With a multitude of sushi options like Itsu, Wasabi and Yo! Sushi, do we genuinely need another sushi takeaway option in London?
We don’t tend to review or recommend what is essentially takeout dining outlets. However, Sushi shop is no ordinary takeaway, but it is a concept from the continent which aims to deliver classic Japanese offerings with a French nouvelle cuisine twist. We went along to the Marylebone branch to speak with their co-founder, Gregory Marciano and to have a masterclass with their head chef, Pierre Boudy.
Gregory founded the company in 1998 in Paris, this was before the time apps like Deliveroo and Ubereats existed (yes such times did exist). He wanted high quality sushi with a French flair to be handmade to order and delivered fresh to Parisians. To this day, this uncompromising quality still exists so that they don’t deliver more than 1-2 miles radius from their outlets. Currently they have branches in Marylebone, South Kensington and Notting Hill with more opening soon at upscale locations in London.
Each year they collaborate with eminent chefs such as Joël Robuchon and Alain Ducasse to creat signature editions. For 2017, they’ve partnered with Kei Kobayashi who has a Michelin starred restaurant in Paris called KEI. It’s somewhat fitting for 2 French entrepreneurs who fell in love with the Japanese cuisine to work with a Japanese chef who moved to Paris to perfect the art of French gastronomy.
Salmon gravlax roll is an elegant creation filled with refreshing minty flavours along with a spicy black olive tapenade sauce. It has an excellent mixture of textures with the crunchiness of the vegetables along with some crumble on top.
You don’t often find beef appearing on sushi menus, but their gyu special roll is a masterful creation. The beef is presented carpaccio style and lightly seared and lacquered with a flavoursome teriyaki sauce. You could not imagine so many vegetables and fruits fitting into such a small piece of sushi, but it also contains avocado, carrot, red pepper, rocket, coriander, chives, fried onions, chilli and lime.
It isn’t all about the sushi. If you want something surprisingly filling, try their red miso cucumber salad. The red miso adds a certain ‘meatiness’ to the dish and there is a good variation of textures and flavours with citrus notes from the yuzu, sweetness from the cucumber and crunch of peanuts.
You might be paying slightly more than your typical Japanese takeaway outlet, but their selections are unique and awe-inspiring. With at least 10 chefs per shop making sushi to order, you really do get top quality here for what you pay.
baldwin@townfish.com