A few weeks ago I had dinner at Nobu, Mayfair on a Tuesday. That Thursday, I also ate at Asakusa: tiny tucked away Japanese restaurant in Mornington Crescent. The difference in quality, taste and price was incredible but quite the reverse of who you'd expect to come out on top. Don't get me wrong, I'm not doing Nobu down, but Asakusa blows it entirely out of the water. This is definitively the best sushi in London and a lovely little North London secret for those in the know.
We started with some hot sake chosen from an extensive menu (they also have a sake taster menu if you want to learn more about sake than whether you prefer it hot or cold). Then we cleansed our palettes with some seaweed salad and an assortment of Japanese pickles.
On to the sushi. Don't forget to check their specials menu for more unusual sushi options. We had mackrel, tuna and a beautifully delicate sea bass. The wasabi they use melts into the soy with no effort, the fish arrives gleaming on a bed of vegetables, seaweed and pink ginger. Everything is presented simply but to perfection.
For our next course, we had a grilled mackerel with grated radish. The black cod is also fantastic and the best value I've ever seen in London but we didn't get a picture this time around, as we arrived at 10.30 so they had run out. We finished up with spicy prawn inside out rolls and green tea. The sushi rice is fluffy, the prawns delicate and the sauce adds a tingle.
As it was late, our night cap was a green tea otherwise we would have had a cheeky plum wine.
A friend of mine told me that the Asakusa chef is Michellin Starred but prefers to run his own, smaller, more authentic restaurant. This attitude is reflected in the family atmosphere, interesting conversations overheard in corners and a thoroughfare of Japanese regulars coming through the door. You step inside and immediately feel at ease.
Better than Nobu. Go now before the word gets out.
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