - natural blind date sort of place - but also some interesting abstract art.

The charming maitresse d' welcomes us and explains the menu. Basically it comes down to five courses. First up is "Bites".  Edamame beans are common enough - a large portion. "Dirty fries" is an unusual mix of gyoza skins fried with jalapeno mayo - very good, spicy and crunchy. Plus a selection of pickles that went far beyond what you might expect.

Then there are "Small Plates". These are an interesting -and again spicy - seaweed salad, a raw salmon tataki - less interesting- and chicken karaage. This last is super, spicy chicken nuggets fried in garlic and ginger supported by a stunning yellow/pink tofu dip.

Next come Robata, in two waves. First there is a trout skewer, beautifully done, crisp on the outside, melting inside. This is matched with a pork skewer - large pieces of tasty pork - and a surprisingly good beetroot and garlic skewer. 

Plates are cleared away and larger ones replace them for the last main dishes. These are "hen" supreme (a large dish of chicken in a sticky sauce), charred sweet potato and a mouth-tingling spinach in sesame and chilli. Plus portions of steamed rice. By this time most of us are struggling, and we end up getting quite a lot to take away in cleverly wrapped foil parcels. 

Finally there is a house dessert, a fairly dull sponge cake with a tooth-achingly sweet sauce. 

The wine list is short but not cheap, so we end up with the house white, a Spanish Verdejo at £30, plus a few beers and soft drinks. Service has been very attentive, a bit swift if anything, and we get used to the volume of the music. Dishes have been served so that each pair of us has the full range, so it would be quite easy to replicate in a smaller group.  Total £740 with service between 10, including a few bits for the children. Very good indeed.