Walking up to this tiny restaurant, it’s not a pretty picture.

Mori Mori is sandwiched between a shut-down bridal shop adorned with graffiti and England flags and a rundown Georgian house covered in scaffolding.

But, I told myself, it’s what’s inside that counts.

After all, the Japanese eatery is located in Northdown Road, Cliftonville - an area that is at once one of the UK’s most deprived but also one of the world’s “coolest”, according to some.

The neighbourhood is dotted with hidden gems and I wanted to discover if Mori Mori is yet another.

The venue was recently named one of the best 100 local restaurants in the UK by the Good Food Guide. It came second out of the Kent entries, with judges praising its “light and delicious” dishes which “nourish regulars and irregulars”.

On a rainy Saturday lunchtime, I decided to give it a try.

The work Christmas party was the night before, and after a few too many drinks I was feeling rather delicate.

A grey, gloomy sky made the derelict store next door look even more depressing, but the steamed windows and warm lighting inside Mori Mori created an enticing, inviting facade.

It offers an ‘Izakaya’ style of eating - relating to a type of small, Japanese bar.

The space is only occupied by about six tables with a tiny, open kitchen to the rear. Making the most of the room they have, it is modestly and minimally decorated.

I brought along my dad and we were given a lovely round seat in the window. As for the view, we had a derelict garage.

I noticed that there were some water marks left on the table when we sat down, but with only two members of staff in the whole, albeit small, place - I didn’t mind too much.

Perusing the menu, I decided a £3.50 miso soup to start would be the best thing for my hangover.

In fact, it is used widely in Japan for that very purpose.

They’re doing something right because as soon as the light and vibrant yet rich liquid touched my lips, I could feel the headache fading.

I had it with a glass of ginger - another hangover cure - and lemongrass soda, which was wonderfully refreshing and only set me back £2.

A portion of Japanese pickles (£4) on the side had a perfect sweet-and-sour kick.

My acquaintance - who has been to Japan - had scallop gyozas (£6) and claimed they were the best he had ever eaten.

Upon trying one, I agreed.

We also tried out crispy potatoes with a spicy curry mayo, which were lovely.

For a main course, I decided on ramen - already a firm favourite of mine.

It was delivered promptly and piping hot by our friendly, helpful waiter who did a fantastic job of running the floor by himself.

Juicy prawns, noodles, kale, spinach and a tea-stained egg were submerged in a delicious broth - easily switched from chicken to vegan for my pescatarian diet.

My dad went for okonomiyaki, a savoury pancake dish.

When he said “Oh my God” upon his first bite I knew I had to try a bit.

Filled with kimchi and smoked cheese and drizzled with sriracha mayo, it had a deep, complex flavour and was perfectly crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside.

They cost £16.50 and £12 respectively - a figure you’d be asked to pay for a tiny starter in some places.

A variety of desserts are also on offer, but I was fighting the food coma hard by this point.

It was clear to see why this business had received well-deserved recognition.

I’d advise anyone to visit, despite the unattractive surroundings.

Comfort food indeed.

Out of five:

Food: There isn’t a thing I’d change about anything I ate. Everything had delicate flavours with fresh ingredients. *****

Drink: My ginger and lemongrass soda was crisp, refreshing and only £2, and there are a lot of Japanese classics such as sake and Asahi on the menu. *****

Decor: Minimalist and simple with odes to Japan. ****

Staff: The food came quickly but at just the right times and our waiter could not have been nicer, but the table could have done with another wipe. ****

Price: Considering how great the food was I thought £58 total was entirely worth it. We had two soft drinks each and also ordered a lot of dishes for lunchtime. *****