Rating

Appeals to:

Anyone who loves simple, fresh Japanese food

With a range of sake to choose from, Kacho offers any alcohol enthusiast – but particularly those fond of rice wine – an experience. Chosen to represent the full sweet through dry spectrum, there’s a sake for everyone on offer here.

Because of its size, Kacho is a must visit for people who enjoy intimate and traditional settings. They’ve just announced sushi making days starting in the new year, and appear to be maximising their space to offer all things Japanorama!

Cuisine

Simple authentic Japanese food

In A Word

Oishi!

The Back Story

Having lived in Falmouth since 1999, I have seen heaps of restaurants come and go, but I used to have to cross the Tamar to get decent Japanese food. After living in Tokyo, Valencia and then Bristol for a year each, returning to Falmouth to hear that an authentic Japanese restaurant had opened was tantamount to winning the lottery.

The Building

Tucked away at the top of the High Street in Falmouth, we actually walked past Kacho twice before seeing it. Queue naïve wandering up and down and jokes about a magic portal. With simple menu choices chalked on the window, and seating for about 12, it’s actually like a lot of small restaurants in the Nishi-Nippori area of Tokyo.

The Décor

Like a lot of restaurants in Japan, Kacho is striking in its simplicity. The owner has used simple traditional decoration, such as Kabuki masks, tokkuri and fans. Of course, there is an obligatory bird picture too. Which is great because I love them.

The Drinks

During the week, Kacho primarily offers ramen dishes, which are pretty simple. They’re not pretending to be anything else. But at the weekend, they open a sake bar: meaning guests can sample different types of sake. Naturally, I had 4; only stopping there because the owner, who was Front of House that night, was extremely elusive. My personal favourite was Otoko Yama (Man Mountain [Ed: lol]), but the ‘tache and friend found it too dry and full, preferring Ichi No Koru (Hidden Place).

The Starters

When I called to book the table, the owner said that if we had the sushi menu, we’d get a selection of the chef’s special choices. I assumed this was just going to be sushi, so when a starter tray arrived, it already had a thumbs up for the bonus.

Griddled asparagus with a light satay sauce, salty edamame, a sweet Japanese pumpkin mash and thinly sliced, Jerusalem artichokes made a pleasant taster to start things off.

The Sushi

Cornwall has a thriving trade in seafood, and our friend visiting from London said that if he was going to try sushi anywhere in England, Cornwall seemed a good place to start. All of the fish was fresh to the point of glistening and had no smell at all.

Beautifully presented, the nigiri we had were Dover Sole, Gurnard, Squid and Salmon; each fresh and delicious. Raw squid had the texture of thick pork fat, which the meat eaters enjoyed, but I admit to finding a little hard to stomach.

I was the same in Tokyo, but hey – if you’re not living life on the edge you’re taking up too much space!

Accompanying the nigiri was a small tamago sushi, which is rolled omelette. Apparently this is the hardest sushi to make, but this one was much tastier than the pre-bought ones often found in Tokyo’s kaitenzushi places.

We also got three California rolls, which were cucumber & ume (sour plum), lobster & avocado, and a pickled daikon. Since I’m obsessed with seafood – no prizes for guessing my favourite. But also tasting the umami flavour of sour plum again just transported me back to Japan.

Having recently written several articles about the probiotic benefits of fermented foods, I’m embarrassed to admit that after living in Japan for a year, it’s only now I realise the advantage of drinking miso after eating raw fish.

Ice Cream

Matcha and black sesame ice cream characterise Japanese desserts effectively, in that traditionally nothing is entirely sweet, with red bean and green tea being popular flavours. Unlike gluttonous Gelato or ice cream UK style, these two were modest and delicious.

The Verdict

Steaming bowls of noodles, the freshest sushi I’ve ever had and a range of sake – absolute must visit!

The Specifics

Tues – Sat 12-3 for lunches

Fri & Sat 6-11 for dinner

Reservations are advised due to its size

07974 527031

Comments

comments