LIttle Samsi, now renamed 'Japan' as of a few weeks ago, is a lovely little hidden treasure just outside Withington village, across the road from the Red Lion. It only has seating for around 20 - 25 people at any one time, and thus fills quite quickly but if you pick your timings carefully then it's not too difficult to get a seat. Prime time for me has normally been at around 9pm, but at any time outside usual munching hours (such as 12-13.30 ish, and 6-7.30ish) it seems to be easy enough to get a seat and eat some of their totally scrumptious food. Considering the pint-sized nature of this establishment, their selection is quite extensive, including their wicked-cool O-Bento boxes, each element of which can be chosen by you so it comes exactly as you want it - massive gold star for that from this fussy eater! You can choose the meat/veggie option (of which there are two!! Hoorah!!), the sauce and there are two type of rice as well as two types of noodle to choose from. Brilliant eh?! They also have five types of ramen which I simply adore (I opted for the ramen with vegetable gyoza - a very reasonable £5.50), sushi coming out of their ears (you can buy a Chef's 32 piece special if you're SUPER hungry!), curry rice and curry noodle dishes, as well as fusion sandwiches such as the Yakisoba Sandwich which is a chicken noodle sandwich. A little bit of something for anyone and everyone methinks! They have a little shop section where I was kindly gifted the sweet treats "Hello Panda" - a delightfully adorable panda shaped biscuity tastefest. I love them. Lots. But they also have noodles, sauces, spices and other essential make-it-at-home ingredients at a reasonable price. Though, of course, there aren't the same bargains which can be found at the Chinese supermarkets such as Wing Yip, but it is less than ten minutes walk from my house and I am lazy enough to be willing to pay for the convenience! The service there has always been provided with a smile and a chat without being intrusive in such an intimate setting, and the smells drifting through the seating area from the very nearby kitchen gets those tastebuds going before you even receive your food. Yum yum! It is worth noting that they don't have any alcohol for sale in the restaurant, but they kindly informed us that we were welcome to just pop across to the off license across the road and bring in any booze we may want. And I didn't see a corkage charge on the bill, which was great! If you're not bothered about having a wee tipple with your scran though, they have a selection of soft drinks for you to buy including a very tasty aloe vera type effort which is initially strange, but very refreshing as an accompaniment to a meal. All in all, this is a lovely change from the usual places I go to for food in Withington, and I would definitely be more than happy to entertain friends or family in this quaint little eastern treasure.