Eating Out

Sushi 101

Sushi restaurants are like London buses at the moment (no, not awkward and bendy and soon to be replaced by their predecessors): you wait for one to turn up for ages, and then several arrive at once. Take Muswell Hill for example. There was a serious lack of Japanese fare here for a long time, and now two new sushi bars have opened in a short space of time. This can only be good news for fans of all things Japanesey, so I thought it pertinent that I get myself down there to check out at least one of these places on your behalf dear readers.

Sushi 101 is located inside the Raglan Hotel, away from the cente of Muswell Hill. I’m not sure whether it was because of this, or the fact that it was midweek, but the restaurant was all but empty when we arrived. The food is a bit hit and miss, but with more good dishes than bad – including some original sushi dishes, like shredded beef & mustard miso maki rolls, and asparagus & cream cheese futo maki rolls. The highlight was some delicious miso scallops, which were cooked to perfection, along with two excellent desserts - not something I usually associate with Japanese restuarants. A lemongrass creme brulee provided an excellent new twist on an old classic, whilst a chocolate fondant was as good as many others I’ve tasted elsewhere, for much more money. Unfortunately, the sashimi – normally my favourite part of any Japanese meal – was a bit of a let down. The fatty tuna and salmon cuts didn’t have all the fresh vibrant, fishy taste I’m looking for when I eat raw fish, which is a shame because the sushi combinations were much more flavoursome.

The good news is that Sushi 101 offer home delivery, something which is quite unique in the area – and in many other parts of town I might add. This is a real bonus, and something that I hope will help keep this new restaurant afloat in a competitive market. Like I say, it seems like there are lots more Japanese outlets about these days than was previously the case and Sushi 101 will have to pull out all the stops to keep its head above water as a result.

A meal for two including drinks and service costs approximately £60.