Sushi summer in the city

Sushi is on the menu this summer as two new restaurants open in London.

Yo! Sushi has secured a prime site by the Royal Festival Hall, while new venture Sushi Ga Ga brings a Japanese touch to the heart of Chinatown.

The Sushi Ga Ga restaurant on Lisle St offers two floors of clean, bright Japanese minimalism, complete with traditional tatami seating. The menu promises top quality, fresh, sustainably sourced ingredients prepared to order by highly-trained sushi chefs.

While standard favourites such as spicy tuna or salmon and avocado hand rolls start at £2.50, the Ga Ga specials include some more original options such as wafer-thin seared sirloin beef wrapped in golden mushroom or, for weight watchers, a wide selection of fresh seaweed salads.

Meanwhile the latest addition to the Yo! Sushi chain – its 51st UK site and 22nd in London – opens on 12 August. Featuring a Thames-side terrace complete with the chain’s first ever outdoor sushi conveyor belt, the new venue is ideally located to take advantage of the area’s high footfall.

Each year 20 million people visit the Southbank Centre where the restaurant is located.

Robin Rowland, chief executive of Yo! Sushi, said: “Incorporating such a quirky and strong brand as Yo! Sushi into a listed building was definitely a challenge, but the finished result is both considerate and striking, and gives visitors a distinct choice from the other eating and drinking options available.”

Gabriel Savage, 27.07.2010