We were to The Garden of Words at the Park Theatre and went double Japanese on it by meeting in Tenmaru, which is practically next door. I got there first and got an Asahi while I waited. The room is stripped back industrial with a smattering of Japanese inflections and soon filled up with fellow theatre-goers.

They do a small selection of Ramen but we went for a selection of small plates, the highlights of which for me were a spicy sour kimchi and crispy octopus. The pancake was less successful, as were the slightly soggy gyoza but being hungry I scoffed everything.

Our servers were a Jekyll and Hyde pair – one smiley and cheerful, the other channelling her inner Jack Dee and scowling grumpily at the idea that she should bring us anything to drink. The show was a curiously bloodless thing – which seemed an exercise in demonstrating the gaping difference between animé and theatre technique.

6/10 (for both)

To see where else I’ve been click on the google map below.

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