All the Japanese favourites we’ve become familiar with in recent years plus a few examples of East-West fusion are decently realised at this smart, modern venue. But is the quality of food and service sufficient to draw the crowds from bustling Muswell Hill Broadway to its out-of-the-way door?

The Venue
As you might expect from a new Japanese restaurant in London, the L-shaped space has glossy black surfaces, cream leather stools and banquettes, deep red walls and a polished wood floor. All is square, nothing is curved: Japanese-lite, in other words. You can eat at a conventional table or sit on a high stool at a counter. There’s a slick bar with a very Italian coffee machine.

The three most important features of a house are its location, location and location, and the same, with certain exceptions, holds true for restaurants. Alas, sushi 101 is doubly disadvantaged in this respect. Firstly, it is situated on a pleasant but silent-as-the-grave residential street, many of the grand Victorian houses of which have been converted into bed-and-breakfasts or small hotels. Muswell Hill Broadway with its Thai, Turkish, Italian, fish and chip, and upmarket burger options is moments away but might as well be on the other side of the world.

Secondly, sushi 101 is within one of the aforementioned hotels, The Raglan. There’s sufficient signage to enable customers to find it, but there remains that psychological barrier of the hotel reception to cross. sushi 101 can surely only work as a dining room for hotel guests (who won’t want nigiri and sashimi every night of their stay), or as a destination restaurant with a reputation for exceptional food, because its chances of attracting passing trade are minimal.

The Atmosphere
A smattering of diners here and there does not a buzz make. At least a trickle of take-away orders provides a little animation. The staff are sweet and willing, disarmingly and correctly warning against over-ordering as “it can be more filling than it looks”. One major improvement which could be made instantly and at no cost would be to replace the jarringly inappropriate middle-of-the-road rock musak. Still, at least the volume is kept low.

The Food
The fairly extensive menu is divided into nigiri, sashimi, maki rolls, hot dishes, tempura and extras. Of all the cuisines for which you want a rapid turnover of diners, one involving large quantities of raw fish must be pretty near the top of the list, but everything sampled is perfectly fresh. A bowl of edamame beans (£2.50) to nibble whilst perusing the menu bodes well, the beans arriving warm and sprinkled with plenty of rock salt. Smoked salmon nigiri (£3.50 for two pieces) is a clever menu inclusion, appealing to those who are scared of raw fish. The slivers of salmon and compressed rice beneath are perfectly fine. Better is scallop nigiri (£5), the scallop meat creamy, silky and delicately flavoured. Both come with the obligatory pickled ginger and wasabi paste.

From the tempura section, stuffed courgette flower with prawns (£5.50) is substantial. Two large, battered, deep-fried flowers arrive, stuffed with plenty of minced prawn, and still attached to their courgettes. Crabmeat and avocado maki rolls (£6) are well made with good crab flavour, though the avocado is just a tad unripe. From the hot dishes section, three yakitori chicken skewers with special sweet soya sauce (£4) are tender, juicy and again of ample proportions with a yummy, sticky sauce.

From a short desert menu which also includes lemongrass creme brulee and chocolate fondant (both £6), mango tempura with green tea ice cream and dark chocolate sauce (£6) works reasonably well: the battered mango pieces could do with some sugar to bring out their flavour but the ice cream is well made and very subtly flavoured, whilst the squiggles of sauce do little more than decorate. Three scoops of ice cream (£4) include the green tea, a well-flavoured coffee and a disappointing brown bread (the waiter’s recommendation) with a gritty texture that catches in the throat, and none of the expected crunchy caramelised nuggets. It’s good to see such a wide selection of flavours: in an age of limitless choice, why do so many places still offer only chocolate, vanilla and strawberry plus maybe one other, if you’re lucky? At sushi 101, there’s also vanilla, ginger, butterscotch crunch, pistachio and cinnamon, plus green apple and elderflower sorbets.

The Drink
The teeny wine list comprises five whites (£15.50-£20.50), five reds (£15.50-£18.95) and a couple of roses. Several are available by the glass, and those who claim Britain’s booze culture is stoked by the introduction of bigger measures will be hearted to see 175ml or 250ml glasses on offer. A La Casarie Pinto Bianco (£3.90/£5.50/£15.50) is agreeably crisp and cold. Asahi, Utahi Black, Kirin and Sapporo beers are all £3.30 for 330ml. There are sakes, one of which is blueberry flavoured, a range of cold soft drinks including fruit juices, all the usual coffee suspects like cappuccino and Americano, plus green tea served either iced and mint-flavoured (£2.50) or hot with honey (£2.10).

The Last Word
Whilst not every item that comes out of the kitchen makes the palate sing, overall standards are high. The question is, are they high enough to build and maintain regular custom through word-of-mouth, for, tucked away within a hotel, and on a residential street that offers no passing trade, that is how sushi 101 will prosper? Let’s hope so, for this enjoyable, stylish addition to the N10 dining scene surely deserves to.

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