Yes I've had supposedly great pork belly (at least according to my husband ).

And I've also had kurobuta pork tonkatsu - here:

http://www.ladyironchef.com/2013/06/...onkatsu-tokyo/

What can I say? Pork is simply not my favorite ingredient. Also - my favorite pork dishes are various kinds of ribs. Especially baby backs (which I make at home all the time - along with cole slaw).

I've never run across raw pork (wouldn't eat it if I ran across it either). I don't think it's served in the United States or Japan:

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/201.../#.U80FcUDvixc

WRT St. John and bhrubin's observations - it might be possible that the restaurant - which is 20 years old now - is somewhat "over the hill" and has seen better days. Some reviews - even by its fans - suggest as much:

Brutally, I have to say that I think the kitchen became less consistent after Henderson was forced to retire from cooking on service due to being diagnoses with Parkinson's disease. Sometimes sauces would be a little thin, dishes ill executed.

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandst...nk.restaurants

And there are some people who have never been that thrilled by it:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddr...ld-London.html

But - like I've said - I've never been there. In fact - I haven't been in London since 2004. During that trip - we dined at another gastropub - this one:

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandst...rink.shopping1

It was quite good then - but who knows what it's like today? OTOH - I distinctly remember one dish there. An app of the freshest sweetest peas I've ever had in my whole life (served raw in the shell - kind of like peanuts). A restaurant gets at least one ^ from me if I can remember even a single good dish I ate after a decade . Robyn

P.S. I really enjoy reading Jay Rayner's work/reviews. They have led me to go to restaurants I might otherwise have avoided - for example - http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandst...rink.shopping1.