TOU

Chefs Ana Gonçalves and Zijun Meng have already proved themselves more than capable of creating boundary-pushing food concepts (just look at their nomadic food brand TA TA Eatery for proof of that). They did it again with TOU the first time round, when they originally launched the concept at Arcade Food Hall on Tottenham Court Road. Now, they’re back again with TOU 2.0, this time bringing their iconic pork katsu sandos, along with ice cream sundaes and Pet Nats, to Borough Market.  

Despite clear signage out front, TOU feels like a restaurant for Londoners ‘in the know’ thanks to its discreet location above renowned boozer The Globe Tavern. We wander upstairs to a retro dining room styled on a 1970s Japanese Americana-inspired sando bar, with laminate tablecloths, Heinz ketchup bottles and tiny paper napkins on every table.  

We mention the napkins because we got through about 20 of them while clumsily consuming one of its katsu sandos. It’s a beautiful thing filled with fatty Iberico pork neck encased in crisp breadcrumbs, slathered in sweet XO shallot sauce and held together by soft toasted brioche. This is without question the star of the show, although the other four items on the menu form a strong supporting cast. There are beautifully tender pork and potato croquettes to start, topped with punchy, saffron yellow mustard, and we recommend you order at least one round of fries, which are doused in flaky chilli salt and utterly addictive. To be fair, the dessert gives TOU’s famous sando a run for its money, a tiramisu-inspired sundae studded with Biscoff spread, then drowned in mascarpone cream and coffee. 

The double-sided wine list is curated by sommelier Stefano Cazzato (Crispin, Hakkasan) with a prominent lean towards Pet Nats. The point here is for diners to try something totally out of their comfort zone, which we did with a sweet, berry-heavy sparkling red.  

TOU's formula might be disarmingly simple, but its less-is-more approach is one that more restaurants should follow. Instead, it offers three crowd-pleasing items - sandwiches, ice cream and wine - and does them really well. What’s not to like? 

Described as a ‘Sando bar’, TOU (pronounced toe) fits nicely into the recent trend of high-end sandwich and natural wine shops which have taken over London. Coming from the team behind TaTa Eatery, TOU is a new addition to Borough Market, in a space above The Globe Tavern, which has since been remodelled to look like a ‘sandwich bar from the 1970s.

Set above The Globe Tavern at Borough Market, the restaurant cultivates a retro diner look, merging aesthetics from the US and Japan - ‘Japanese-Americana’, as the owners call it. From the interior design to the overall brand identity, TOU has developed a simple and elegant atmosphere for your posh sandwich needs.

After their success at TaTa and Elementary, award-winning chefs Ana Goncalves and Zijun Meng get together for TOU, claiming they will put the food from TaTa Eatery ‘between two pieces of bread’.

Although there has been talk of an egg, tofu and ox cheek sandwich, for now, the entire menu only has five items. This includes the Iberico pork and potato croquettes, a plate of pickles and the sandwich the restaurant is hinging its entire marketing operation on, the Iberico pork katsu sandwich served on a brioche bun.

Coming in at almost £17 for their flagship sandwich, TOU is not exactly cheap. But in a match-up, their complex and luxurious ingredients will beat a meal-deal sandwich any day.

For drinks, you’ll find a wide range of natural wines, including an impressive selection of pet nats - the Staffelter Hof Riesling definitely caught our eye. And if you’ve left some room for dessert, Tou offers a twist on the classic sundae with coffee ice cream and biscuits.

TOU is open from Thursday to Sunday and does not take reservations, so make sure to get there early to not miss out on one of the trendiest spots in Borough Market.