I hadn’t managed to get to Taberu before it refurbished last year, so it was top of my list to visit once it had re-opened. We dashed in one evening through the pouring rain and found a little oasis of excellent food and friendly service.

We weren’t in the mood for alcohol and our eyes were caught by the genmaicha, described on the menu as ‘green tea with toasted brown rice’. It was surprisingly delicate, with a slightly nutty flavour from the brown rice. It was very warming for a cold and wet winter evening.

The food menu was extensive, covering everything from sushi and noodle dishes to donburi, bento and salads. It proved very difficult to narrow down for just two of us! In the end we landed on chicken karaage, okonomiyaki skewers, tonkotsu pork ramen and the ‘spider roll’ uramaki.

The food arrived swiftly and was beautifully presented — although with all the dishes and our teapot we were somewhat straining for space on the table by the time the last dish arrived.

The okonomiyaki skewers (‘Japanese savoury pancake filled with cabbage and octopus’ – £6.80) were a surprising highlight. The batter was pillowy soft and melted in the mouth. The skewers themselves had a great balance of flavours that were complemented really nicely by the sauces drizzled over the top. It came as a trio of skewers and it was difficult to split the last one with my partner rather than sneaking it for myself.

The other standout dish were the spider rolls (£16.90), which were filled with crab tempura.

First of all, they looked beautiful. There was a fab range of textures between the crab, the pickled radish and the rice, and the overall flavour was delicious. I’m not a regular sushi eater because I’m often a bit underwhelmed, but I would absolutely go back for this. It might initially seem a bit of a steep price for sushi but this was a generous serving of 8 individual pieces and definitely worth it.

The chicken was also good and nicely crisp on the outside – an extra dish as a little treat. The pork ramen (£13.90) was very plentiful, with a couple of wide, tender slices of pork and a flavourful broth – definitely one to add to the ever-expanding list of great noodle dishes in Oxford.

The service was efficient and friendly, and the tastefully refurbished room felt very welcoming. Bear in mind we were there on a random midweek evening and it was full enough that we had to wait forty minutes (which was no hardship when Jojo’s is just mere steps away for a pre-dinner cocktail). So, book if you can!

Taberu
100 Cowley Road, Oxford, OX4 1JE