Tsunami

great food and at a very reasonable price.. This is up there with some of the best Japanese I have tasted. One problem was the service - you are greeted, shown to your table by a very rushed host and then left alone for a while. One of a number of grumpy/ unfriendly waitresses come to the table at various stages of the meal and almost make one feel 'put out' if you ask for another drink or ask for anything else. A short course on 'how to smile' would be time well spent on his staff by the owner. And the tip is included at the end, whether u like it or not... worth a visit but not the most friendly place
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Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 4 | Value for money 7
Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Having been going to tsunami on a very regular basis over the last couple of years i was astonished at the service we received last night. Look, great service had never been their strong point but we didnt quite expect it to be as hostile as it was last night. After having a meal with some friends (we were on a 2 hour booking, but our order wasnt taken until 45 minutes into the booking), we were literally forced away from our table with our dessert barely cleared and our wine glasses still full! The next booking was apparently waiting for us to go, but we were only made aware of this after we had ordered our desserts and another bottle of wine. Over the next couple of minutes, the waitress and then the manager came over to us three times and asked us to leave our table! We had just spent 200 pounds in their restaurant.!!! It was unbelievable and it was the first time ever we asked for a refund on the service charge.

There was nowhere else for us to go, ie no waiting or bar area so we just had to stand in front of the till and down our expensive wine. Suffice to say we will not be going back there. For that sort of price you expect more than a canteen conveyor belt treatment. In addition, my fiends noticed that the portions had gradually gotten smaller since we first started eating there, so its yet another reason to avoid this restaurant. I used to be a waitress myself and I do understand how busy a restaurant like that is on a friday night but i really dont hink that level of lack of service can be excused. I think this restaurant has unfortunately simply got too big for its boots.
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Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 1 | Value for money 1
Saturday, February 09, 2008

I went to Tsunami on Saturday night with my boyfriend at it was amazing. The food was immaculately presented, and very reasonably priced. I will be coming here again and again.

We started off with the steamed snow crab dumpings which were delicate and beautifully rich. Other highlights were the clay pot chicken and the eel. Having recently returned from two weeks travelling around Japan, these two main dishes, whilst not as visually exciting as the sushi and sashami on offer, are typical and authentic main dishes.

Although it was a touch noisy, I can also say that the atmosphere was great. It was buzzing and there was a nice mix of people.
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Caroline Dude
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 10
Monday, January 28, 2008

Tsunami is quite possibly one of the best restaurants I have been in London. And I am really fussy when it comes to food; no one beats my Italian mother's homemade cooking normally,

but (sorry mum) I don't think she could deliver such a perfect char-grilled lamb in Wasabi sauce (but then again she ain't Japanese).

Putting my mother to one side, let's talk about the restaurant.

Tsunami is down a little quite road off Clapham High Street (just opposite the train station), the entrance itself it's very low profile.

The decor it's modern and Japanes-style simple, quite comfortable and crisp.

Me and my boyfriend went for dinner on a Saturday night and managed to book a 9 o'clock table quite easily on the day. Meeted and greeted at the door off we went to our table. As it was only the two

of us we had a classic "couple's table" sandwhiched between two other couples but with enough space to move and have a private conversation. Although to be fair we didn't talk, not at all.

We just made appreciative noises and loved every single dish like our own. Well maybe not in exactly the same way, more like in this order:

1. Char grilled lamb in wasabi pepper sauce

2. Snow crab shu mai

3. Tsunami mixed tempura selection

4. Tsunami special sushi roll

5. Selection of desserts

As I mentioned already the marshmallow tender lamb in wasabi sauce was spectacular. I've noticed that the wasabi used it's not the usual green but a honey coloured one, I'm no wasabi expert but I reckon

the taste of the latter it's a little more delicate. The crab shu mai were four little steamed parcels full of happiness, with every mouthful I felt like David Cameron when he decided that the best way to stop

juvenile crime was to hug a hoodie only my solution would be to feed them these little crab creations and instantly the world would be a much better place. In culinary words they are essentially crab

dim sum cooked to perfection. The tempura was crispier than the deco and among the well known battered items, we found an usual one: lotus root. It may sound weird but it's really quite a sexy bit

of root vegetable. Lighter and crispier than potato, similar to a water chestnut but with a bit more flair (if that can be said about a vegetable). As far the sushi went, I can say it was a nice bit of sushi,

maybe not outstanding but by this point I was so full I was straggling a little, so I might not have been completely focused therefore I am going to refrain from further comments.

The only downfall of my perfect meal, apart from my greediness that stopped me from enjoying the second half of it due to lack of stomach room, was the dessert. Personally I can' really think of any

outstanding Japanese desserts off hand, so maybe it's just not their forte.

We ordered the selection, four little pots with different tasters: a creme brulee (which was really cold and a bit too runny

and eggy), pear in red wine (which was ok, maybe a little on the bland side), green tea and sesame seed ice cream (the sesame seed was really nice the green tea in my boyfriend words: was like

chewing on a cold teabag) and a chocolate fondant (can't go wrong there really, it's chocolate, it's good).

The service was absolutely brilliant and the food arrived at perfect intervals. A peculiarity of Tsunami that I really like is that each dish is meant to be shared so that if you order two mains

they would come consequentially and you would share both, which it's really nice because everyone gets food envy when eating out.

All and all loved I love this restaurant and I can't wait to go back.
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Lindy
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Monday, January 21, 2008

I'm from Japan and I liked my evening at Tsunami last night. The waitress who served us was friendly and the atomosphere was great. I asked her if it was busy last night and she said it was one of the quieter nights, although all the tables were taken and we were asked to leave after two hours from our reservation time! Meitre d was bit rude, I thought, but that didn't matter after a great meal.

Although I didn't see any Japanese working there and the restaurant hasn't got Japanese decore, the food was genuine and the price was money for value concidering there are so many restaurant where they charge so much more...

It's not a restaurant for a first date as dishes comes one after the other and servers running around all the time, but going there in a group or with a partner who knows each other well would definately be fun.
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Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 9
Sunday, January 06, 2008

This is by far the best rastaurant I have been to South side of the West End, consistently superb food and fantastic coktails. The contemporary dark wood and leather interior ambient lighting and stunning floral displays create a wonderful dining atmosphere (although the view of the train station opposite is unfortunate in day light hours, nothing a bit of frosted glass in the windows would sort out!) The waiting staff are friendly and give an unintrusive service with excellent recommendations and I think overall as far as dining out in this expensive city is concerned, it's a great value for money experience. I heard a rumour the head chef was previously at Nobu, so expect Nobu food without the Nobu price tag - the black cod and the snow carb is certainly on par! The place is always buzzing with a stylish Clapham crowd it's also the perfect restaurant to take a large group of friends for a celebratory meal and they offer 20% discounts if you order before certain times on certain days! Not to be missed.
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Anita Bourne
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Saturday, December 08, 2007

I've been dining at Tsunami since 2001. The food is always served to the best. Sashimi's are always very fresh and nicely layed out. All the dishes are delicately served. Too bad they keep changing their menu and don't keep some of the dishes. I know that some of the dishes were specially created by the Chef, therefore i cannot find them in any other restaurant. Tsunami is definately one of the best Japanese restaurants that i've been to.
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Apple - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 9
Wednesday, November 14, 2007

My girlfriend and I went on a Friday night. She'd been before but I live in Manchester so have only been used to Samsi and Sapporo Tepenyaki which are passable but, having now been to Tsunami, way behind the eight ball. There are certainly fusion elements to the menu - snow crab and prawn sui mai and, travelling further afield, foie gras and smoked eel sauce nori maki. This was one of the finest eating experiences I've had. I could not fault any aspect of the food. I also sampled the oyster tempura, scallops, sashimi and rare lamb with morels in a creamy but aromatic sauce with what I think are red/pink peppercorns but probably something more exotic. The other elements of our visit were all top notch but the food was so good that only a waiter with his genitals on display and a French accent could have ruined the experience. Even then...

I've also realised that I've used the word experience at least twice which is very unlike me. I'll start talk about 'journies' if I'm not careful. Certainly a mark of the mountainous and gratuitous excellence of the food.
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Mitsu
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Monday, October 15, 2007

I went to Tsunami for the first time last weekend and had a fabulous time. The food, atmosphere and service were excellent.
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Val Bidgood
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Wednesday, September 26, 2007

We went there once and the food was really delicious.

The service is also good and the restaurant is modern and confortable.

During the weekend it was crowded and really noisy.
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CC
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 8
Friday, August 24, 2007