Central to Japanese cooking, it has apparently been around since 200BC – yet has become the taste of the summer in the UK. Chefs explain how it can improve the flavour of almost everything, from ice cream to pasta dishes to cocktails

If Japanese food is all the rage, why isn’t sake? After all, it is an appealing and surprisingly versatile drink

They could easily have opened a pricey fish and chip shop for tourists; instead, they’ve set up a very classy, experimental, neighbourhood Japanese restaurant