Nanakusa

This review appears in the The List's Eating & Drinking Guide 2008 – in the shops now or buy online.

Before Nanakusa opened in November 2007, manager David Wan flew to the Far East to see exactly what made an authentic Japanese restaurant. Wan adored the teppanyaki, tempura and yakitori joints he stumbled upon, although nowhere could he find all the country's greatest culinary hits under one roof. But what you can't get in Tokyo you can now find on Sauchiehall Street. Bento boxes of bulging nigiri sushi and gluey teriyaki vie for attention with huge steaming bowls of noodle soup. Delicately battered king prawns show off the skills of a dedicated tempura chef. Indeed, Nanakusa's opening was delayed by two months until Wan was satisfied he'd found the specialist chefs to pull off his ambitious project. A changing roster of desserts also keeps standards high: sticky rice pancake is plumped up with gooey red-bean filling and mango mousse has a sweet freshness. The sunny staff help navigate the reasonably priced menu and decide on the right imported beer, while regularly topping up big mugs of green tea. Loyal bands of repeat customers ensure an informal buzz among the comfortably minimalist rows of benches. A downstairs cookery school was being planned at the time of publication.

• High point: Everyone seems proud to work here
• Low point: Emerging on to Sauchiehall Street's weekend mayhem