The fact that it's tiny and therefore difficult to obtain a reservation does not set it apart, Euston's Sushi of Shiori, somewhere bloggers and critics also unanimously praise, has been offering high end and costly temari sushi for 4 years already and I thought it only right to try this first. Run by a husband (chef) and wife (front of house) team, I found the atmosphere charming and friendly and we had front row seats at the small bar, overlooking the action in the open kitchen.
My fondness for sushi usually comes in bouts, and I've not had one in a while. We went for the £50 per person, 7-course Omakase tasting menu, £40 and £70 options are also offered. Kicking things off with a tomato wine at £9 a glass. I loved it and have never tasted anything remotely like it before, very subtle but sweet and fragrant.
Here's what we ate:-
Amuse bouche - sea urchin, seaweed and wasabi in miso
Appetiser - pacific white salmon rolls
Soup - clear broth with crystal bay prawn and potato, no picture of this one but the broth was clean and light and the large prawn was perfectly cooked.
Sushi selection - tuna (fatty and yellowtail), razor clam, Squid, Eel.
How beautiful is this plate? Ate every single morsel. Loved the charred squid.
Nigiri Selection - more fatty tuna, salmon, roe, seabass, mackerel and scallop
with summer truffle and brush for extra soy if desired.
Beef seared with mustard and garlic miso
Ice creams - left, Hojicha (smokey tea), right, sesame.
The venue is rather tatty looking from the outside, it's a shabby area in general and with little to no passing trade to speak of. Having said that, a couple of people wandered in whilst I was there, muttering the word sushi, but they were sent packing, so it's definitely advisable to book ahead.
(Photo taken by An American in London)
I liked the experience here, service was super sweet and if you're a sushi fan, it's a must visit place. I hope they continue to thrive in spite of the new competition from Tetsu and the brand new US import Sushi Samba. I'm still keen to try both of those.
What I hope is evident from the poor iphone photographs, is that the attention to detail with each offering is exquisite. The dishes are beautifully presented and thoughtful accompaniments on the plates are all edible. They really do look like a work of art. The most interesting for me on the night were the squid and the charred eel from the sushi selection, both had the most intriguing texture, something I can honestly say I have never encountered before. Intriguing doesn't necessarily sound good, but I mean it in a completely positive way. Plus they threw in a free iced tea which was a nice little touch and I love their glassware.
The only issue I have is that for a relatively high cost, I was disappointed by the size of the starter dishes. I appreciate the quality of the ingredients and the skill of the chef on display, but to describe it as a 7 course menu is potentially misleading, an amuse should not count as a course in it's own right in my opinion.
Sushi of Shiori
144 Drummond Street
NW1 2PA
7.5/10
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