That's Life

Life seems keen to show a few different Japanese faces. Upstairs, the restaurant is monastically bare, the stark, brick-lined room only punctuated by bonsai trees in the window frames - with action figures nestling in their branches. This hints at the Japanese mania for everything kawaii (cute). Think Hello Kitty as a starting point for an obsession that gets ever more saccharine and bizarre.

Downstairs in the shop, you can buy your own plastic toy (I'm a fan). Then there's the bar, where you will share tiny alcoves with Buddhas and large cuddly tiger toys, although it does look as if it's all been done on a shoestring.

In fact, it's all so Japanese that the equally kawaii staff haven't bothered to learn much English. Pointing and grinning was our main means of communication, so we veered away from the more arcane items (foie gras chawanmushi, French toast with caramel banana sauce, or thick, seared 'aburi' eel sushi with Camembert).

Our sushi selection, including good eel and pungent, briny sea-urchin, among the usual suspects, was fine, but a dragon (soft-shell crab) roll was ungainly and the crab was not freshly cooked. Grilled chutoro (medium-fatty tuna) with sesame was really good.

Curious, quirky and, yes, cute - that's Life.

Life
2-4 Old Street, EC1V 9AA