Sushi Murasaki
Address: 12 Lauderdale Rd, London W9 1LU
Nearest Tube: Warwick Avenue or Kilburn Park
Buzz Factor 4/5 stars
Food 4/5 stars
Value for money 4.2/5 stars
4.1 Yummy Stars
Price for dinner: starters and salads: £4-£13; sushi/sashimi; sushi sets (£16.50-£45.50) and rolls (from £4.50 to £19); from the grill: (£18.50-£29) and lunch sets £12.50-£27+ (at time of writing)
Eat-in or Take-away/Deliveroo
Sushi, sashimi and maki rolls and Miso Black Cod at Sushi Marasaki, Maida Vale, London
Popularity of Japanese cuisine has led to a myriad of Japanese restaurants mushrooming all over London. They range from eateries offering tasteless rubber-like “sushi” to high-end establishments with the finest omakase selected by the sushi chef. I am always on the lookout for a decent Japanese restaurant that is not going to break the bank.
Sushi Marasaki sits in a tree-lined street in posh sophisticated Maida Vale with covered outdoor seating (pretending to be somewhere sunny in the Mediterranean). Despite the moneyed location, the price point of the menu looked promising. I declined their offer of a table outside on a cold winter’s evening, as I did not fancy testing how effective their outdoor heating was.
The décor was imbued with a sense of calm and serenity with which one associates with Japanese culture. Dark wooden tables and tangerine- and dark chocolate-coloured upholstered chairs occupied the small restaurant, paired with a sushi counter near the entrance. Attractive grooved wood paneling adorned the walls, with a tiny wooden Japanese screen (looking like a noughts and crosses board) separating the entrance door from the restaurant.
The menu comprised of sushi/sashimi and an extensive list of rolls, cold and hot starters, something from the grill and udon. Like a kid in a toyshop, I managed to over-order and we gorged on a mélange of classic sushi, sashimi and rolls. They were all served simply with no fancy sauce or topping. They were most pleasant. Just what I wanted. The canary-yellow uni (sea urchin) gunkan was fresh, creamy and superb with a hint of minerality. If you like heat, the Spicy Tuna roll had an unusually real kick to it.
The cooked dishes were equally beguiling. The Black Cod with Miso (so celebrated since its creation by Nobu) was gorgeously tender, yielding at the touch of a spoon, and with a pronounced Miso flavour. Other plates such as Agedashi Tofu, lightly coated in flour and served in a gentle dashi sauce, Nasu Dengaku (roasted aubergine doused in a sweet and salty Miso) and grilled asparagus were all well cooked and seasoned.
The non-Japanese staff was courteous and responsive when we asked for individual menus. I am not sure why they gave us menus to share initially, as the restaurant was not full. As the evening progressed, the place picked up a pace with a full suite of punters, seemingly enjoying themselves.
With its reasonably priced offerings of a whole raft of good quality sushi, sashimi and rolls as well as cooked food (with Black Cod at £28), it would be an ideal venue to pop into for a casual night out or if you don’t feel like cooking. I eagerly returned to try one of their wide-ranging lunch sets (ranging from £12.50 - £27). The Sashimi lunch set came with rice, prefaced by a miso soup and a small salad. Mwah, palate and tummy satiated.
15 February 2023
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