Good sushi, blissfully un-intimidating atmosphere

10 April 2012

Brace yourself, because this is all going to sound like a bit of a porky.

Kiku is a Japanese restaurant (translates as pricey), deep in the heart of Mayfair (translates as very pricey) and one that serves top-class sushi with a classical ambience - but without charging the earth.

Your bill will prove it.

In helpful Oriental fashion, it lists the huge number of sushi portions you are alleged to have consumed and an average price.

What is odd, however, is how reasonable it all ends up.

Kiku is laid out around a traditional sushi bar, so you can sit and wonder at the dexterity of the knife man.

Wander along smack on opening time, snatch a seat at the counter and go for it.

Knowledgeable Japanese folk always start a meal of sushi with tamago - the sweetish, omelettey one that allows the diner to properly assess the quality of the rice.

Who knows? The toro, or tuna belly, is good; the suzuki, or sea bass, is good; the amaebi, or sweet prawn, is ... sweet.

Hiramei, or turbot, is very delicate.

You must have hotate, which is slices of raw scallop, translucent and subtle - very good indeed.

From the rolled sushi section, pick the umeshiso maki, made from rice with pickled plums and fresh green shiso leaves.

Tobiko is slightly advanced and surprisingly good.

A successful strategy might be to try a few sushi and then turn to the main menu: perhaps tempura moriawase, which is mixed tempura, or sake teriyaki, which is grilled teriyaki salmon.

If you suffer from 'long foreign menu fatigue system', there are good sushi combinations such as tokujyo nigiri or jyongiri.

Drink the very refreshing Asahi beer and only venture into the realms of sake if you understand it.

Kiku Restaurant
Half Moon Street, London, W1J 7BE

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