I went to check out the chic new Sticks ‘n’ Sushi in the brand new Canary Wharf development at Cross Rail Place. So new and shiny! Owwwwwww.
On first impressions, it looked like I was walking into a chic monochrome restaurant with a big black desk at the entrance and lots of sharp lines everywhere. Then I noticed lots of soft floaty fabric draped from ceiling to floor, giving it that glamorous feel. But wait! Finally, I glanced up to the ceiling and saw bare silver pipes and big, softly lit industrial sized lights. How very interesting! Urban, modern and swanky all in one! I liked it!
The waiters and host were ever so friendly. As this restaurant has only just opened you could sense a buzz of excitement in the air.
We picked our starters which consisted of Ebi Bites which are Tempura Shrimp. This tempura was quite different to others I’ve had, it was like it was covered in rice crispies, it was really light and super crunchy. I’m not sure if I prefer it to other kinds but it was really lovely. We also had Hotate Kataifi Bites: Scallop in Katafi with Miso aioli. These were rich and creamy with a basket on hair-like pastry wrapped around the scallop; it’s a good job I have a big mouth to eat these meaty little treats. After trying two seafood starters I sampled the Yakiniku: Rib-eye beef with Japanese BBQ marinade, on the menu the pictures look small but in reality the portion sizes are bigger than expected, so it was quite a large starter.
Next was our main course. It was MASSIVE!! At first they bring you a fish feast which you gorge yourself on and you think that’s the main over with whilst you pat your bloated belly; then comes the second part of the main which is the meat. By this point, you’ve completely forgotten that there was a whole load of meat missing from the first platter. Errrr not gonna lie, I over did it that night.
We ordered the Upgrade, they say it’s for two……
This was round 1 “ding ding,” an assortment of Sushi. It was quite interesting as some of the combinations felt like Eastern cuisine meets the West, including things like smoked salmon and cream cheese or avocado and lettuce. The dips that came with this platter were spicy and rich. As the rice kept falling apart we decided to forgo the chop sticks and get stuck in with our hands. Now I must say this isn’t the most tasty sushi I’ve ever had, but it really had the wow factor; if I was taking someone on a date and I ordered this they would feel really special. Also for the price you can’t complain. It was still really lovely, I would definitely order this again.
Round 2 “ding ding”.
This selection of beef chicken and tuna are all wrapped in delicious flavours. The only one I didn’t like was the one in the middle which is a Tsukune chicken meatball, the sauce was delicious but the actual meat had an almost fatty taste to it. The combinations of the flavours otherwise were delicious.
And finally, this wouldn’t be the most well rounded review if I didn’t at least attempt a pudding.
This was a very different kind of sorbet. It’s called a Yuzu Sorbet. This was a great choice after all that food, it’s a citric flavour with some kind of sweet dust underneath and green jelly like balls on top, maybe that sounds weird. It wasn’t it, was really lovely.
I really enjoyed my experience, the waiters and bar staff are so friendly and helpful, the atmosphere has an uplifting buzz to it without being loud. This is a great place to come and share food with friends for sure. What I think is if I was going on a date and I wanted to woo, I would bring them here not order a starter and simply opt for the Upgrade. When it arrives I would watch my partners face light up at the sheer appearance of it. It is a feast for the eyes and the belly. You will walk away nicely full and having impressed your lovely date. Like I previously mentioned this isn’t the best tasting sushi restaurant nor is this some low end standard, but for the price, the service and presentation it is excellent.
1 Crossrail Place
London E14 5AR
Phone 020 3141 8230
Breakfast: 7am – 10am [Monday – Friday]
Restaurant & kitchen: Monday – Saturday: 11.30am – 11pm, Sunday: 12 noon – 10pm
Twitter: @sticksnsushi_UK
Website: www.sticksnsushi.com/restaurants/canary_wharf.html