Whisper it ... the best sushi in London is now to be found
in a little alleyway in Clerkenwell, Islington. No wait, hang on, there’s not much
point whispering it, given the volume of food blogging traffic that has already
been devoted to Sushi Tetsu, and the fact that every day sees a new critic from
a national newspaper visit. Jay Rayner’s gushing review in the Observer may be
the final nail in the coffin for anyone wanting a reservation, for the moment
at least. But if you live or work locally, you can probably afford to wait for
the phone traffic to die down a bit. 
Every now and then, maybe once a year or so, I come across a
food experience that is genuinely new. The cocktail that evaporates in your
mouth at the Fat Duck, or the first time eating a real Thai curry in Thailand. Going
back a bit further, the first time I ate the signature St John dish, roast bone
marrow with parsley salad. Maybe I’m betraying a little inexperience of a
proper no-nonsense, high-quality sushi joint, but I’ve never eaten anywhere
quite like this, and had the same combination of excellent food and relaxed,
otherworldly atmosphere. 
It's not that I haven't eaten the foods I was given in Sushi
Tetsu before. Just not this good, and not in this way. Many hardcore foodies have already blogged or reviewed Sushi
Testu and are better qualified than me to comment on whether it is "the
best sushi in London", in the words of the 'scary' Masterchef critic Andy Hayler, who was sitting in one of the seven seats on our visit (and who turned
out to be a very nice man, who didn't tap his watch once). All I can say is, it’s
the best sashimi and sushi I’ve ever eaten.
So it’s very hard to do anything other than add to the
chorus of praise that has been heaped on Sushi Tetsu. It certainly ain’t cheap,
but if you can afford it, then believe the hype. (Expect to pay at least £50 a
head, more like £100 if you get stuck into the sake.) Sushi Tetsu is one of
those places that is both expensive and good value. You will need a whole
afternoon, or a whole evening, and my advice is to ask for ‘omakase’ or chef’s
choice, forget the bill, relax and enjoy.
While the cooking and the food have many things in common
with haute cuisine - very high quality ingredients, perfectionism in preparation,
technique and execution, beautiful presentation, the sense of someone wanting
to do something as well as it can be done, for it's own sake – the warm welcome
and the relaxed atmosphere created by chef Toru Takahashi and his wife and
front-of-house make this something altogether more comfortable and convivial.
We ended up chatting animatedly with the chef and the other diners in the seven
seats around the bar. 
I can only hope that the charming and humble owners do not
get cheesed off with all the attention and hype. Chef Toru is an alumni of Nobu
amongst other places, and is aiming for an authentic back-to-basics approach
with his new venture. (There is only sushi and sashimi served, with the
emphasis on ingredients, the main modern touch being created by a trusty
blowtorch which is occasionally used to lend a smoky flavour to a raw prawn or
scallop.) He seems bemused and slightly alarmed by the level of attention he is
getting. If they stay, I can see Sushi Tetsu taking a place alongside St John
and Moro in the Pantheon of great London restaurants based in the Clerkenwell
area. Like those places, it’s the passion for what they are doing, rather than
commercial considerations, that comes across most strongly. Whatever happens,
Sushi Tetsu is a wonderful addition to the area, and to London.
Sushi Tetsu
12 Jerusalem Passage
London EC1V 4JP
020 3217 0090
http://sushitetsu.co.uk
