Being closer to 40 than 20 in age, it is rare to find myself in Covent Garden on a Friday night, and even more so without a plan. Nonetheless, this proved to be the case the recently, with my dining comrade for the evening (a non-Londoner) having requested a night out in the area at short notice. After a few drinks elsewhere and now in search for food, passing along the thronging crowds in St Martin’s Lane, we chanced upon Murakami, a relatively new looking Japanese eatery. It certainly helps having a trendy name (apparently nothing to do with the famous author though, but in fact named after a village in Japan), a smiling front-of-house and seating available without having reserved, but on balance, Murakami did prove up to the challenge. As with many places in the Covent Garden area, there was a slightly cavernous feel to the place, the emphasis being on packing them in, turning them around, and getting new guests it. That said, the service probably pleased more than the food and drinks did. We were initially offered seats at the bar, able to watch the chefs in action. However, rather than being along the main counter, we were got placed just off it, away from the atmosphere and victims to passing waiters and toilet visitors. On spotting a table that had become free, I requested if it were possible we could move. We were informed this (much more attractive) table had been reserved, but were at least moved – with seeming good grace – to a different one. Onto the food, and the story here is the usual combination of Japanese offerings, from snacks and salads to sushi and sashimi via various grills (their Robata apparently being the piece-de-resistance) and other mains. Our efficient server seemed more than happy to suggest pairings and also the appropriate amount of food, and we duly selected. When the food arrived (which was promptly and – pleasingly – in a non-random order), the majority of dishes were excellent, although a few did notably fall down. The mixed sashimi platter showed beautiful presentation, the fish generally fresh, fat and sumptuous, with the salmon and eel scoring particularly well. The grilled pork ribs with chilli also felt wonderfully indulgent. By contrast, however, the prawn popcorn tempura with sweet chilli mayonnaise (who thought of this combination, really?) tasted bland and lacklustre and was only rendered passable by swapping the mayo for good old fashioned soy. For drinks, I stuck to beer, but my comrade’s glass of white wine verged on the bland, or if I were forced to use a better adjective, perhaps slightly sickly. Japanese food never comes cheap, but roughly £40/head did not seem egregious, especially given the prompt and efficient service. I know there are definitely worse places to eat in Covent Garden at short notice, although there may be better ones too…