*Sushinho has now closed – visit Mark Hix’s Hixter that took over the space*
Tucked just inside Devonshire Square, the new city outpost of Sushinho (previously just of King’s Road fame) was an anticipated new restaurant opening, on the back of London’s thirst for Japanese fusion restaurants like Sushisamba.
Our night began in the large basement bar where we enjoyed lovely (speakeasy style) cocktails mixed by a barman sweetly proud of his concoctions. The plantain nibbles gave a hint to the Brazilian flavours we could expect later, and with those munched, we headed to the restaurant for a flurry of flavours.
The space throughout the vast two-floor restaurant feels inspired by beach destinations and grown-up but laid-back summers – a nod to the South American influence.
The menu at Sushinho is traditional Japanese with a satisfying number of nigiri, sashimi and temaki on offer. These sit alongside plates like ceviche very well, but the concept fails when the influences come together in one dish.
I was sceptical of the Rio when I read the menu, but was persuaded to order it by the lovely waitress. The prawn and wasabi roll wrapped in strawberry jam just didn’t work: clangy with the sweet clashing with the delicate seafood. The spider crab rolls, on the other hand were absolutely mooreish and fresh, crunchy, and delectable.
Wagyu beef sliders were utterly gorgeous, and an absolute highlight, though a little isolated on the menu (are they a starter, or a side? Delicious, yes, but did they sit well with sashimi? No.)
Prawn tempura is one of my all-time favourite dishes, and was eagerly anticipated. Unfortunately the basket of sad prawns which arrived was inedible. Soggy, oily tempura and flavourless, watery prawns at £16.50 was a rather sad affair.
The larger plate of Sushinho fried chicken, kimchee, pineapple and cashew was much better, and perhaps hinted that the menu has some more gems on offer.
The difficulty with Sushinho is that it doesn’t always successfully pull together dishes to tell a story and build to make a great meal. I like Brazilian food, I like Japanese food, and I love City restaurants and I so willed this to be great, but I was left feeling cold towards a place which so wanted to be welcoming and warm.
You may also enjoy reading our guide to the best restaurants in The City.
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