Even though I’ve often bought takeaway from there, and even though I live about fifty metres from Ichibang, I’ve never actually dined there before. But I was feeling somewhat lazy (you know, Friday night), and I’d reached the point (nine o’clock) where I could either choose to eat or simply go to bed hungry. I chose the former.

As it was reasonably late I chose two entrees: a squid tempura dish and some sushi. The sushi was absolutely fantastic. It was beautifully prepared and tasted great (which is what you want from Japanese food). The tempura was okay, though I hasten to add, I always think tempura is a bit of a disappointment: it always sounds like a good idea, but I’ve never been excited when it arrives.

The service was good, fast, and efficient: though when ten o’clock came around I note there was a bit of pressure to get out the door as quickly as possible. I’d have happily stayed a bit longer, sipping on a glass of wine and reading my book, but the message was clear: it was time to go.

By the way, have been meaning to post this link for a couple of weeks, as the journalist Esther Han had actually asked me if I would be interviewed for it. I’d written a blog post in 2008 about how I’d overcome the “stigma” of dining alone. Largely due to timing, we never actually did the interview, aside from some email contact. It’s a nice little article.