Iyasaka Café

5 out of 5 stars★★★★★

“Had a ramune drink, tuna sushi roll, chips. Immense. Service was the perfect level of attentiveness. Will be back to try the matcha soft serve. Edit: ive been back several times again and love it just as much every time 🥳”

5 out of 5 stars★★★★★

“We stopped by yesterday for a quick lunch and had a lovely experience. The owner was very welcoming, the staff were friendly, and the onigiri rolls were delicious. Would definitely recommend!”

5 out of 5 stars★★★★★

“Iyasaka cafe is unmissable as you walk down Magdalen street. It's pink flowery street side decor and picture menus displayed on the windows make it seems quirky and inviting. Give yourself a break from the Olives (which was rammed) and Nergis (which it is across the road from) and try this little gem of a cafe. In point of fact im not sure that the cafe noun is applicable here. The menu is very diverse and varied, at first glance a little intimidating- especially if you are not familiar with Japanese cuisine or street food. It has a lot of options for a cafe. Take your time and look at it, find something familiar and have a go. There maybe some hesitation- i know i had some. Simply because the offer is quite eclectic. At first this may seem a weakness, but i promise you its really not. I think its because they just know what they can cook, and what they can cook really- REALLY well! The drinks first; they had a few fancy sake, but this was for the evening. I looked down the list and found 3 different types of mixed matcha, a kind of matcha shake, a kind of matcha latte, and kind of matcha with with other green tea (I grinned with this one) I ordered a Matcha. my reasoning being that anywhere that could make three different variants with matcha should be able to make a matcha. Unfortunately they couldn't, so dont do that. Other customers were happy with the latte, green tea abomination that the high street produces. Not at all unique to Iyasaka, i get why they want to get people through the door, with something like a matcha latte, but not being abe to make a Matcha is a bit of a miss step, especially for a Japanese restaurant/cafe. It was the matcha disaster that made me hesitant in ordering more food- and to be honest- I really wish I had. So with restraint in my heart I ordered the small ramen with a bowl of rice. We sat outside in the walkway between Iyasaka and the building next to it- it was warm but drizzling- and since we had a dog it was quite comfortable. The service was fine, pleasant and genial but lacked attention. its worth noting that we were only asked at the end when we were ready to pay how our meal was- i think its just a little lack of experience rather than anything else. The Ramen arrived in a beautiful blue ceramic bowl, topped with spring onions and clearly layered with attention to detail. The rice in a small white bowl were bland and perfectly balanced for the Ramen. The dashi, or broth- was bursting with flavour, its soft saltyness instantly covering the inside of my mouth. Then you get that hit of ummami, and you know you are eating something special made with love and attention to detail. It was at this moment I realised my mistake. Never judge a restaurant by its beverages. This ramen is without a doubt the most subtle I have tasted in norwich. It beats YoSUSHI in almost every area, its more subtle than the Tonkotsu avaliable on the high street, and it has more depth of flavour than the Ramen in Yalm. And even though it was a small bowl, its a big flavour for Norwich. I'll be back for the big bowl on a Saturday as on a sunday they only serve the small one. Now i want to try the Onigiri, and the karagare, and the Tomago (the omelette with the smiley face that made everyone on the other table laugh and clap with delight!) Food with whimsy. What more can you want? I can't wait for my next visit and to update this review with Iyasaka's other menu items. This is a MUST visit place!”