Japan Centre

Great place to rest the feet and have a quick snack or Japanese lunch that's cheaper than restaurants and not too busy. A 16years+ store & eatery centrally located between Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square & Chinatown. Enter to see a small Mochi donut counter and go down the stairs to the main area. They have a sitting area where one can eat ordered or already prepared foods.

Noodles & Deli Counter
can order Ramen, Curry, Tempura, Sukiyaki, Takoyaki, Dumplings, Beer, Green Tea & Coffee. Students get 10% off and there is a kid meal option.

Can buy low priced prepared sushi, Japanese ice creams, snacks. There is also dry groceries, mill your own rice machine & books.

Opened
M-Sa 10am-9:30pm
Sun 11-8pm.

Website: https://www.japancentre.com/en
1. Can sign up for 10% off
2. Free UK delivery for over £65+ orders
3. Can see promotions & sales

Located
-entrance at the NE corner of Panton St & Oxendon St (1 block south of Coventry St)
-1 block south of TWG Tea
-3 minute walk/3blocks SE of Piccadilly Circus/station
-5 minute walk/4blocks NW of Trafalgar Square
-4 minute walk/4 blocks SW if Chinatown

Ordered the combo deal at Busaba. So I got some ramen and gyoza- the gyoza was really good and I loved the flavor of the broth. The reason I rated lower was because the beef in my ramen was cold.
The broth was really hot though so it was a little confusing but it was not great unfortunately.
The service was good, you go to the front and they give you a number and it didn't take too long. They also have a grocery store inside the store which was nice!

Japan Centre is a shoppers paradise for those Nipponese-Culture-&-Cuisine enthusiasts who need more than just a dissatisfying visit to the small "Asian Food Aisle" at your local London supermarket. Because Japan Centre is not just a bigger & better Asian food aisle, nor is it simply a nice big grocery store devoted solely to Japanese produce & ingredients. Japan Centre is an emporium of Japanese culture, products, personnel, and cuisine. As soon as I stepped through its ornate stone doorway, I felt like I had entered Japan itself. I was personally so impacted by this the experience after my first visit here that I quickly purchased half a dozen books on Japan, from a massive Sushi photo-dictionary, to a number of cookbooks & ingredient glossaries, to a comprehensive study of the boardgame GO, as well as an introduction to Sumo Wresting, Japan's favorite sport. I even got a child's guide to Kanji (Japan's writing system) and a simple illustrated language-lesson book. I was determined to educate myself on these amazing people.

Japan Centre also offers many free food samplings and events at their stores, especially on weekends. Some of these tasty grazing items include famous sake brands such as Kuheiji (a very good sake) and Gekkeikan (a pretty basic sake), as well as many packed imported food items such as Ramen, Miso Soup, Fish-cake, and Seaweed snacks. The staff fills the atmosphere with Japanese music. Japan Centre also often has professional Shamisen musical performances (which are amazing), as well as fashion show-lets displaying vintage kimonos just like the locals often do in Kyoto. You can find out all of the dates and times for each event and offering on Japan Centre's website. Japan Centre has four locations in the south UK: Japan Centre Leicester Square, Japan Centre Ichiba, Westfield London, and Japan Centre Westfield Stratford City. Go there and enjoy.

Can I just say how I WISH London had a Don Quixote?! Guess I have to settle for Japan Centre. Great selection of products, but DO NOT order hot food here unless you've showed up right after its freshly made. They will MICROWAVE the tempura if you ask to have it warmed up. Do they not have toaster oven or a heating lamp? Keep it crispy people! The mochi donuts are good, but the matcha cookies are PURE SUGAR! For anyone who has been to Japan you would know that they don't do their sweets ultra sweet. It always subtle and delicious, not overpowering. Long story short: good for when you need that boxed ingredient and nothing is near you, but not the place to stop at for a hot snack. DAME YO!

A great hidden gem in the heart of London. At least for anyone who considers Japanese markets and eateries gems like me! It really felt like being back in Tokyo as the market is in the basement of a building. It's easy to walk right by!

As much as I was appreciative of a Japanese market in London, I did feel the need to dock a star for the fact that both the meals that we ordered on the menu were not available. The Takoyaki was a disappointment but that apparently is very hard to prepare so ok that wasn't available. But, we ordered the beef and rice bowl and they were out of beef!! Early in a Saturday night what the heck?! So we ordered the chicken instead and it was really dry and they overdid it with the teriyaki sauce. Instead if the Takoyaki we ordered the gyoza and I have to say I've had better.

After dinner we checked out their desserts and decided on the green tea cheesecake. It was half off because it was about to expire but it still tasted fine. It was good but next time I am going with their ice cream mochi!

Such a pleasant surprise in the Westfield mall in Stratford London.

Late night real udon. Steaming broth. Shrimp tempura. Perfect udon noodles.

All for about 8 quid.

Right next to Stratford station.

Japan Centre is a Japanese grocery store that also has a small food court area. The grocery store products are quite expensive, and I probably would never buy from there. Their bread is also very expensive- around double the price of the asian bakeries in Chinatown.
However, their sushi and bento boxes are priced very reasonably. Even better everything is half off around an hour before they close! Their sushi tasted pretty fresh to me for sushi that was probably made in the morning. I thought it was a great deal and was really worth it! If you go when it's half off, you'll see many people grabbing multiple items, so you have to be quick! One thing that I didn't like was that ginger and wasabi cost extra. Besides that, the sushi was cheap and great!

Center have a few tables for dine in cooked food. Limited japanese merchandise, selection of groceries are o.k not fabulous. I've been visiting Japan over a decade, I still can't find what I need here.

I went there for dinner with friends and it was a real disappointment.
I heard of Japan Center as an authentic "cheap" Japanese place.
Well first, it's really expensive and not cheap at all !!! You can find better Japanese products for a better price in Chinatown or Acton
I ordered a chicken katsu curry rice and well it was really expensive for a bowl of the size I was served. Also the quality didn't worth the price I paid
A huge deception and for sure I will not go again for hot meals here

I highly anticipated the grand opening of this location after seeing what potential the other store had. There truly is nothing else like it in London. The best place for all kinds of Japanese food.

Upstairs you will be greeted by the matcha ice cream and sweets in a very small entrance but go downstairs for all the action. Deli counter to select hot items like tempura, yakitori, noodles and rice dishes. There is an ample selection of sushi, seafood and sliced meats. Then make your way around the store for frozen delights, all the pantry needs, lots of tea, and most impressive was their fresh miso selection. There is even a small area of books and magazines.

The food quality itself varies. Takeaway sushi and bento is a quick lunchtime fix. Fresh enough to taste good but not great. I was disappointed that their most flavorful ramen was anything but bland and no spices available at the tables or when asked. It's nice to have the option to eat in with spacious tables. The checkouts were quick for the long queue.

I think staff may need more training for the hot food items as they work out the kinks but overall this is a great place. Prices are not cheap either but given this is London, I have come to expect it. Given my love for all things Japanese, you can bet I will be back!