82a Victoria Road, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 2PW
01892 515510
Positioned on the busy intersection opposite the Victoria Place multi-storey car park, Kitsu is a place we have often walked past but never ventured into.
So when a regular reader, Anne, suggested that it would be a good place to review, it was with a heavy heart that we approached the establishment. It looked so dark and uninviting that we thought it was closed and nearly turned back. "It'll be okay, your readers are very discerning, tasteful people," my wife assured me (riding high on the fact that her shopping entry scored the highest rate of hits on the blog's history). No need to worry about the exterior; the waitress positively beamed at us, and on issuing us with a bewildering war and peace sized menu, gently led us to our wufu side salad and the sakura sushi set menu.
There is a reasonable £2 BYO corkage charge, but really no need for that - go for the apple and lime juice, which is YUM, or the aloe juice, which possibly is even YUMMIER, like a defrosted slush puppy with added bubble gum. Both the salad and sushi were beautifully executed and as easy on the palate as on the eye.
The chef came out to ask if everything is okay, and obviously takes a lot of pride and care in his craft. If sushi isn't your cup of sake, there are a multitude of donburi and noodles to choose from, and believe me, next week we're going back to try them out. And for a measly £21.50, we don't even have to wait for pay day. Thanks for the tip-off, Anne.
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Oooh! I'm very excited at being mentioned on this blog! But very glad that you both enjoyed Kitsu. What towns boast their own Japanese restaurant? Aren't we lucky to live here!
Posted by: Anne | Wednesday, September 12, 2007 at 09:46 PM
I think your review sums this place up perfectly. Surely one of the best places to go in T Wells for freshness, price, generous portion size and taste. Just a shame about the location.
The beef curry with rice is worth the trip from London to here on its own.
I cannot believe people would choose wagamamas over here!
Posted by: Tom | Sunday, February 03, 2008 at 01:59 PM
I am a bit of a sushi nut and have been a fan of Kitsu since it first opened, so I agree whole-heartedly with your review and it's good to see some enthusiasm for this gem of a place! A close friend of mine who lives in London and who happens to be Japanese, travels all the way from Hammersmith to eat sushi at Kitsu! I'd like to bring some saki to drink with the meal - but am not sure where to buy some locally. Does anyone know? Thanks for your great blog. I am enjoying it and will now bookmark it for future browsing.
Posted by: joyce | Tuesday, February 26, 2008 at 06:11 PM
loving this place... read about it on this site and took my husband and my mother to try it out. Mum is a newbie to Japanese food, and we all three thought it was excellent. BYO as well, meaning that the meal was truely bargainous. Will be returning soon.
Posted by: Cathy | Monday, April 07, 2008 at 06:16 PM
well worth a quick bite desrves the stars, new management and chef
Posted by: dan Swift | Friday, April 17, 2009 at 07:31 PM
The best food in TW - glad you enjoyed it too!
Posted by: Denise | Wednesday, May 13, 2009 at 08:28 AM
Amazing, totally loved it! Helpful friendly staff, great sevice, delicious food.
Posted by: lyndy | Thursday, September 03, 2009 at 05:33 PM
What a great place! My girlfiend and I were local to the restaurant and we read the reviews and decided we HAD to visit and we were so pleased we did! Great food and such a wonderful standard of service. Why can't all restaurants be this good?! Well worth the visit. We will be going back, for sure!
Posted by: Adrian Tapping | Thursday, October 22, 2009 at 11:29 AM