Eat & Drink
Originally published on Thursday, 28th February 2013
SUSHINHO
Japan meets São Paulo meets London
Devonshire Square, EC2M 4AE, 020 7220 9490, @sushinho
Location
Seconds away from Liverpool Street Station in hidden, glossy, mod-con restaurant hub Devonshire Square.
Vibe
As the name suggests, Sushinho is a Japan-Brazil hybrid, which was borne out of the Japanese immigrant community in the Liberdade neighbourhood of São Paulo (coincidentally, where our waiter was from!). At Sushinho, the vibe feels more brasileiro than Nippon-heavy (the music, the décor). The crowd was a mixture of City heads and Shoreditch spillovers.
Flavours
The term “fusion food” is generally considered a no-no, but if you’re ever going to apply it anywhere, it’s here. Japanese-style house rolls are given some interesting sparkle: the Rio has prawn, wasabi and strawberry; the Sushinho (cream cheese, salmon, crab) is delicately fresh and the Lobster California rolls are moreish, and both crunchy and velvety. Then onto the “sear it yourself” ishiyaki whereby you cook grade 9 wagyu and scallop on a steaming hot Himalayan salt rock before dunking it in wasabi and ginger soy. (There are also bigger “main” style plates like pork belly, lemon sole and blackened butterfish on the menu, but we decided to stay on the sushi trail.) Next up: nigiri, sashimi and temaki rolls – simply pick a fish and pick a style. If in doubt the salmon marinade nigiri is beautifully formed. Last up was the moqueca ceviche (Brazil incarnate) followed by shichimi baby squid – tiny, crunchy and hot. We really appreciated our waiter’s organisation when it came to delivering dishes – he ensured they came out in a flavour-complementing order – a breath of fresh air when we’re used to the “food comes out when ready” culture of so many eateries.
Decor
Simple (wood, brick, splashes of colour) if a bit predictable (palm trees). We liked that you could see the sushi chefs preparing in the open kitchen.
Upshot
This isn’t authentic sushi – it’s the souped-up Brazilian version, and it’s worth a try (traditionalists, you won’t be sorry). It’s the next best thing you’ll get to a bonafide Japanese-run restaurant in Liberdade.
