Sticks'n'Sushi

Sticks'n'Sushi: Danish/Japanese London restaurant review

Admittedly the first image that pops into my head upon hearing about Sticks’n’Sushi’s  ‘Danish-Japanese’ concept is a slice of raw salmon sprawled on top of a buttery pastry.

The idea is to combine the familiar sushi, sashimi and futomaki or Japanese cuisine with the lesser-known Yakatori, the  skewers or ‘sticks’ of grilled meat which add an unexpected extra dimension to the menu.

Offering a dainty little portion of white chocolate with sweet miso and popped rice, Vanilla crème brulee , chocolate fondant with caramel and hazelnut brittle and Matcha green tea ice cream with dark chocolate, which work out at a reasonable £2 per dessert.

Each of the pots is perfectly sculpted and offer a varied choice: there’s pure richness in the chocolate fondant, European in its unashamed indulgence; a gentle, lilting sweetness in the white chocolate and sweet miso; and the rejuvenating coolness of the matcha ice cream, with its deliciously peculiar aftertaste.

It’s a microcosm of the sheer variety on offer at Sticks’n’Sushi, itself reflective of a city which has never offered so much choice of restaurants.

REVIEW: Sticks n Sushi - Quite possibly the best restaurant at ...

The entire concept of Sticks n Sushi baffled me, from the naff name to the weird marriage of Danish and Japanese food and the off-putting exterior.

I am now regretting every lost month, nay day, since it opened, because Sticks n Sushi was an absolute revelation, not only by introducing novel food, menus and ingredients, but it was also sexy as hell and utterly transformative in terms of dining out.

Could Sticks n Sushi deliver on the food front?

In the end we opted for the Perfect Day menu, which was £65 to share, and more than ample, consisting of edamame with salt and lemon, crab croquettes with wasabi caesar, seared salmon, tuna and avocado, spicy tuna, crispy ebi and rice paper with duck and goma, seared salmon, kizami wasabi, daikon, cress and ponzu, plus sticks of chicken meatballs with teriyaki, salmon with teriyaki and asparagus wrapped in bacon.

Vegetarians and pescatarians can swap in any dishes they require, which meant we also managed the cauliflower with black sesame truffle sauce and the Ebi Bites (tempura shrimp, miso aïoli, chili, lime and coriander) which were so succulent, gentle and crispy that I went into a sort of trance, only revived by an offering of the crab croquettes whose soft insides will stay with me for some time, and the piquancy of the marinaded seared salmon.

New Restaurant Review: Sticks 'N' Sushi | Londonist

Danish restaurant chain Sticks ’n’ Sushi, offering Asian-inspired cuisine, has gone down a storm in Copenhagen, boasting 9 branches over there and now, one right here in Wimbledon.

The sourcing of the ingredients explains why; Sticks ‘n’ Sushi has it’s own rice field in California, where they grow and export top-quality Japanese rice (as the Japanese are loathe to export their own) which is then expertly cooked.

Other delectable delights include ‘Large Chaos’ chirashi zushi (£19.80) and ‘House Aquarium’ salad (£13.90), both loaded-up with various fishy treats.

That’s the whole idea; ‘affordable luxury’ is the ethos here, and if you don’t want to rack up the cash on bits and bobs there is a whole menu of individual sets (£6.50 - £27) or large sharing platters, ranging between £15 - £30 per person.

Sticks ‘n’ Sushi is at 58 Wimbledon Hill Road, SW19 7PA and will open Wednesday 14 March.

We Review: Sticks N Sushi

Just as Ronseal does exactly what it says on the tin, Sticks N Sushi, does exactly as the name suggests, it serves yakitori sticks and sushi.

Finding ourselves free on a rainy Saturday afternoon and with a new Sticks N Sushi having recently opened in Nova, we took the good, old, (slow), District Line over to Victoria.

Part of Nova, you’ll find Sticks N Sushi at: Unit 3-5, 3 Sir Simon Milton Square, Victoria, SW1E 5EB www.sticksnsushi.co.uk  That said if you can’t eat in because your bed/sofa is just too enticing, then they also do takeaway.

Because Sticks N Sushi’s menu is created like a photo album (they’ve even called it that) and yet it’s a work of art. 143 photos make up the album in sections including bites, salads, maki, sashimi, nigiri and then the platters which give you a little taste of all the different sections.

The Extravaganza will give you the chance to try a different selection of sticks, sushi and bites.

Sticks'n'Sushi | Restaurants in Wimbledon, London

Sticks n Sushi has been imported from Denmark, where there are ten branches; many design elements in the cavernous space allude to its Scandinavian origins – such as the comfy wooden chairs.

The sticks, or skewers, are safe and western-friendly: no gizzards, cartilage or other more uncomfortable cuts.

They’re nice enough, though chicken tsukune had more in common with a Swedish meatball than anything you’d find on a skewer in Japan.

The sushi rolls come with gimmicky names and colourful coatings – such as ‘Black Alaska’ inside-out rolls sprinkled with black tobiko (flying fish roe) and filled with salmon, cream cheese and avocado; or ‘Dreamy California’ stuffed with miso aïoli and crabsticks, then rolled with chilli flakes and poppy seeds.

Vegetarians won’t feel left out as there are plenty of veggie sushi choices and sides; sweet tomato slices with onion, soy and vinegar dressing is a tasty snack.

Sticks'n'Sushi | Restaurants in Covent Garden, London

A Covent Garden branch of the Danish sushi and yakitori chain.

Sticks ’n’ Sushi is an uber-chic Danish sushi chain with a whopping 133 pictures on its equally stylish menu, each more beautifully composed than the last.

And the decor at this, its Covent Garden branch, is almost as photogenic: all exposed brick and dark wood panelling, the ground floor is spacious and high-ceilinged, with sleek bar seating downstairs.

The sushi, though, was a little disappointing.

If you go here, you might want to stick to the superb sticks.