Yo Sushi, Selfridges

W1A 1AB

London

400 Oxford Street

Selfridges

Just when all anyone can do is bang on about the credit crunch, Yo Sushi have launched a luxury range of sushi bites. Exclusively available at Selfridges, these superior morsels will set you back by a quite affordable £6.00 each. Needless to say, the ingredients for these indulgent mouthfuls are luxurious ones: lobster, sea urchin and scallops have all made it onto the new menu and we perched ourselves at the conveyer belt to try them all out.

Set in one corner of Selfridges food hall, Yo Sushi is a predictably busy affair. Amidst all the clatter and chatter, we ordered Uni Gunkan (sea urchin and wasabi gunkan), Hotate & Tobiko Temaki (diced scallops, orange tobiko, cucumber & shiso leaf hand roll), and Unagi Yakitori (grilled eel skewers with a sweet yakitori sauce). The beauty of Yo Sushi of course, is that you can help yourself (or in the case of the luxury menu, order when you wish) and there’s no need for eyes-bigger-than-belly syndrome to kick in.

The grilled eel was a tasty, tasty bite, smoked and sweet and tender, but the scallop hand roll could have delivered a little more in terms of flavour. We supped our beer, and then investigated the sea urchin. Not the most beautiful of sea creatures in its flesh form, the Uni Gunkan did look…well, weird. I always endeavour to try bizarre foods at least once, and I did try this, but it’s an acquired taste let’s put it that way. Perhaps I will try it again when I’m ninety and I can’t remember what it tasted like first time around.

Things got better though as we ordered and devoured the very delicate Izumida & Shiso Tempura. The  tilapia and shiso leaf tempura came with an addictive bowl of ponzu dipping sauce. The salmon tartare was also a winning dish with its trout rose and coriander dressing. The Hotate Kushi Age was something we could have spent all night eating – the crispy breaded scallops with wasabi mayo were too good for our waistlines to stand a chance. With a few pits stops, and sips of green tea in between, we worked our way through most of the luxury menu. If you fancy a moment of indulgence when all around you is doom and gloom, this menu from Yo Sushi makes for something special and affordable. If there’s one good thing to come out of the credit crunch, it’s the restaurant trade’s realisation that good deals on eating out are a priority. Make the most of this one.

Yo Sushi: Selfridges, 400 Oxford Street, London, W1A 1AB. Tel: 020 7318 3944. http://www.yosushi.com.

Reviewer: Helenka Bednar