Restaurants which serve the best sushi in London
Grab your chopsticks and try give these a try...
Not raw fish?!
Actually the term "sushi" relates to the use of a special vinegared rice, sushi-meshi. (You see, everyday's a school day on All In London.) This form of Japanese cuisine is so highly regarded that at the top levels it's practically considered an art form.
In its preparation sushi rice is combined with other ingredients, usually raw fish, other seafood or vegetables in an array of different shapes and sizes. The fresh flavours when combined with soy sauce, wasabi and pickled ginger are absolutely delicious.
So whether you are a sushi veteran or new-comer London has some fantastic restaurants in which to savour some of the best examples of this fantastic cuisine. Here are some of the best...
Yashin Sushi
1A Argyll Road W8 7DB
Japanese
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Yashin Sushi follow the Edo-era tradition of not drowning everything in soy sauce so that diners can fully appreciate the flavour of each ingredient used. This upmarket eatery takes its style cue from chic New York diners.
Sushi-Say
33B Walm Lane NW2 5SH
Japanese
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Willesden Green is not known for being a foodie area, however not everything has to be located in the centre of town. Sushi-Say gets booked up weeks in advance, and customers rave about the freshness of their fish - check out this year's <a href="http://www.allinlondon.co.uk/ultimaterestaurants/">All In One: Ultimate Restaurant List</a> if you really need any more proof that this is the place to be!
Here you’ll find a modern take on sushi, where ex-Nobu chef Masaki Sugisaki puts together things like Wagyu beef sushi and sea urchin sushi with poached quail egg.The basement dining area is famously tiny, or you can eat at the sushi counter upstairs.
So Japanese
3-4 Warwick Street W1B 5LS
Japanese
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East meets West at So Japanese, with a large selection of delectable sushi and sashimi as well as desserts like pumpkin crème caramel. Sushi aside, the Iberico pork marinated in miso and the Wagyu beef must be tried.
A Camden veteran, Asakusa is cheap and has a sushi menu that seems to go on forever. It’s full almost every night of the week (booking is strongly recommended), and plenty of Japanese people eat here, a testament to the authenticity of the food.
Chisou
1-4 Barley Mow Passage W4 4PH
This upmarket restaurant with branches in <a href="http://www.allinlondon.co.uk/restaurants/restaurant-15280.php">Knightsbridge</a>, Mayfair and Chiswick offers traditional sushi. Sit at the dedicated sushi bar at the <a href="http://www.allinlondon.co.uk/restaurants/restaurant-3280.php">Mayfair</a> site where you can order directly from the chef and watch while it’s being prepared.
Umu
14-16 Bruton Place W1J 6LX
Chef Yoshinori Ishii has cooked for heads of state, he regularly heads out to Cornwall to go fishing with his suppliers, and he even hand-makes some of the crockery in the restaurant. Michelin-starred Umu is pricy, but their beautifully prepared food makes them one of the best.
Atariya counts many Japanese people as regular customers, so you’ll find plenty of dishes you don’t normally see in London sushi restaurants, like sea urchin sushi and spicy cod roe. There are various branches, some of which have a supermarket on site selling fresh fish and cooking products.
This tiny sushi bar has just seven seats round the counter, so make sure you book in advance. The chef artfully prepares the sushi under the gaze of the customers, who can order from the menu or ask for it to be made to their specifications.
Part of the Hakkasan group, Sake No Hana has a counter where sushi and sashimi are made to order. This glamorous restaurant is no stranger to celebrity sightings; the bill can add up but there are good value lunchtime deals.
