Tsukiji Sushi, tucked away in the heart of Mayfair, is now firmly on my list of top Japanese spots in town.
The smartly-secluded restaurant is the perfect spot to graze peacefully on deliciously fresh fish and other treats.
I popped into the small eatery on a Thursday evening and bagged a table for two by the window.
Only a few of the other seats were occupied, with a couple of cosmopolitan women sitting opposite us and another couple seemingly on a date in the other corner.
One of the chefs stood slicing and dicing in the open-air kitchen, with counter seats for those wanting a prime view.
Before heading to Tsukiji Sushi, I tried to find a menu online but the Westbury Mayfair Hotel – in which it is located – doesn’t have have one on its website.
However, I managed to find one on OpenTable, revealing that there’s certainly lots of choice.
My friend Clare and I sat slightly bewildered as we read through all of the options on offer.
While we chose, we nibbled on a generously-portioned bowl of perfectly-cooked / seasoned edamame.
Our friendly waitress – dressed in a lovely kimono – also whisked over a glass of Argentinian Malbec and sake to keep us occupied in the meantime.
There’s a concise sake menu at Tsukiji Sushi, and I’d opted for a glass of the ‘Northern Skies’, described as being ‘subdued, understated and fairly mild’. It was some of the best sake I’d had in a while.
After much deliberation we final made our selection.
We decided to go for a meze of Japanese treats to share.
To start, we opted for a seaweed salad, some grilled brown beech mushrooms and three rock oysters with a yuzuponzu, jalapeno and truffle citrus dressing.
For mains, we went with a serving of king prawn tempura and a little serving of salmon roe and snow crab sashimi.
To top it off, we put in an order of assorted sushi, featuring a mix of salmon, white fish, tuna, king prawn, yellowtail, butterfish and California rolls.
Everything arrived in good time and the service was efficient without being pushy.
All of the morsels came artfully served on an eclectic mix of crokery, with a cabbage-shaped bowl carrying the seaweed salad being one of my favourite designs.
On that note, I have to say it was the best seaweed salads I’ve ever had, with large moss-green ribbons well-seasoned and with a good crunch. It was also well-portioned and a good size to share between two.
The oysters were also absolutely divine, with three plump specimens perfectly shucked.
The king prawn tempura had a nice light batter, and all of the fish topping the sushi was melt-in-the-mouth fresh.
After the fine spread, we felt pretty full, but decided to round things off with a fresh fruit salad and yuzu sorbet. This iced dish is another must-try, with a sweet, creamy texture that guarantees to satisfy!
Although we skipped meat at dinner, our waitress told us the seared Japanese wagyu beef is a popular pick.
I’d definitely return to this tucked-away spot.
If only to taste those deliciously-plump oysters again!
Tsukiji Sushi is located at 37 Conduit St, Mayfair, London W1S 2YF
To book a table visit www.opentable.co.uk or call
