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Saturday 15 October 2011

London Restaurant Reviews – Feng Sushi (Borough Market)


I became one of Silla Bjerrum’s fans earlier this year when I attended a sushi master class and was lucky enough to meet her (reviewed here). I had a fascinating time as the founder of Feng Sushi showed us how to cut through fillet after fillet of different types of fish and roll the most delectable sushi.


It was also an opportunity to learn about her commitment to purchase fish from sustainable sources whenever possible, and her continuous efforts to maintain the quality standards she set out throughout the 6 branches of her restaurant chain. There are no crabsticks in sight at Feng Sushi as these are banned, Silla opts for real crab meat instead as well as line-caught , mackerel, sustainable salmon and hand-dived scallops.


I recently returned to Feng Sushi's Borough Market branch, her first which opened in the late 90s. The restaurant is rather small but is also light and airy with a very casual, canteen feel about it - light wooden tables that can be shared among diners, white and purple walls (Feng Sushi's colour), fish tanks and paper mats. Functional and a little austere, I felt the decor and seating were not conducive to a leisurely repast.


We ordered the "Borough Deluxe Sashimi to Share" @ £19.25 which contained a selection of seared tuna and salmon, hand dived scallops, yellowtail with chilli jam, and sea bass with salmon eggs. We felt that the fish tasted fresh and were very beautifully presented although we also agreed that little was gained by searing the sashimi tuna and salmon.


Feng Sushi's signature dish "Scallop Maki to Dive for" @ £7.25 was as delicious as I remember it - the rice was perfectly seasoned, and had a delicate but still firm texture. The scallops were meltingly tender and looked very attractive topped with the micro purple shiso leaves.


Next was the "Fish Tempura" @ £10 containing MSC hake (MSC = sustainable and certified) with 8 pieces of seasonal vegetables, onigiri sushi and dipping sauce. I was disappointed with this dish as I felt the batter was too thick and not as crisp as it should have been. Tempura is the one of the simplest of Japanese dishes but also one of the hardest to get right, and the chef on duty that day certainly didn't.


To round off our lunch we also had a selection of 14 nigiri and gunkan-maki (battleship) sushi, priced from £3.25 (Tamago - Japanese Omelette) to £7.95 (Ikura - Salmon Eggs) per pair. These were all competently made - the sushi rice was well cooked and seasoned, topped with excellent quality, ultra-fresh fish. Particularly good was the ama-ebi nigiri (sweet prawn) @ £5 and the ikura gunkan maki (salmon egg battleship) @ £7.95.


As a lunch-time treat, Dr G and I had a couple of cocktails - a deliciously fruity and reasonably strong Lychee Martini @ £6.25 and a refreshing Shochu Lemon Drop @ £5.75 to accompany our selection of sushi.


Cost: The London Foodie was a guest of Feng Sushi. I estimate that our meal cost approximately £30 per person excluding drinks.

Likes: excellent quality sushi and sashimi fish, commitment to sustainable fishing, well made and reasonably priced cocktails. Scallop Maki to Dive For is a winner.

Dislikes: wine menu feels like an after-thought - uninteresting and limited, tempura batter was disappointing, decor, tables and chairs feel austere and uninviting.

Verdict: Feng Sushi offers reliably fresh, excellent quality fish, ethically and sustainably sourced at reasonable prices. The six central locations across London make it a solid choice for affordable Japanese sushi and sashimi in the capital. Recommended.

9 comments:

  1. Oh wow. I love sushi but I've never had anything approaching the.beauty and quality of this! All we have in Cambridge is a Yo Sushi... Next time I'm at Borough market I'm going.

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  2. Superb work making sushi is one art n it tastes amazing as it looks

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  3. Great! This can make anyone to love sushi. Thanks for sharing these tasty delights.Cheers!!

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  4. I don't love Feng Sushi, but as far as Japanese chain restaurants go, it is my favourite by far. Always had decent food there. The scallop maki do look to die for...

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  5. An interesting review..I've never really delved into the values of this place as I look at it as a reliable chain for a satisfying meal. Good to know for future reference!

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  6. Actually I don’t like sushi I can not see that raw fish as a good meal, iu is disgusting and is very expensive my god really for a piece of something raw that amount of money…

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  7. Been to this place and completely underwhelmed. Poor service and the food wasn't that great either. Better places elsewhere for similar prices.
    @Tesco You need to get out a bit more. Raw, fresh (and its the freshness that's important) fish is one of the most sublime tasting experiences available.

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  8. The price has gone up and quality has gone down a lot. The service was random. They put a chopstick in my drink when they served it. What was that about? We ordered sushi and had to asked to plate for putting soy sauce. We ordered salad and had to asked for salad dressing! My tea was as weak as water and cold! I would not go back there again

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  9. The price has gone up and quality has gone down a lot. The service was random. They put a chopstick in my drink when they served it. What was that about? We ordered sushi and had to asked to plate for putting soy sauce. We ordered salad and had to asked for salad dressing! My tea was as weak as water and cold! I would not go back there again

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