93 Charlotte Street,
Fitzrovia,
London,
W1T 4PY
(020) 7637 0050
The ViewLondon Review
Sophisticated and friendly, Tsunami’s latest branch in Fitzrovia is a must for fans of sushi and Japanese food.
The Venue
The original Tsunami is still going strong in Clapham, and thanks to their success they’ve opened up a location on Charlotte Street, the Fitzrovia street that’s famous for its selection of restaurants. This venue is small but perfectly formed: a long, narrow room with comfortable bench seating across the walls and curvy, swivelling, egg-shaped seats opposite. The walls are decorated with sweeping blossoms which give everything a sophisticated, elegant feel, and purple candleholders and high square vases filled with orange flowers add splashes of colour to the tables.
The Atmosphere
Despite the stiff local competition the restaurant fills up steadily as the evening goes on with couples and small groups, although if you show up for an early dinner early on in the week you might be on your own for a half hour or so. Some of the staff have been brought over from the Clapham restaurant; they know their stuff and are more than willing to give spot-on recommendations of dishes to try.
The Food
Japanese food is known for simple dishes with clean flavours and whilst Tsunami has all the classics on the menu, they raise the bar with an impressive selection of inventive, creative dishes. From the starters, sea bass momiji (£8.50) is unique to this location. Thinly sliced sea bass carpaccio marinated in a lightly spiced vinaigrette is laid out, fan-shaped, on the plate. Each piece of sea bass is topped with a little coriander leaf; on top of each of these is momiji oroshi, a Japanese condiment made of ground red chillies and grated daikon radish. It seems fiddly, but once you try it the blend of flavours works well together, with the spices highlighting the fresh flavours of the fish. Agedashi tofu (£4.95) is the ideal consistency, with three solid but slightly quivery blocks of tofu topped with wisps of savoury Bonito fish flakes, resting in a shallow bowl of lightly salty dashi dressing.
There are several tempura options, including three pieces of shrimp tempura for £4.90, which are well cooked and succulent, with a light, crisp batter. Char grilled lamb (£14.90) is another more inventive dish that seems too complicated to work, but does. Small pieces of tender, pink lamb are piled on top of an earthy pile of mixed mushrooms, and the entire mound is coated in a creamy pepper sauce, made pale green thanks to a large dose of wasabi. From the sushi menu options include maki rolls and hand rolls as well as single pieces of nigiri and triple pieces of sashimi, on top of a selection of about eight special rolls. The soft shell crab roll (£9.50) is recommended by the staff and is impressive by sight alone, with glazed and fried crab legs dangling out the end pieces. Each piece is wrapped in a sliver of cucumber which lightens up the otherwise heavy crab, rice and avocado combo. A Tsunami special roll for £9.90 is packed with as much seafood as humanly possible: tuna, snow crab, salmon, white fish and shrimp, plus avocado. Instead of being overwhelming, however, each piece of sushi is perfectly formed so that you can taste all the different types of fish.
Desserts have the same theme, with several traditional Japanese puddings plus British ones with a slight twist. The chocolate fondant is the ideal size as it’s on the small side so you can appreciate the dense chocolate taste. The homemade green tea ice cream that accompanies it is just bitter enough whilst still being sweet. A trio of homemade ice creams include a slightly grainy and intensely sweet lychee as well as vanilla and sesame, which is the highlight of the three thanks to its simple but rich flavour.
The Drink
There’s a full wine list featuring mostly French choices, with bottles starting from £16.90. Nine types of sake are served as well, starting at £7.90 from 250ml. Besides the wine and sake, there’s a large cocktail list here with prices starting at about £8.50. The apple martini has been added to the menu after its success as a special at the Clapham location, and you can see why. It’s well blended, an uplifting mix of sweet and tangy tastes and decorated with a thin slice of green apple on the side. The Very Berry Mojito is another popular choice, with loads of crushed ice and a smattering of fresh raspberries mixed through a tart, slightly minty vodka cocktail. The Sake-Tini, available with gin or vodka, is made well too, crisp, light and gingery, with a bit of an edge thanks to a wedge of cucumber that rests against the side of the drink.
The Last Word
Whether you want to try traditional Japanese food or expand a bit with more creative dishes, Tsunami fits the bill.
Tsunami has been reviewed by 4 users