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YO! Sushi Brent Cross is a vital gastronomic experience rather than simply a place to eat sushi. This exciting and visually appealing Japanese delicacy, almost a cuisine in itself and going back to the 4th century BC, is fast rising in popularity for reasons of both taste and health, as well as its companionable setting. The restaurants offer a range of delectable nibbles that are attractively presented and revolve on a gently moving belt in front of customers, allowing them to sample a real wealth of varieties and eat just what they like best as often as they wish.

Contrary to many people's perception of sushi as raw fish, it comes in many forms drawing heavily on rice, fish, vegetables and seafood but the great variety arises chiefly from the different fillings and toppings, condiments, and the way these are combined. Often the same ingredients may be assembled in a traditional or a contemporary way, yet creating widely differing tastes.

Some of the most popular types are sashimi rolls, made from raw or seared slices of salmon and tuna and meant to be eaten within a couple of hours of being put together. Other options include cones of seaweed with rice and fillings and the little boat shaped parcels called gunkans. Miso soups, salads and nigiri sushi made of rice with toppings all add to its strong visual appeal.

Great beers like Asahi Super Dry and Sapporo support the food superbly, as well as hot and cold sake for those who want to sustain the Japanese experience. The menu also has non-alcoholic drinks and a limited list of wines and champagne. For dessert try the dorayaki, mochi or settle for fresh fruit.

The experience of having a meal at YO! Sushi is enriched by the unique array that appears as if by magic before the diner, with its unique colour coded pricing system. But the real pull is the fresh, healthy and tasty food that keeps people returning to their outlets across the UK.

As one of London's most popular Jewish restaurants it's always advisable to book at Bloom's. The cooking is unashamedly traditional and includes starters such as borscht or chopped liver with eggs and onion. On the list of main course dishes you'll find excellent salt beef in the form of a club sandwich or opt for the gedempte, a classic type of meatball. Bloom's is also well known for being a child friendly restaurant, so it's a good place to bring the entire family.

The recently refurbished Clissold Arms in East Finchley has fully launched into the gastropub mode, and you can expect to find some solid British favourites on the menu along with a wide selection of beers, ales and wines to drink. In its earlier avatar, this place marked the spot where The Kinks held their first gig and some of their memorabilia adorns the walls, more as a concession for posterity.

Starters of ham hock and parsley terrine on sourdough toast are done well while the main course of a 32 day aged Galloway sirloin steak with chips and béarnaise sauce is recommended for robust appetites. Those looking for lighter options can come to terms with the Ulverston lamb rump with bacon lardons, pearl onions, puy lentils and braised red cabbage or a poussin stuffed with dates and almonds. For dessert, try the apple and rhubarb crumble with vanilla sauce for a crunchy and fruity way to end your meal.

West Hampstead is the setting for The Czech Restaurant and where you'll find the Czech and Slovak Club, the meeting place for locally based Czech and Slovak nationals, so as you would expect the food is pretty authentic. The menu lists dishes such as sauerkraut, many soups, goulash and a delicious paprika chicken. The dumplings here are legendary in both a sweet and savoury form; the apricot dumplings in particular are well worth sampling, accompanied by a generous portion of sour cream.

Reviewed by Linda Buttle

Kaifeng specializes in serving up fine quality kosher Chinese cuisine. In fact the name Kaifeng was chosen, as this was an ancient Chinese city dating back to the 9th century that housed a famous Chinese Jewish community. Being kosher there are obviously no pork or seafood dishes but you can still find plenty of tempting dishes such as fried dumplings, seaweed and vegetable tempura.

From the list of main courses the sweet and sour lamb makes for an interesting change, whilst the sizzling dishes such as duck in black pepper sauce are reliably good. Prices here are high, so expect to pay around £14 per main course option and £15.95 for a bottle of the house wine. It's also good to know that they run a takeaway service too.

Kovalam is one of the newer additions to the curry houses along Willesden Lane and manages to set itself apart from the rest by offering tempting alternatives to the usual curry house menu, although you can still be assured of finding your favourites there too. For something a little different try one of the many specials such as spicy squid, or how about curried breadfruit, plus many more south Indian inspired dishes.