Qype User (Smarti…)
Yelp
I live round the back of Maguro, so this is my 'local'. Back in the days (the 80's), this used to be a little American style pizzaria, that served dependable delicious American style pizzas. That went down the drain due to a lousy manager/owner (he used to be the waiter) called ***. He ruined it. We liked it just the way it was. He sold it, made a small fortune, and now the exact hollowed-out shell is called 'Maguro'. For anyone who used to frequent the 'Pizza Place', they will be familiar with the world's smallest gents toilet. The layout it absolutely identical; the kitchen is in the same place, the main counter, the miniscule gents toilet, etc. The decor inside is superb; Walnut veneer from every angle; it feels like you're sitting in a recording studio. The lighting is very low (very good if you're on a first date and you don't really want to see all of the flaws of your date's face etc, or if you're after the romantic effect. Be careful tho', because if you're the last customer and you leave the restaurant having just paid your bill, the staff don't hang around for long, waiting for you to clear the 100m mark, before turning the lights on; those halogens light up before you've even taken your tenth step from the restaurant's front door. (I truly feel this subdued lighting does make the food look far more appealing than it actually is). The food? Well, I've been there about 5 or 6 times now, and each time we visited, we've had about 8 starters and about 6 main courses. Every dish is 'perfect', or at least 'seems' that way when it arrives (in the hard-to-see subdued lighting). It's all very tasty, very very hot (be careful when you order the courgettes; give it 5 minutes before eating them or else you'll scald your mouth). Talking about the courgettes, they come so hot, it makes you wonder how courgettes can be raised to such high temperatures. The answer is blowing in the wind: 'microwave'. Only a microwave can do that to a piece of food; luke warm on the surface, 2000 degrees C on the inside. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. The prawn tempura is delicious. The deep fried squid is yummy. As is almost each and every single dish on the menu. I think there was one noodle dish my father ordered, which was gross. It was some kind of ramen noodle, but the seasoning was totally out of tune; it tasted like some sort of Italian pasta thing.... Stick with the starters and the deep fried stuff. This place is expensive. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. If you're hungry, a little trick you might like to try out is to first order a bowl of sticky rice (£2.00); sink that, so your stomach is filled slightly, then choose a few choice dishes that will tickle your taste buds. Otherwise, you'll fall into the trap of ordering and ordering and ordering, until about £120 later worth of food, you'll only start to feel satiated. So just to recap: first off eat a bowl of sticky rice, then follow up with a few choice starters, and perhaps finish with the prawn tempuras and you'll come out feeling okay (semi-robbed). P.s. the toilets are like the Bee Gee's have popped in to decorate them (great toilets, shame the taps are rubbish tho). P.s. if your a comedy fan, keep your eyes peeled for Russel Howard, he's always in there. P.s. Apparently, 'Maguro' is Japanese slang for a woman who lies motionless on her back during the act of intercourse, which is quite fitting really, because after stuffing your face full of this stuff, you too will be lying flat on your back, motionless, being shafted by the gobsmackingly extortionate Maguro bill. Bonaggi appetiggi.
