Already high on the phenomenal success of, first, Dziurka od Klucza, and then, La Sirena, owners Agnieszka and Stanisław Szpilowski are looking to score the perfect hat-trick with Arigator, a Japanese-style noodle joint whose interior whisks you to the narrow, steamy back alleys of late night Tokyo. Clad in corrugated iron and dark, weathered wooden slats, it’s got that buzzing sense of chaos that feels familiar from the films – at any given moment you expect a group of excited salary men to burst into song.

And the food, gosh, they get that right as well. From a tiny menu order up dainty pork dumplings, braised kakuni bacon or deep-fried tofu before hitting up a feisty bowl of ramen emanating life-affirming goodness. A complex tangle of interlacing flavors, it’s the sort of dish you’d happily queue up for: and yes, people do.

Arigator
ul. Piękna 54