Aaya is sleek Japanese joint you'll yen for

Many peruse the menu outside this sleek Japanese joint off Regent Street, but few dare to enter. Perhaps because Aaya looks too good to eat in. The fresh flowers are reassuringly (or to the passing Soho diner, offputtingly) expensive.

A design of traditional black wood beams contrasting with close-set futuristic white tables promotes a Zen-like calm. It makes up in style what it lacks in intimacy. Cuisine, favouring modern interpretations of Japanese classics, is an equally perfect balance of old with new. And, as my companion exclaimed "it's not actually that pricey!" Of course, that's until we realised that "sea urchin sushi £5" meant one piece of sushi. Luckily its flesh was so delicate, the presentation so pretty that it was actually worth it.

Our waiter was super helpful about deciphering the excitingly unfamiliar menu. Tai chazuke, £6.50, for example, is a rice and sea bream broth with hot tea poured over it, and calpis, the mystery ingredient in the drinks list is "like Yakult". Yuk - forget cocktails! Yet beware gulping down wine instead, the cheapest is £23 a bottle. Yellowtail sashimi (£4) was meltingly soft. Grilled apple sake salmon (£8.50) was moreish. A razor clam with Japanese yam (£7) felt so cleansing even Madonna might eat it.

The only disappointment was the £3 edamame - they felt microwaved. The rest stood head and shoulders above its many Brewer Street rivals. And though we feared the bill would be extortionate, the total didn't make us cry "Aaya!"

Aaya
66-70 Brewer Street, W1F 9TR