There is a lot to do on one day out in Brighton. It is one of the UK’s oldest seaside towns and home to two thriving universities (I studied at one). Even in the winter months, when the biting, coastal wind whistles through the narrow lanes, the shops and restaurants are packed with visitors. Still, you might not think it’s the place to go to eat authentic Japanese food, but we went on a day out in Brighton to eat Japanese food and this is what we found.
We went early in the summer, there was a festival vibe in the air. Street performers jostled for pavement space with tourists and locals hurrying to their next appointment. The colourful, eclectic shops were selling any amount of unusual gifts to the hip, the happening and the Instagram trendsetters. It’s the kind of place where your student loan could disappear fast were you to dive into all the sizzling restaurants, packed bars and mysterious holes in the wall – packed with treasures and bric-a-brac.
Japanese food at Pompoko
We used to live in Japan, and I loved the simple, tasty food that they eat there. I also got used to it being cheap. The prices charged for things like curry-rice (the Japanese equivalent of beans on toast) in the UK seem steep. So, we were as happy as tournament-winning sumo wrestlers to find Pompoko: a Japanese restaurant in our Brighton day that served authentic, tasty Japanese food. Furthermore, it didn’t wipe out our wallets.
Pompoko is found on Church Street. In my experience, you can’t book and it gets busy at mealtimes. However, the tables turn over quickly and they will seat you as soon as they can. You get an authentic, Japanese canteen-style menu with pictures of all the foods. So, if you aren’t used to Japanese food, you can get an idea of what you are trying.
Japanese food menu
There are lots of different kinds of ramen and rice dishes to try here. I recommend a starter like takoyaki – fried octopus balls – delicious Japanese street food, and not something you’d commonly find in the UK. For a main course, you can’t go wrong with miso ramen or the classic curry rice. They don’t (to my knowledge) serve sushi, which is a good thing. Japanese restaurants in Japan that serve sushi generally concentrate solely on that and leave other places to do other things. When I see chain, Japanese eateries in the UK selling everything from nigiri to chanko nabe (a stew that sumo wrestlers eat) I think – really?
The takoyaki octoball was just the right amount of gooiness and crunch, with a tasty tentacle inside. They made the katsu curry with real Japanese rice which was sticky and delicious with the curry sauce. Thank you Pompoko; we will be visiting again! And if you want a day out in Brighton to eat Japanese food, look past the chain places and try this one.
Getting there
Brighton is easily reached by train; it has numerous fast trains to and from London every hour. If driving, there are several large city car parks. They are quite expensive though. I often use the park and ride and get the bus from there. You will find Pompoko on Church Street, in the heart of the hustle.
