London's Dining Couple Sasa Sushi Review

To start with, I’m going to declare that I love Sasa Sushi, I love everything about it, especially the food and the family that run it. But, I promise I’ll be objective ☺

I was introduced to Sasa Sushi by a friend, to whom I’ll always be grateful, during the burgeoning stage of my love affair with sushi. I was just a sushi novice then (now I just might be an addict), although I had been to countless sushi restaurants in the few months prior (yeah, seems I was an addict then too 😂), but soon as I tasted the Crunchy Tuna Maki Roll, which was specially recommended, I fell in love and I’ve now been to Sasa Sushi almost 50 times (not an exaggeration), including taking a fair amount of friends for my birthday dinner, twice.

Sasa Sushi is a family run Japanese restaurant in Angel, about two minutes walk from the station. The décor is simple and cosy, with a sushi bar, which used to be my spot decades ago when I was single 😆, right by the entrance. The staff, it feels odd calling them staff, the family who run the restaurant are awesome, all of them. They are so friendly, and I’m always really happy being in there. Oh, yeah, their service is prompt and courteous (stay objective, buddy, stay objective lol).

The menu is as expected for a Japanese restaurant, with all the staples such as Nigiri, Sashimi, Sushi Roll (cut), Temaki, and Tempura. They also have a diverse array of starters and a la carte main dishes. I always go straight for the sashimi and the sushi roll.

Review of the Food

Sashimi

Usually, it’s either the Salmon sashimi, which to be fair is inherently delicious; or the Toro (fatty tuna) Jalapeno or the Yellowtail Jalapeno from the sashimi sets, which are just as delicious. I’ve had pretty much every dish from the sashimi sets, and I have to pick the Octopus Tiradito for special mention.

Last time I was there though, I had a salmon Jalapeno, which isn’t on the menu, but was suggested to me by Kim (dude, be professional! 😂) the head waitress, and I shan’t be getting any other sashimi because the salmon jalapeño was greeeaaaat! (Tony the Tiger voice lol).

Maki Rolls

Then comes the Maki Rolls, which is where Sasa Sushi rises above the rest in my estimation. The Crunchy Tuna Roll, with salmon and avocado (amongst other things) inside and seared tuna on top, and The Jumbo Roll, with prawn tempura and crabstick (amongst other things) inside and salmon and barbeque sauce on top, are the best Maki Rolls I’ve ever had, and I’ve had lots and lots of Maki rolls.

The Dragon Eye Roll, tuna inside and topped with fresh water Eel and avocado, is not far behind, and depending on my appetite, I mostly order it along with the Crunchy Tuna and Jumbo Roll. I’ve tried almost every Maki roll on the menu, and they are all good, although some are unmemorable. I’ve never tried a Temaki (hand cut) roll, because I’m not really keen on those.

Tempura

I occasionally eat Tempura dishes, when Shiima (more on her choices to come) orders the vegetable tempura, or I order the Tori Karage, which is fried chicken, and I certainly enjoy both, although I always grumble when Shiima orders the vegetable tempura, as I don’t need vegetables taking up space in my belly, I need all the space for sushi! lol.

In regards to the a la carte portion of the menu, my eyes and desire is only for the Black Cod. Sasa Sushi’s Black Cod rates highly on my Black Cod challenge (a blog dedicated to black cod will be coming up soon 🙂); it’s a substantial size, a tad crunchy on the surface and tender and flaky on the inside, and the miso marinade isn’t overpowering.

Shiima tried Sushi!

Now for Shiima 😊 From the moment we met, she made clear to me that she didn’t eat fish; and this led to everyone who knew me and my addiction to fish proclaiming that we won’t last, but early on in the relationship, she asked that we go to my favourite sushi place, so she could try sushi. I ordered the prawn tempura roll (because the prawn is cooked), crunchy tuna roll, and Dragon Eye Roll. She made an effort, ate one of each, but couldn’t go on after the Eel on the Dragon Eye roll 😆, but it was really sweet, and from that moment, I knew she was a keeper.

Shiima’s order

Anyway, enough of the sappiness! Lol. Shiima has the same order, all the time, give or take a dish or two depending on how hungry she is – Chicken Yakitori, which are teriyaki glazed chicken skewers; Vegetarian Gyoza; Vegetarian Spring Rolls; Vegetable Tempura; Chicken Teriyaki, a la carte; and steamed rice.

As might have become apparent, I always have a bit of all Shiima’s dishes, and I really enjoy the yakitori and the chicken teriyaki, and, luckily for me, Shiima thinks the chicken teriyaki is the best she’s ever had, so we are both excited to go back to Sasa Sushi over and over. She also really enjoys the Vegetable spring rolls. I’ve had most of the menu, especially because on my birthday dinners, my friends tend to order the entire menu, and for non-sushi addicts, they really enjoy every dish.

Verdict

To conclude, Sasa Sushi is an excellent family run restaurant with fantastic food, especially the sushi, and it’s ideal for a date, large group dinners, single person dinners by the sushi bar, and takeaways. It’s modestly priced; we (I) eat a lot here, and the bill is usually between £60-£80, but again, don’t forget, we don’t drink alcohol, and rarely if ever, eat desserts at Sasa Sushi.

Dress Code: Casual
Cuisine: Japanese
Amen’s Star Dish: Crunchy Tuna Roll/ Jumbo Roll
Shiima’s Star Dish: Chicken Teriyaki (A La Carte)
Price: £25 to £30
Rating: 5 out of 5