salmon sashimi and roe don (bowl) at Ten Ten Tei in Soho
For a couple of weeks, Jon had been telling me we should go to Ten Ten Tei. He works near Covent Garden and apparently Ten Ten Tei has become a lunch fave of his. By way of background, I should explain that Jon isn’t the world’s biggest fan of sushi, mostly because he often feels hungry soon afterwards. But lingering post-meal hunger isn’t an issue at Ten Ten Tei, which offers a lot of food for the money.
Take, for example, my order of the “tempura set dinner,” which at £19 was easily one of the most expensive items on the menu. The prawn tempura was pretty tasty – sweet prawn; crispy, greaseless panko-crusted exterior. The veg tempura, a lot less impressive, with a somewhat-soggy flour batter-based crust. But check out all the food that accompanied my tempura:
tuna and salmon sashimi
A bowl of tuna and salmon sashimi, which tasted firm and fresh, and while not the silkiest, most flavorful sashimi I’ve ever had, it was better than what I get for lunch at Itsu by a mile.
agedashi tofu
Agedashi tofu. Another accompaniment to my tempura dinner. Crispy outside; creamy, soft inside. Satisfying stuff.
chicken teriyaki
Chicken teriyaki. Also came with my tempura dinner. Moist, dark meat with a light, simple teriyaki sauce (no gloppy, over-sugary grossness in sight, thank goodness). Oh, and I can’t forget the miso soup. Also part of my set dinner.
Really, Jon could’ve shared just my dinner alone, but instead, Jon ordered himself two main courses: first, a salmon-sashimi-and-roe bowl for £10 (pictured at top). Simple, fresh and satsifying. I hadn’t eaten so much salmon roe since our trip to Russia last year, and I’d missed the way the roe bursts in your mouth with saltiness and creaminess. How great to have a bowl of the stuff.
And then Jon also ordered himself a prawn tempura udon soup, which was, of course, enormous. And at just £6, a meal itself.
Ten Ten Tei isn’t the best sushi of your life, but I think it ranks up there for the title of “best value sushi” of your life. Our tab for a ton of food and a few beers came to £20 a person. We could easily have left with an even more modest bill if we hadn’t over-ordered.
Everything we tried at Ten Ten Tei tasted fresh; the service was helpful; and holy cow, the portions were generous. If you find yourself in Soho looking for good-value sushi, this is the place for you.
Ten Ten Tei, 56 Brewer Street, W1R 3PJ; 020 7287 1738; closest tube station: Piccadilly Circus
Love this place – their lunches are very good value too. Not the best Japanese ever but still very good!
Ten Ten Tei is a favourite of mine too. Their sashimi sets are great and while it doesn’t quite rank with places like Sushi Hiro, it is definitely the best in that price bracket in the area.
Sounds good – although not hard to beat Itsu in the sushi stakes (I know this as a regular Itsu lunch eater – just so convenient). Have you been to Pham Sushi? Not the same quantity but great value for high quality.
Haven’t ventured back to Ten Ten Tei since I was a regular in the early 90s! There weren’t that many choices in terms of Japanese restaurants, even on Brewer Street and TTT was one of the earlier ones to open. When the Japan Centre was on Brewer Street, its tiny basement restaurant was the place to hang out in.
Su-Lin and Lizzie – I can completely understand why TTT would be a favorite. I wish I worked in Soho so I could appreciate the joys of eating there for lunch!
Gourmet Chick – ahh, poor Itsu. I’m with you, but they’re just too easy a target. : ) I think they do a fine job, mostly bc turnover is so quick the stuff stays fresh. But it’s pricey for that level of flavorlessness. I haven’t been to Pham but have heard it mentioned before. I’ll have to try it out.
HYLP – Glad to bring back the memories. Isn’t it amazing how the London restaurant scene grows? I was at Keelung the other night and talking about how when I first moved to London (four years ago), xiao long bao were thin on the ground. And now – thank goodness – it’s become a lot easier to find good ones. If only the same would happen with banh mi . . . .
Oh how I wish I worked in central London. I can only dream on sushi lunches down here in Camberwell
Helen, having spent over three years working Canary Wharf, I think I know what you mean about lunch wastelands. But since you just ate an amazing-sounding meal at Sushi Hiro, I don’t feel *too* bad for you. lol.
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