Suzu

Cheerful Japanese in west London

Founded by Makiko Sano who wanted to share her passion for Japanese cuisine, Suzu is a small restaurant serving traditional Japanese food located in Hammersmith. The word ‘suzu’ means ‘long and healthy life’ which more or less matched the style of Japanese cuisine as it heavily focused on seafood and fresh ingredients. Here in Suzu it serves sushi and sashimi as well as good numbers of hot items and small plates which are ideal for sharing.

Suzu

We started off with a classic street snack takoyaki, wheat flour based batter with diced octopus and spring onion, the octopus and onion had enough flavour on its own and I wasn't sure with the takoyaki sauces on top, far too thick and sweet which complety dominated the soft and delicate taste of the octopus.

takoyaki

prawn tempura

chicken skewers

Prawn heaven, hand rolls of king prawn tempura was very solid, the prawn was freshly fried with the cucumber and avocado working wonders with its neutral sweetness and freshness to bring out the nutty aroma from the sesame seed, a lovely combination of texture and taste.

Prawn heaven

Kaisen don, Vinegared rice with fresh Sashimi: tuna, salmon, 
sea bream, eel, prawn, scallops, crab leg and salmon roe

Organic pork Katsu curry was one of the nicest versions I've had in the UK, the pork was beautifully deep fried and the meat itself was moist and tender, the Japanese Curry itself was a well blended, nice mixture of fruity and spicy flavours which matched the pork perfectly. Black cod with miso was the stand out dish of the evening, seasoning was spot on, the fish itself was smooth and silky and it wasn't much different to the version I had from the world famous Nobu at Park Lane.

Pork Katsu curry

Black cod with miso

Overall it was a pretty decent dinner at Suzu, while the sushi wasn't as exquisite as the likes of  Sushi Tetsu or The Shiori, it was great value for money for the price it commanded, the only downside is, like a lot of Asian restaurants in London, service can be a little weak as our waiter wasn't too familiar with the menu and struggled with some of our questions. Bear in mind they also do take away and delivery which make this place an excellent choice for a quick working lunch.

Food 5.5
Service 4
Ambience 4
Value 7

£21 per head with tea

170-172 Hammersmith Rd, City of London W6 7JP

http://www.suzuonline.co.uk/