We had seen this place many times from the outside before giving it a try. The exterior is adorned by red lanterns and it’s located in an area that doesn’t have many decent sushi choices, so we were hoping it’d be a good find.
The first time we went, we called to make reservations for a Friday around 8 pm, table for 2, and they told us just to come in. I don’t think they take reservations, or at least not for such a small party. Having now been many times for dinners, there’s usually a good amount of people there, but a few tables tend to remain open.
The restaurant is very comfortable and is divided into distinct three parts: there is a ground floor with a sushi bar and two different seating areas, a top floor with more seating, and a basement with a small room for karaoke. We once heard a girl singing quite loudly in their by herself, so I guess you can even just karaoke by yourself.
The sushi chefs are incredibly friendly and they humor my questions very kindly. When we sit at the sushi bar, I like watching them prepare the sushi and then sending it out. They also display the fish they use in a glass case.
The yaki soba veggie is the best we’ve found in London and we’ve been to many, many Japanese places in town. It comes with thinly sliced carrots, onions, snow peas, and a few mushrooms with pickled ginger on the side. But what makes it a step above all the others is the sauce. It is perfect.
I haven’t tried a large variety of their sushi, but what I will say is that it’s fresh and great quality. Very presentable, not sloppy. And the sushi rice they make is great quality. I’m by no means a sushi expert, but I have an interest in it and eat it weekly and I do know that sushi rice really varies from restaurant to restaurant. This one has the perfect amount of sweetness, stickiness, shine, and tastes great. And as for their kappa maki roll, they julienne the cucumbers, so that each roll has many thin strips of cucumbers instead of one thick chunk like the rolls at many less meticulous places do.
Perhaps the only con about this place is that it is more expensive than other sushi restaurants around town. The noodles and sushi are about 25-30% more than you’d pay elsewhere, but the quality is great and I think it’s worth it.
The staff is extremely friendly, helpful, and positive. I would highly recommend giving this place a try.
