In Southampton for a crunch match in the Championship I dined at Sakura with an ancient mate and’s son. Despite spending three years in Southampton at the university I rarely ventured beyond the campus or Portswood so my sense of direction was weak beyond the Common, especially without The Dell as a shabby landmark.

Millsy assured me that I’d like Sakura and he was right. Quality Japanese food served by an efficient team. The ramen with katsu chicken was spot on – a yummy mildly spicy broth and big lumps of chicken. Little plates of sushi, edamame and dumplings were eagerly hoovered up and an Asahi to wash it down was just the thing. Though why Millsy Junior would want one with mango syrup in it across the way I have no idea.

Talk turned to times past, of Le Tissier and the heady days of 90s commodity trading in Winchester. The bill was satisfyingly small compared to London prices which meant that my costly journey felt less stunged than previously.

But then it was down to business. Ipswich should have snatched it at the end but a 2-2 draw meant that it’s down to the wire for automatic promotion.

7/10

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Food Food football Ipswich Japanese Restaurant Review Southampton