THE TRANSATLANTIC MAGAZINE
THE TRANSATLANTIC MAGAZINE
Brixton Village is a microcosm of multi-culti London. The bustling vibe and mad mix of cultures offers foodies everything from street food to haute cuisine. After years of training at some of the best sushi restaurants in Tokyo, Executive Chef Shaulan Steenson has found his niche in this little corner of the capitol. I can think of no better place for London’s first authentic handroll bar!
The small industrial interior boasts an 18 seat oak sushi bar, with a few tables outside in the covered market. A seat at the sushi bar is by far the best, particularly when it comes to temaki or, handrolls. Nori seaweed, used for all maki sushi, absorbs moisture very quickly and becomes gummy. Eaten within seconds, it retains its beautiful crisp texture and is a joy to eat. It’s also a pleasure to watch the chefs at work as they interact with diners, creating an immersive dining experience. The delightful staff kept us entertained as they equally delighted our palates! I was most impressed by the timing of our meal. We ordered two small plates plus the set menu and food seemed to appear constantly, yet leisurely. It was a real treat to be fed in this way.
The food is exceptional and prices remarkably modest. We started with a small carafe of warm Yamahai-Junmai sake (£17.50). A complex mix of sweet, tart and bitter with hints of liquorice. Yes, we had another!
Thin slices of oil-rich yellowtail sashimi (£8) were complemented beautifully with a blood orange ponzu and nasturtium leaves. Golden goujons of monkfish karaage (£7) were fried to perfection and served with a spicy mayo. A house favorite!
The handrolls can be ordered a la carte or as a set menu, the largest of which, at £35 for 5, had all my favorites…and I’m a pig! Akami tuna “Hakkoku” (the renowned sushi restaurant in Tokyo where Steenson trained) was a brilliant first course. Lean tuna, wasabi, soy and golden Uruchimai rice, the Chef’s rice of choice. It epitomizes the simplicity of good sushi. Simplicity that takes years to master. Lobster mixed with egg yolk, miso and citrus brought another level of taste and richness in a perfect balance of sweet, sour and umami. Trout surprised me the most. I’ve rarely had it as sushi and it is fabulous. With cucumber, shiso, sesame and ikura (salmon roe) it just popped with flavour. Otoro (fatty tuna) with sesame and spring onion is like the pork belly of tuna. We love the fat! Prawn tempura with spicy mayo, spring onion and sesame added the pleasure of deep fried flavour and BBQ eel with cucumber and BBQ sauce topped it all off with the richest of all fish.
I loved the chocolate chip cookie (£4) but took exception to the name. Not a chip in sight! Mochi, cheesecake flavoured and frozen (£4), was Steenson’s take on the classic glutinous rice cake. A multi-culti-chewy-icy end to a fabulous meal.
