Sushi is sometimes misunderstood as the culinary delight of raw fish when it actually refers to vinegar-ed rice and roughly translates to meaning sour.
Definitions aside, sushi is one of my favourite types of food, its healthy (only 3% fat apparently), simple and tastes great.
fish, rice, wasabi & soya sauce
I must admit I don’t know enough about Japanese cuisine as a whole, but I do have a pretty clear idea of ‘London sushi’. I am always curious about authenticity and I am sure that ‘real’ sushi will taste different from the anglicised versions. I’ll say now the best sushi I’ve ever had was in Sydney. If I remember correctly, it was a place called Makoto. Australia being Australia, they have the freshest fish and produce stunning sushi.
old school versus nu-tro
New-style sushi, in general, are a variation of the classic california roll (which was interestingly created in the 60′s by a sushi chef working in LA), some examples are stuff like tempura stuffed sushi with unagi (grilled eel) on the outside and cream cheese sushi sandwiches.
In Sakura you won’t find this new-style sushi as it features the more traditional offerings that highlight the freshness and natural flavours. Classic never goes out of fashion … because it’s just timelessly good.
buy a mac, have a salmon nigiri
Sakura is on handover street which is the next street down from the Apple store on Regent Street. Its in a great location and has a reputation of being the best Japanese restaurant in London, that nobody seems to talks about.
Then again, if your restaurant was packed out almost every night, I guess you don’t really need to advertise that aggressively. Unless you sit at the sushi bar, waiting times are usually about half an hour, maybe a little bit longer on the weekends. A quick glance at the clientele and you can be assured that food will be great. Why? Because there are lots of Japanese diners.
tell me about the food already
I love coming here for a saturday lunch, my usual spot is the sushi bar. The guy in the picture is the lunchtime sushi chef (lets call him Master T). He’s made me a happy diner, many a times. (hmm..) I dont know what it is about sitting at the sushi bar, its just such a city thing to do you know, sip tea (or sake), read a book, or soduku while you wait for your food, people brushing past you because of the tight space, its just so atmospheric and an experience in itself.
Just look at the colour of the salmon, wow, I’m salivating already.
raw fish = colour
I started with one of my all time favourites – the spicy sashimi salad. For 5 quid, you get a medley of sashimi. I found the following in mine: salmon, prawns, fish roe, sea bass, turbot, abit of scallop, squid and white fish. The greens included: raw seaweed, some lettuce, cucumber and a really nice spicy sauce to give the salad much needed moist and flavour.
Now you might think that this is too good to be true, as a couple of dainty pieces of salmon would easily set you back 4 pounds..clearly something is amiss.
Well, here’s the catch, the sashimi pieces in the salad are not the premium fish portions. What usually happens when they prepare sashimi, is that they cut away alot of the chewy bits until they get to the core of the meat (which is smooth and tender). Its part of the reason why sashimi is so pricy because there’s alot of wastage. Smart restaurants repackage the wastage into their salads.
Ok, its not as silky smooth, some is too chewy, but its still very edible, especially with that killer spicy sauce. Great value.
nigiri, the thinking man’s choice
Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy sushi rolls, but there’s something about nigiri sushi. The simplicity of the cooking (er, non-cooking?) really emphasizes the ingredients. Its like the chef’s skills have been stripped to the core and he needs to prove himself with only two ingredients, the rice and the topping.
I ordered my ‘benchmark’ selection of salmon, tamago and scallop. I would have ordered toro (belly tuna) but they were completely sold out when I got there (those lunchtime diners really know their fish). Substitutes were turbot and sweet prawn.
The first thing you will notice is the temperature of the sushi. Its warm, like 37C warm. Temperature is important with sushi. Too cold, the flavour will be subdued and the rice will be too tough. Too hot, the rice breaks apart and the fish starts smelling funny. That’s where the skill of the sushi master comes in – the amount of time the sushi spends in his loving hands as he is making it.
The salmon melts in my mouth, the rice, perfectly vinegar-ed and its flavour accentuated with soya sauce is very appetising. The tamago is the best Ive ever had. I mean, its really just eggs on rice, but its just so perfect. Its so simple that I don’t know how else to say this, other than, its perfect nigiri.
Prices are actually quite affordable here, £2.60 for 2 pieces of salmon is pretty unbeatable, especially when it tastes this good.
Japanese do cooked food too
The menu also features a pretty impressive list of cooked dishes. They have the basics such as prawn tempura (which are excellent), teriyaki chicken/beef/salmon, chicken kaarage (deep fried), una-don (eel on rice) , tonkatsu (pork in breadcrumbs) and oyako-don (chicken on rice).
However, the highlights are other lesser advertised Japanese small dishes. Examples include grilled octupus, miso cod, deep fried oysters, steamed egg tofu, natto tuna, just to name a few. If raw fish doesnt appeal to you, then maybe come for the cooked stuff.
I spotted something rather unique on the menu, deep fried shuimai, and really wanted to try it. It is served with tonkatsu sauce as well as finely chopped chillies and chives. The crust was very crisp and surprisingly light. Inside, chopped mushrooms and pork, chillies give it an edge and the tonkatsu sauce rounds out the flavours. Actually, this could easily be a great party starter. I like the fact that each dumpling is a self-contained parcel of joy.
The last dish was steamed egg tofu made with seaweed and chicken pieces. Off the bat, its abit too bland for me. However, the tofu was very smooth and the warmth did make me feel all fuzzy inside. Its a great winter dish I feel and its very much Japanese comfort food.
ice cream and lasting impressions
I finish my meal with azuki bean ice cream. Made from small red beans (think kidney beans but half the size), which in itself is a type of pudding. It has a distinct perfumery flavour, alittle rose like, but the sweetness is clean like rock sugar. Japanese ice cream is the complete opposite of its western counterparts. In the place of creamy, smooth sugary sweetness, we have grainy, coarse and delicate sweetness. It’ll still melt in your mouth but a little different from what you would be used to.
If red beans sound too exotic (as compared to bacon ice cream at the fat duck?), then go for the green tea ice cream. Its a classic.
I think my first ever visit to Sakura was four years ago now, eversince then, I’ve never had a bad meal and the warm melt-in-your-mouth nigiri still blows my mind everytime. I just have to go mmmmmmm……
Prices here are very reasonable, considering its Japanese in London, where in my humble opinion, charge way too much. This is one of the best Japanese places I’ve tried and has yet to be unhinged from the top of my list. Why it doesnt receive more media attention is really beyond me, its not even in the time out guide. Oh well, media propping starts here I guess, highly recommended folks.
Tags: fish, Japanese, london, sushi
Philosophy is concerned with the undermining and questioning of dogmas, whereas religion is all about accepting and supporting them.JimHankinsonJim Hankinson
Sushi is philosophical?
This is the worst restaurant I have ever been to and I have been to so many. The manager is rude and saying that, ‘rude’ is a very light word to describe him. The food is not that good, the cooks are Indian. Simply the worst restaurant in London, I’d rather go to McDonald’s.
I agree on the quality of food but the service here is abcolutely shock. Arrogance due to their success is not warranted, and spoils what could be a great restaurant.
I’ve been there couple of times and I count this restaraunt as one of the best in London. What about service… well as for me if you will wait and smile then everyone will be quite friendly. Also I found an Xtra piece of pork in my soup after useing some japaneese words. And what about indianl – complete lie. Enjoy!
PS By the way the prices are sooo friendly there
[...] Read Asakusa review & Sakura review. [...]
I went yesterday for lunch, looking forward to the spicy sashimi salad. I didn’t see it on the menu, so I asked and was told they only serve it at dinner. The service was good overall, and my toro sushi was very very good, but my california roll was average. Oh well.
Completely agree with your (re)view on Sakura. I have been coming here for years. The only explanation I can think of why it has not been publicised extensively by word of mouth (among non-Asians that is) is due to the phenomenally poor service that you get (again, if you are non-Asian).
I remember bringing my arab/caucasian friends here on several occassions and they seem to be heavily impacted by the tight space and bad service. (FYI – restaurant has moved).
If you love japanese food I am surprised you haven’t ventured to:
Zuma
Yoshino
Nobu
Sumosan
Sake No Hana
Umu
Dinings
Koi
Defune
Miyama
Tsunami
Looking forward to the reviews of these restaurants!
Been to all except zuma, but obviously,I don’t write up everywhere I go. Indeed, Sakura has since moved to a new location, it has two floors now, which means less queuing!
Speaking of Japanese restaurants, have you tried Yashin, Sushi of Shiori yet? I tend to get my fix at Atariya these days, at the Ealing common branch. Which incidentally was the old sushi hiro. They largely supply the restos you mention.
Love this place. Great sashimi and sushi.
Oh and great review too.
test – can’t seem to publish comments.
Gotcha – though wonder how you pick restaurants to review then (arguably some you reviewed are not really worth it e.g. Gourmet Burger Kitchen, Cafe Rouge, Canteen (I despise), Ben’s Cookies (?!), Hare Tortoise, Carluccio’s…etc.; but that’s my two cents).
Thanks for the suggestions, all on my private list which I am working my way through! I tend to stick to zone 1/2 restaurants but am endeavouring to venture beyond my comfort zone.
Tip for Zuma – prepare to “blow your load” as you have so graphically described in your The Square Review. I have been several times and every single time I found the sushi and sashimi lacking. I would stick with the grills and as I recall a MUST (at ridiculous £xxx prices – that’s not a typo, three BLOODY digits) is the Wagyu beef (recommend the sirloin). Admittedly, pretty BLOODY good.
Eva
http://the3rdkulture.wordpress.com/
Eva – hmm, i don’t think there’s anything wrong with writing about ‘lesser’ restaurants. If I don’t explore the shitty places, how would I form a basis for my opinions for the presumably good ones?
The quality of restaurant invariably are relative to their immediate competition. The quality of Restaurant industries vary country to country, obviously with culture, but in part also due to logistics, availability of produce and also cost of living.
I think the best food writers are the ones who are most democratic and who explore things for themselves. Besides, food is such a subjective and personal thing. For some, a meal at say Noma may be a revelation, to someone else, it may be pretentiously expensive chef fantasy diarrhoea.
Personally, I would respect restaurant writers who choose not to disregard on basis of glamour and word of mouth, and someone who would eat out as comfortably at the Sportsman as he is at a dirty chip shop.
Besides, it’s interesting you’ve picked up on things I wrote almost 3 years ago.
All the donburi’s especially the katsudon is very delicious here.
Kang – I appreciate that comparisons are important. After all, everything is relative. However, you’ve completely missed my point.
My question was why you chose to write a review of these places but not of say others
which are arguably more deserving (i.e. one’s that are not, by your own admission,
completely “shitty”).By all means “explore” wherever you like, but by your reasoning, why not write reviews on McDonalds, Burger King or that 24/7 Kebab shop around the corner?
Also I am a bit confused as to why you chose to refer to “glamour” and “word of mouth” as
inadequate criteria in choosing (or choosing to disregard) restaurants
in your reply.
(A) I’ve never mentioned glamour was a basis for anything. If you are inferencing this from
the list of japanese restaurants that I mentioned or from the list of “shitty places” I mentioned then you’ve falsely assumed and failed to put this in context. In respect to the former, as you have admitted yourself in your blog, good japanese food in london tends to be pricey. In respect to the latter, my opinion on those places is simply based on the standard of the food NOT anything else.”Glamour” is not in my criteria when judging food and I don’t
appreciate people who imply that it is, based on some reckless presumption or prejudice that they have concocted in their mind. In fact, as someone who comes from SEA, I have had some of my best meals at street restaurants located underneath a highway bridge or by a dirty canal.
As a general observation however, it is an inevitable truth that when it comes to high-quality produce and talented chefs, the price you pay at restaurants is usually (not always but generally) a reflection of such. It’s the simple economics of supply and demand and reason why in most cases then not ‘you get what you pay for.’ Let me break it to you like this, there is a reason why the best restaurants in the world (as judged by relatively qualified reviewers) are usually quite expensive.
B) What’s wrong with word of mouth? If you trust certain people’s taste and agree with them, and if those people come back and tell you (or a friend of yours who you similarly trust) that they had the worst food they have ever had in their life at Restaurant X and that they strongly recommend not to waste either your money or time, is it not reasonable and in fact, of good judgement not to put Restaurant X on top of your list?
As for the restaurants I “picked up on”, I didn’t even look at the dates of the reviews and I do not see why this is of any relevance at all. Do you not stand by your reviews three years ago?
Food is definitely subjective and personal and I respect restaurant reviewers who appreciate that and who are willing to explore.
What I don’t respect and frankly what I believe completely discredits a reviewer, is someone who receives genuine questions or constructive feedback and reacts to such challenges in a patronizing and passive-aggressive manner.
After all, everyone is entitled to their own opinions and is entitled to voice them. As a blogger, you cannot possibly disagree with this.
Eva
Kang – I appreciate that comparisons are important. After all, everything is relative. However, you’ve completely missed my point.
My question was why you chose to write a review of these places but not of say others which are arguably more deserving (i.e. one’s that are not, by your own admission, completely “shitty”). By all means “explore” wherever you like, but by your reasoning, why not write reviews on McDonalds, Burger King or that 24/7 Kebab shop around the corner?
Also I am a bit confused as to why you chose to refer to “glamour” and “word of mouth” as inadequate criteria in choosing (or choosing to disregard) restaurants in your reply.
(A) I’ve never mentioned glamour was a basis for anything. If you are inferencing this from the list of japanese restaurants that I mentioned or from the list of “shitty places” I mentioned then you’ve falsely assumed and failed to put this in context. In respect to the former, as you have admitted yourself in your blog, good japanese food in london tends to be pricey. In respect to the latter, my opinion on those places is simply based on the standard of the food NOT anything else.”Glamour” is not in my criteria when judging food and I don’t appreciate people who imply that it is, based on some reckless presumption or prejudice that they have concocted in their mind. In fact, as someone who comes from SEA, I have had some of my best meals at street restaurants located underneath a highway bridge or by a dirty canal.
As a general observation however, it is an inevitable truth that when it comes to high-quality produce and talented chefs, the price you pay at restaurants is usually (not always but generally) a reflection of such. It’s the simple economics of supply and demand and reason why in most cases then not ‘you get what you pay for.’ Let me break it to you like this, there is a reason why the best restaurants in the world (as judged by relatively qualified reviewers) are usually quite expensive.
B) What’s wrong with word of mouth? If you trust certain people’s taste and agree with them, and if those people come back and tell you (or a friend of yours who you similarly trust) that they had the worst food they have ever had in their life at Restaurant X and that they strongly recommend not to waste either your money or time, is it not reasonable and in fact, of good judgement not to put Restaurant X on top of your list?
As for the restaurants I “picked up on”, I didn’t even look at the dates of the reviews and I do not see why this is of any relevance at all. Do you not stand by your reviews three years ago?
Food is definitely subjective and personal and I respect restaurant reviewers who appreciate that and who are willing to explore.
What I don’t respect and frankly what I believe completely discredits a reviewer, is someone who receives genuine questions or constructive feedback and reacts to such challenges in a patronizing and passive-aggressive manner.
After all, everyone is entitled to their own opinions and is entitled to voice them. As a blogger, you cannot possibly disagree with this.
Eva
http://the3rdkulture.wordpress.com/
Eva – I apologise if I came across as being passive-aggressive in my last reply, that’s my fault. I was only picking up on what you were saying regarding choosing what to write about. I was trying to give you my reasons behind it , and essentially, all I’m trying to say is in agreement with what you’ve said – That I appreciate people who explore.
I was merely just trying to give you my point of view on things, it was just a discussion on more general terms, and an observation on how quality of restaurants, perceived value can be subjective and how (from my POV) it varies from country to country. (See comments section to Dabbous, I had a similar debate there as well)
I’m really sorry if you thought I was patronising, it really wasn’t meant to come across like that. I replied in the spirit of debate and discussion.
And yes, obviously, everybody is entitled to their own opinions, that’s why these comment sections exist. It is a platform to capture the discussions, and I obviously respect your opinion enough to take the time to write a thoughtful (if a little aggressive) reply. And I respect your opinion enough to also take the time to apologise for offending you.
To things I wrote years ago. Yes because it’s applicable for the time it was written; and No if things have moved on.
Some things have definitely changed over time, like take GBK for example. 10 years ago it wasn’t too bad, relative to the immediate competition. But today, the whole burger ‘scene’ has improved dramatically. It’s why I said what I said about how I think the perceived quality of restaurant industries vary from country to country. I believe it is relative to what is the immediate competition, and for me, I haven’t had the pleasure to travel around the world to benchmark (to satisfy my own curiosity) them against each other. I really can only compare them against what I’ve experienced. Some bloggers and restaurant reviewers have been able to do so, and I’m always so envious. (like Gourmet Traveller, she’s been everywhere)
Another one is Ledbury – that felt so long ago, I’d only just started writing my blog then. At that time, Brett was still considered a promising young talent and I went when it only held a star. Of course, now its reputation has improved quite significantly.
I’m just surprised because most people tend to forget the older stuff I’ve written, and focus the newest and latest trends. I tend to get carried away with new restaurants on a week to week basis as I update this blog.
I actually had to trawl through my own stuff to discover I’d actually written about Ben’s Cookies..! I hardly remember writing about it.
Listen, I try not to be rude, but I do curse a lot, and I get complaints for it. I get a little defensive at times. Yes perhaps its a bit of an occupational (blogcupational?) hazard, to be frank, some comments are irksome. I try my best to bite my tongue and think carefully about what I say. I can’t please everyone, and I think I do offend some people, but I do try to mend any when I can.
If you are offended by what I say, I’m sorry. I do respect everyone’s opinion, especially people who take the time to read my stuff and take the time to form their opinions. I take the time to reply accordingly and you must know that I do try.
So I hope you’ll forgive me for being a dick.
K.
PS: I think some of your comments are not coming through because you’ve put a link in the body of the comment. The spam plug-in running in the background holds back automatic publishing of comments with links on the basis that it suspects it may be spam. If you enter the link to your site on tab which says link to your site, it will hyperlink your username, and give you a link back to 3rdkulture.
Forgiven.