Colchester restaurant brings taste of Japan to you

And this was exactly what one of the city's most sought after options did when we enjoyed a trip to the High Street. 

A not-so-hidden gem is the Japanese inspired restaurant Koryu, which was formerly located near the Scheregate Steps in St John’s Walk. 

After re-opening closer to the beating heart of the city next to the George Hotel, we wanted to give the highly-rated eatery a try. 

The establishment as a promising 4.7-star rating on Google reviews and offers a range of sushi, noodles, curries and more. 

Restaurant - Koryu is located in Colchester's High Street (Image: Newsquest)

On a quiet Monday morning, we were greeted by the friendly staff and found a table quickly. 

The menu offered a variety of choices, as well as vegan and vegetarian options to choose from. 

We chose the vegetable gyoza and chicken karaage as starters, which arrived shortly after our drinks, a special soda made with lime soda, elderflower and strawberries as garnish, which tasted refreshing and fruity without being too sweet. 

Starters - Vegetable gyoza and fried chicken (Image: Newsquest)

Our starters made us hungry for more, with the gyoza being perfectly crunchy on the outside and flavoursome on the inside, while the marinated chicken had the most amazing dipping sauce. 

Shortly after, our mains arrived, the beef don served on a bowl of Japanese rice, with beef, kimchi, onion and sweet dashi sauce, and Pumpkin Katsu Teriyaki Hirata Buns. Main - The buns with fried pumpkin were incredible (Image: Newsquest)

The tender beef was complemented by the sweet and spicy combination of the kimchi and sauce, with a generous portion of rice. 

Additionally, the buns were steamed to perfection, with a fried pumpkin patty, crispy onion and a delicious teriyaki sauce completing the taste experience. 

Taste - A delicious beef bowl with rice (Image: Newsquest)

Koryu also offers a great number of drinks and cocktails, but we decided to give the authentic Japanese plum wine a try, which finished the dinner off nicely with its sweet and mellow flavour. 

The restaurant is also part of the “Too Good To Go” project, where people can save food that has not been sold at a discounted price at the end of the day. 

Food - Koryu in High Street (Image: Newsquest)

The calm and relaxed atmosphere made this dinner a brilliant experience, offering fresh and delicious food right in the heart of Colchester. 

We will need to come back to try more.