The shape of London’s sushi scene has changed dramatically over the past 10 years. There was a time when proper nigiri was rare and that which was available could only be found in the highest-end of Mayfair enclaves, and when the only budget option was Yo! Sushi, its conveyor belt a whirling carousel of averageness.
Then came the arrival of Californian-inflected sushi - the sort dreamed up by the pioneering chef Katsuya Uechi of Los Angeles, and popularised by Nobu, which took it worldwide. The fortunate have been enjoying spicy tuna on crispy rice, snow crab maki and yellowtail with ponzu and rings of jalapeno for years now. I love it, all the irreverent glitz and glamour and champagne, though I concede it’s nearly always someone else paying - mid- to high-level sushi is best ordered with an expense account.
There are exceptions, as ever. A word here for Zaibatsu, something of a Greenwich institution, rare in that it balances good fish (Billingsgate sourced) with affordability (dine well there for £30 a head). And Eat Tokyo, a dependable group since 2005. It’ll neither blow your mind nor upset you. Despite these, we’ve been in need of something new to shift the market because sushi should never sit around.
Freshness has arrived most obviously with handroll bars. Other than in Brighton, newly home to a branch of the unoriginally named Sushi Handroll, these are the preserve of the capital for now, but I’d wager entrepreneurs in Manchester, Edinburgh, Bristol and beyond will follow suit within the next 12 months.
Sushi handrolls are simpler by design and concept than traditional nigiri and maki. They require skill - certainly to craft good ones - but aren’t quite in the same league. That much is clear. That means cutting down on labour costs, presumably. No Endo or Masa in the kitchen. And although high spec ingredients are used, handrolls also lend themselves to cheaper fish. So too accessible sites - there’s no need for a grand omakase counter.
More than anything, handrolls are fun. They’re something new for British diners to explore. It isn’t bamboozling to consider their boom in London, which now has at least half a dozen new brands pushing the concept.
Sushi handrolls are simpler by design and concept than traditional nigiri and maki. And although high spec ingredients are used, they lend themselves to cheaper fish. So too accessible sites
In part, we have Temaki to thank, which started out in 2021 with a small space in Brixton and saw success, so much that the restaurant moved to Mayfair and raised prices. The New York financier-turned-restaurateur saw a gap in the market and jumped into it. The new location in the West End is home to rolls of lobster with egg yolk and citrus, spicy trout, prawn tempura and wagyu with truffle. Prices start at £7 these days but climb much higher. Thankfully, the four-part sets remain, and £36 for the cheapest isn’t bad for fine fish, sushi rice and nori, conical and generous.
Temaki wasn’t alone for long. Sushi Handroll arrived in the same year and now boasts multiple sites, while Ukiyo, Kumori, Romeo San and Miokuru have all opened in the past five years. Not all have impressed: The Times critic Giles Coren savaged Kumori. Let’s hope the team has upped its game since then.
In a difficult market, but one that demands sushi and at least some of the elegance that comes with it, sushi handrolls make sense. Not all will be good. But the economics appear to add up and the vibes are relaxed, so we should at least welcome the idea.