Sushi of Shiori

Nice sushi. Felt it was more keen on presentation than substance but nonetheless the sushi were fresh, tasty and full of flavour.
Comment on this reader review

Anon
7 Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 7
Monday, September 06, 2010

We made a reservation for two on a Saturday and were incredibly pleased with the sushi dishes prepared by the sushi chef/owner. The service was attentive but not intrusive, and we were well advised about the choices on the menu. We started off with the sushi platter (a selection of nigiri, canape, futomaki and hosomaki). The seafood was incredibly fresh and the sushi rice well-cooked. The precision with which each individual sushi was made is commendable. The sake list is well-thought through and was incredibly good

We also had the special don, and the wagyu beef and duck - creative additions to the menu. The wagyu beef was cooked to perfection; tender, juicy and sliced thin. The duck was also very tasty, but may be slightly overcooked for some. The don was excellent; the seafood was very fresh and the rice cooked to perfection. The chef had clearly paid attention to the presentation of the dishes and our don was no exception.

For dessert, we had home made ice-cream; the black sesame seed ice-cream, and green tea ice-cream. I would highly recommend both. The black sesame seed was sublime and leaves a sweet nutty aftertaste. The consistency was perfect. The green tea ice-cream tastes slightly tame in comparison with the black sesame seed ice-cream, but was overall well made and rich.

The chef's wife, who provided the service, was courteous and pleasant throughout. The price was slightly steep (we paid £70, but good food comes at a price) and the interior of the restaurant simple. However, the intimacy is a plus in my view. This place is a hidden gem and we would most certainly return.
Comment on this reader review

JL
7 Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 7
Sunday, August 29, 2010

My partner and I are always on the lookout for the best Japanese restaurants we can find in London, searching for the quality and freshness of the sushi and sashimi we’d experienced in Tokyo, or on our travels elsewhere in Japan, New York or California. Despite its unlikely setting behind Euston Station, tucked in among the Indian restaurants of Drummond Street, Sushi of Shiori is the closest we’ve come to the atmosphere and flavours of a true Japanese sushi bar. This little place only has about 7 or 8 seats, three ranged along the inner bar and the rest looking out of the front window. (We like to perch at the bar, where you can watch the almost preternaturally skilled chef at work, slicing into the finely textured wedges of tuna, or shredding daikon to lacy thinness.) If you’ve been to Tokyo, you’ll recognise the set-up from the multitude of micro-eateries dotted around that city; like those, Sushi of Shiori manages to feel at once pared-back and homely, thanks to the charming husband and wife team who run it. For years we lamented the lack of a North Londoner’s Sushi Hiro – when it comes to the food, Shiori is it and more.

The style of the food at Shiori initially seems on the traditional side – what you might expect from Hiro, or the Edoko – Tajima-tei – Matsuri trio around Holborn – but marked out by the delicacy of the cuts of fish and their presentation. Before setting up on his own, Shiori’s chef first came to London to work at Mayfair’s Umu, and it’s in the kaiseki-like flair of the way he sets up his plates – the placing of a daikon-curl just here, a spray of spring onion just there – that his training shows. (Though in our opinion, the omakase at Shiori far exceeds what you get in the sushi and sashimi courses at Umu!) This attention to detail might mean that with a full house orders can take a little while to arrive, although thanks to the intimacy of the restaurant and attentive service, you know you’ve never been forgotten. The little, inventive touches, like a creamy scallop touched with black truffle, or a slice of octopus brought to life with a fragrant homemade shiso-leaf pesto, show that something interesting is happening here, which you won’t have encountered elsewhere. That’s not to say that it’s full-blown fusion, as at Dinings say, but rather an entirely Japanese palate and aesthetic, with hints of modernity. Because of its size, Shiori does a healthy take-out trade (if you call in advance, you can pick up your order already made-up) and we envy those working nearby who could pop in for a quick sashimi salad at lunch.

Over the last few months – it’s still relatively new – we’ve tried a range of the set sushi plates, but what keeps us coming back week after week is the outstanding omakase option, where you name a price from £30 a head and let the chef do his thing. (I think they prefer if you let them know when you call to reserve if you might want omakase.) His combinations will vary slightly each time and according to the seasons. So in winter you might expect a warming egg and mushroom stew (chawanmushi) in place of the regular miso soup, and in the summer months the nigiri start to include refreshing and flavoursome vegetables (bamboo shoot, grilled aubergine topped with bonito) in among the expected yet ever-varying selection of fish. In spring the lovely proprietress has bunches of the first cherryblossom FedExed over from Japan, so a pink bloom will appear, salted, atop a seabass nigiri, or as the killer ingredient in one of their homemade sorbets.

Certain things stand out: the rich sea urchin folded in a creamy scallop, an appetizer of translucent squid tartare laced with green chilli, the huge and succulent spot prawns, the razor-thin slices of sashimi (usu zukuri) laid out in a fan, all made from ingredients sourced with loving care. Of this last, try both the glisteningly tasty salmon and the edge-seared tuna, which are lent a ceviche-like inflection by the tangy citrus in the ponzu dipping sauce. We rarely leave without a scoop of one of the homemade ice creams, topped by a sesame and sunflower crisp. If the cherryblossom sorbet is out of season, don’t miss the sweet pumpkin, or the most recent addition to the menu, a black sesame ice cream of charcoal-like intensity, that quickly became our favourite. Don’t expect the instant trendy ambience or expensive interiors of a Roka or Sake No Hana, but for a quiet meal with a couple of friends, in our experience you won’t find better sushi in London (and incidentally at such reasonable prices).
Comment on this reader review

Sarah - View all reviews by this user
9 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 9
Tuesday, July 06, 2010

Sushi here is as good as it gets in London...
Comment on this reader review

8 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 8
Tuesday, March 23, 2010

I have been to Sushi of Shiori several times as it is close to Euston station and it's good!

The sushi is freshly prepared in front of you. I can not fault the ingredients or the presentation. It is certainly up amongst the very best sushi restaurants in London.

The menu changes slowly, just enough that you can go back regularly and eat something new, which I do. Originally it wasn't licensed, but now it is. It has a selection of sakes, which is what I prefer to drink with sushi.

It costs about the same as the other good sushi restaurants, so it's not cheap, but it's not expensive. With sushi, I guess good fresh ingredients are just not cheap.
Comment on this reader review

8 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 8
Monday, January 25, 2010

Pretty and cosy. Not a place for the hungry. Tasty but overpriced. I had a large sashimi and rice and left the place hungry. The owners have forgotten that we are not in Mayfair (supported by expense accounts) this is cheap Drummond Street. Sorry but won't be going back.

Food is no better or worse than many other cheaper places
Comment on this reader review

john
3 Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 5 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 0
Wednesday, November 25, 2009

I've only been to Sushi of Shiori for takeway, twice. Really delicious sushi and sashimi. I recommend it without reservation. A little corner of Japan near Euston.
Comment on this reader review

8 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 8
Monday, November 16, 2009