Sake And Skewers At Hi Sushi Izakaya

Last we promised you some photos of Hi Sushi Izakaya, and here they are. We popped in for a quick bite to eat after work but ending up staying for two hours, happily munching our way through the menu. To their credit, the staff didn't try to rush us and that's a rare treat in Covent Garden. The restaurant is tucked away from the touristy piazza on Catherine Street, literally opposite the Theatre Royal, and it was pleasantly quiet mid-week with just a few smart couples tucking into some sashimi. On the ground floor, there are a few small tables and a sushi bar with a colourful display of fresh fish underneath the glass. We were led upstairs, past some cosy semi-private dens, and settled into the sunken tatami-style seating next to the waterfall. (Note: Ladies in short skirts may want to request a non-sunken table, unless you're comfortable flashing your companions).

The menu is extensive and includes every dish a London food fan would associate with Japanese food - sushi, ramen, tempura, grilled skewers, etc. Even my accomplice - someone who has visited real izakayas and speaks Japanese - was overwhelmed. So we sipped ice cold Asahi beers and devoured hot edamame beans while our lovely waitress gave us some recommendations. Here's what we had:

 

- Rock shrimp tempura: This was a real winner. Tasty bitesize shrimp in a light tempura batter studded with smashed wasabi peas to give it a bit of a kick - the sort of dish you could pick at all night. These were great dunked in the spicy mayo or with just a squeeze of lime juice.

- Minced chicken skewers: If you want to eat cheaply here, go for anything on a stick. All the skewers are under £2 and you can choose from classics like miso-glazed tofu and prawns or try something more adventurous like chicken skin. The minced chicken skewers look a bit like sausages in the photo but were surprisingly tender and coated in a sticky-sweet sauce. No need for all that undressed rocket though.

- Sushi: We liked the maki rolls filled with crispy salmon skin and tiny slivers of cucumber, but were less impressed by the 'Cha Cha Roll'. They were nice enough but the duck was chewy and the hoi sin sauce seemed a little synthetic. That said, everything was fresh, beautifully presented and a bargain at around £7 for five of the 'special' rolls. The sashimi is good value too, with a 21 piece platter priced at £20 - ideal for sharing.

 

- Yakitori: We've eaten a lot of yakitori over the years and Hi Sushi's skewers of grilled chicken and leek are up there with the best. The smoky charred flavour and saucy sweetness is very addictive.

- Sea bream: This was the only real disappointment. It's not something we've ordered before so we're not sure if it's supposed to look so ... incinerated. The texture was odd, slightly chewy - surely not a good sign for any fish - and the miso glaze didn't help. We've got no idea what the white/pink thing is either. It might be best to stick to the black cod next time.

 

- Wasabi prawns: Our waitress recommended these from the 'specials' section. The huge succulent prawns were harder to grab than the rock shrimp, especially with my limited chopstick skills, but they were well worth the battle. The sweet and juicy flesh shone through, despite being slathered in creamy wasabi mayo. Be warned, things do get a bit messy.

- Dessert seemed unnecessary after all that but we were eventually seduced by the almond and yuzu cake which is freshly baked to order. London's Asian restaurants are usually happy to serve up a selection of mediocre ice-creams spiked with vaguely Oriental ingredients so this was a welcome departure from the norm. The delicately flavoured sponge was warm and deliciously light, topped with finely sliced bananas and a tart kiwi sauce. With a scoop of unusually good pineapple ice-cream, it was just what we needed to cut through the sticky-sweetness of some of the savoury dishes.

While we stuck to beer and copious amounts of green tea, there is a decent wine list with glasses starting at £3 and sake from £3.50 for 150ml. Good value is a bit of a theme here - you could easily eat well for under £25 a head, especially if you stick to the skewers and sushi. The atmosphere, unlike traditional izakayas, was a bit subdued mid-week but once the pre-theatre crowd catches on it should be buzzing in no time. It was lovely to be allowed to linger without a turnaround time hanging over us and we could imagine popping in after work to chat over sake and sashimi. The food might not be flawless but it's definitely the freshest and most reasonable meal we've had in WC2 for quite some time.

Comments

[Kake]

The "white/pink thing" looks like a pickled ginger shoot.

[Kate]

Thanks Kake. We didn't eat it because the hot pink colour was a bit disturbing!