Almost a year ago, I read Krista’s rave review of Tomoe sushi and thought “hmm, it’s cheap, fresh, handy when near Oxford Street *and* it’s named Tomoe [just like my fave sushi place in NY].” There was *no question* I was going to rush over.
So. I’ve been to Tomoe five or six times over the past few months, and the thing I liked every time was that it was, in fact, cheap, fresh, and handy when near Oxford Street. No fireworks from the food. But good, honest value: no matter how much I order at Tomoe, my tab always seems to come out around £15.
Well, this evening when I dropped by, Tomoe’s sushi just knocked my socks off. The fish’s freshness was off the charts. I was so impressed! All those other visits I’ve paid were good, but today was great. When I mentioned how especially good the sushi was today, our server looked at me like I was on crack. Maybe they just got a super-good fish delivery today? Maybe the packed house (thanks to a very large party of Japanese men) meant the sushi was made especially a la minute? I wish I could figure out why today was suddenly shoulders-above all my previous visits, because I really couldn’t get enough of the fish.
I started with miso soup, as always, and drinking it down created a spot of warm comfort in these cold, dark nights. It’s good, but the food that followed was without question the highlight.
My friend ordered the chirashi sushi (aka bowl of assorted sushi toppings on rice), and look at the care that went into putting it together. It was so pretty! And £8 for this large bowl of goodness.
Salmon nigiri (£1.70 a piece) was melt-in-your mouth rich. Fresh and light tasting. Beautifully sliced and bedded on still-slightly-warm sushi rice, with an excellent balance of sweet, sour and spicy (from the wasabi). I started with just two pieces and just had to have more and more.
Maki was good as always, but played second fiddle to the raw fish. That said, I’m partial to the shrimp tempura roll (when am I not, honestly?) as well as to the unagi-avocado roll. Most rolls are £5 an order, and three orders is very filling, even if you’re a big eater comme moi.
The bill never arrives itemized, but I always end up with an average tab of £15 for seemingly-endless amounts of sushi and green tea. Service is unfailingly polite and sincere seeming. For example, today, our server apologized in advance when we sat down, because she worried that the crowds of diners this evening would mean the sushi chef would be slower than normal fulfilling our order.
The decor is drab, but endearingly un-slick. Go. Bring friends. And tell me what made today so much better than all my earlier visits.
Tomoe Sushi, 62 Marylebone Lane, W1U 2PB; 0207 486 2004; closest tube stations: Bond Street or Oxford Circus
Good Wednesday evening to you. I’m still thinking about the pizza from your last post 🙂
I’m not a fan of sushi, but your pictures make the food look wonderful ! Glad it was so good this time 🙂
Loving Annie
Thanks for your latest post. Sushi is my absolute favorite food so it’s always good to get a recommendation of a restaurant. When I saw that you were reviewing Tomoe, I was hoping that it was related to that restaurant in NYC that I also love. Anyways, will check it out and let you know what I think.
By the way, my fave sushi restaurant is Bento Cafe in Camden.
Thanks for the rec, there’s a lot of so-so sushi in this city!
One comment on the salmon sushi. Sushi rice should not be warm. If you make it correctly, you should fan it to cool it, all the while sprinkling the vinegar mix on. Mind you, it doesn’t have to be refrigerator cold, either. I just get a bit sad if my sushi comes out on very warm rice. But it sounds like they were pretty busy this evening, so maybe they didn’t have time to let the rice cool.
Sounds perfect! This has also been on my endless restaurant list ever since it was written about on Chowhound. But I still haven’t made it there…
Thanks for the recommendation – I’d seen the name around but never really read up on it. And I’m usually in that area too!
I love love love Tomoe… was really sad when they upped their set menu prices by nearly two pounds. I always used to go for their tuna yamakake set (chunks of melt in your mouth maguro with grated yamaimo and shredded shiso)… yum! Haven’t been back for a while. Have you tried their scallop sushi/sashimi? It’s absolutely divine….
Glad you liked Tomoe! Guess where I’m going tonight? The Regent for pizza! Can’t wait.
Loving Annie: LOL. I’m surprised someone living in CA doesn’t love sushi. ; ) But I’m glad you’re thinking about the Regent’s pizza. It’s such a treat having it in our nbhd.
Shari: I looked up Bento Cafe and it sounds good – we’ll trade thoughts once I’ve been there and you’ve been to Tomoe.
Justarabbit: I agree – there’s def a lot of so-so sushi in London. Thanks for letting me know that warm sushi rice is a no-no. The sushi rice wasn’t very warm at all, but there was a hint of warmth that indicated it had just been made and rushed out (prob bc of the crowds that night, as you say). Above all, I hate cold, hard sushi rice. It means the sushi’s been sitting around too long, and it tastes horrible. So if someone’s going to err on sushi rice temperature, I’d choose slightly warm over slightly cold.
Helen: Yes, you definitely seem to have a very long “must try” restaurant list. But how fun that you ate your way through China recently – I’m very jealous.
Charmaine: No, I haven’t tried their scallop sashimi, but now that I’ve hit such a stellar night for sashimi, I’ll have to expand my repertoire there in hopes of having another one. Thanks for the rec (and enthusiasm for Tomoe)!
Krista: That’s pretty funny. If I were in town, I’d pop over to see if I can guess who you are. I live less than a 3-minute walk away from the Regent, no exaggeration. Have fun!
It’s not a long list at all! It’s just that I never seem to get round to eating at any of them. I keep whittling it down to what I think is a manageable list. It doesn’t help that I’m watching my weight and wallet (and planning the next traveleating trip!)
Oh, good to know! I’ve walked by this place many times, and like you, always think of Tomoe in NY when I see it. I was wondering just yesterday if it’s any good and was searching for reviews. (Also near Oxford Street, by the way, is Atari-ya, which I keep going back to and which always has fantastic sushi, in my opinion. Only a couple of tables for eating in, but it’s worth it.)
NYer: I’ve heard about Atari-Ya, so thanks for reminding me and adding to reasons I need to remember it next time I’m in the ‘hood.
[…] For my sushi fix, though, I’ll stick with cheap-and-cheerful Tomoe. […]
A Japanese friend recommended this restaurant and after reading your review I’m sold. I have eaten sushi in Japan and so far there has not been a decent comparison in London (apart from Sushi Hiro, Ealing Broadway), I guess we don’t get the fish as fresh here. Thanks you.
Phillip – I keep meaning to go to Ealing Broadway because I’ve heard it’s where the Japanese expats go, so thanks for naming Sushi Hiro. Let me know how you like Tomoe.
Hi, I went with a friend to Tomoe on Wednesday and was greeted with an authentic “irreshaimase” which was a good start, we ordered some edamame, a selection of about 10 Nigiri sushi and some sushi maki…later, as we were still a little hungry, we ordered some chicken teriyaki, this was all washed down with a couple of bottles of kirin beer. The food was good but the portions were a little small. We found the bill to be a excessive at £79.00 including service(for that price I could have had 3 meals in Japan), the bill also wasn’t itemised which isn’t a good sign. On the whole I enjoyed Tomoe, just not the cost.
A Japanese friend of mine used to work at Sushi-Hiro, the fish was always very fresh with a good selection to choose from at a reasonable cost. I haven’t been for a couple of years as my friend went back to Japan and it’s across London from where I live but I believe it still gets great reviews. Let me know how you like it.
Thank you so much for the tip – I went for my anniversary last week and loved it!
My review here http://meemalee.blogspot.com/2009/03/restaurant-tomoe-marylebone-japanese.html
meemalee – glad you enjoyed your visit to Tomoe (and that you’re spreading the word on your blog).
[…] which I guess is why making lists can be valuable. Pearl Liang, Hakkasan, Le Cafe Anglais, Tayyabs, Tomoe and the Marquess, for example, were places where my money and time were consistently well spent in […]
I usually don’t listen to peoples’ recommendations about food and restaurant, as, sadly, many people have no idea what good food taste like.
For example, the people who pronounce themselves “sushi connoisseurs”, but when asked where they eat their sushi, they recite: Yo Sushi, Itsu, Feng Sushi… All right, if you say so.
Me and my husband make our sushi ourselves now, after being trained by a top sushi chef and after spending some time in Japan. I can honestly say, hand on heart, that it is 90% better than many of the places we tried in London. For good sushi in London, one needs to pay through the nose, or eat totally mediocre staff. Sushi shouldn’t be neither quick nor cheap, but in London it is usually cheap and dreadful or good but crazily expensive.
On that note, I haven’t eaten at this place, but now I don’t need to. However, if I pass by the shop, I may pop in, for curiosity sake. Last time I ate good sushi I had was in Dinings in Marylebone, quite expensive, but not crazily so.
By the way, if you like a good sausage, next door to Tomoe is the best fresh sausage place in London by far called Biggles. Run by a grumpy chap, but worth popping in, they are delicious.
[…] heard great things about Tomoe, with ace reviews from An American in London amongst other bloggers. And good, fresh fish is something I’ve always taken for granted in […]