Tsunami

I went back to this place after a long absence and, apart from the lack of rock shrimp tempura on the menu now, it was as fabulous as ever. The nasu goma (aubergine with sesame sauce), teriyaki salmon and of course the balck cod with miso are out of this world. I have to have them every single time I go. We had one of the specials too, wasabi lamb, which was succulent and full of flavour.

The staff are always very polite and friendly, it's usually busy and has a lovely cosy feel to it with pretty tealights on tables and a number of booths at the back. It is not particularly smart or pretentious like Nobu or Roka can be but the food is just as good and half the price and the relaxed atmosphere means it's always a nice dinig experience.
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Sally
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 10
Friday, April 25, 2008

After reading reviews here and hearing positive reports from friends, we were really looking forward to eating here.

Unfortunately it was a big disappointment. While the food was on the whole pretty good, the service and atmosphere were well below what we we were expecting. Our meal was eaten to the sound of loud (and not very good) pop music, more akin to a fun pub than a restaurant. The menu arrived covered in old food; items we'd ordered either didn't turn up or were not quite what we'd ordered.

I think if we'd had lower expectations this would have been a nice meal - if you go in thinking local & cheap rather than sophisticated & professional you won't be disappointed.
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Joel
Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 2 | Value for money 6
Monday, April 14, 2008

The first time we went they served Indian style long rice for both the sushi and the bowl of rice I ordered. Felt completely ripped off. The second time, however, we got proper Japanese short grain sticky rice. Tasted ok, but the nigiris were a bit small. Other dishes were "westernised".

The service is average. The decor is not Japanese. And no one in there speaks Japanese. If you want an authentic experience definitely not the place to go.
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Jimmy
Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 5 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 4
Sunday, February 24, 2008

Really excellent. The food was as good as Roka and a lot cheaper. Service was fine, despite the room being very loud when full. I'll go again, although when I do I'll avoid the "espresso" , which was dire.
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Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 8
Sunday, February 17, 2008

Went here last week with a friend- thought it was really good. We shared sushi rolls, sashimi, endema beans and some tempura all washed down with a bottle of vino. It was really great- enjoyed it a lot. Price came to £50 for both. Will definitely go back
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Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Thursday, February 14, 2008

Tsunami is alright, and when i say 'alright' I mean just that. Neither above or below the average.

It was nice to hear about a promising Japanese restaurant in south London and I went to try it out after hearing that it was on the up again after some years in the wilderness.

Initial impressions were that the decor looked a bit desperate, all neon blues, purples and black. The round tables for 4 looked nice though. The treatment by the waiting staff seems to be a recurring theme in all of these reviews so you'd think the management would have done something about it by now - we were 2 of about 8 customers in the whole place and the 5 waiting staff milling around looked anywhere but at us customers, which was not a good start. I had to actually get up to get their attention! uh-oh!

Starters are overpriced, for example £5 for 4 small shu mai. You could get the same for £2 in Chinatown. The Tempura was fantastic, large portion and crispy, the ohitashi was nice and sesame covered and the sashimi was ok (bit narked they tried to make it look a decent size by sticking bits of sweet omelet round it. Since when has tamagoyaki ever been served with sashimi!?) The teriyaki beef was tasty with good veg but a little expensive for the size of it.

We had 20% off as we ordered before 7pm on a weekday and I still left feeling that it was rather expensive for what you get. The size of the dishes is really where they let themselves down, rather than the flavours (which can't be faulted). I know about cost prices as my family run a Japanese restaurant, they really were making a tidy profit here!!

I'd maybe go back again, but be careful what I ordered by steering clear of the starters and the random expensive main dishes.
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Yoko
Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 5 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 6
Wednesday, February 13, 2008

I went for dinner there 3 weeks ago on a Saturday night. The food was magnificent and I have since recommended it to a freind. I am now going there for her birthday tonight. I have tried several Japanese haunts in London and this is one of the best. I take my hat off to the Black Cod Miso and Wasabi Lamb. The sashimi was also delicious.

I would highly recommend Tsunami, it is fantastic food at a very resaonable price. The atmosphere was buzzing although I did fell the interior was a little bland, but then again so is Nobu.
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Kate
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 10
Tuesday, February 12, 2008

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