mondomulia

I have been a fan of Sticks 'n' Sushi ever since eating in their Wimbledon restaurant with Charlotte Hu back in March 2012, just after they launched in the UK. I never blogged about that first visit, but Charlotte did, so have a look at this review on her food blog!

I went back another time with my husband, as we both really loved the food and service, but unfortunately Wimbledon is too much out of our way to become a regular dinner destination. So I was very excited when Sticks 'n' Sushi invited me to try their new Covent Garden branch. We went there for dinner two weeks ago and had a fantastic experience!

The space itself is impressive: on the outside it fits perfectly in the neighbourhood as they retained the original 19th century window façade; the Victorian front creates a nice contrast with the sleek and modern interior.

The attention to detail at Sticks 'n' Sushi is paramount and it doesn't only apply to the food preparation and presentation of the dishes, but also the ambiance, the menus and the service. Restaurant menus with photos are never easy to pull off and often associated with cheap eats, but Sticks 'n' Sushi managed to create beautiful glossy booklets that celebrate their beautiful dishes.

The dishes can be ordered from the A La Carte (the best option if you know exactly what you want) or from the Set Menus (recommended if you are in a group and want to try different and new things).

On another note, I have rarely found waiters as attentive and helpful as in Sticks 'n' Sushi. The staff are very knowledgeable about the dishes and drinks and always happy to recommend you dishes that will suit your tastes. I usually let them guide me, as the menu is extensive and everything looks amazing, I never know what to choose.

I had dinner at Sticks 'n' Sushi in mid-January after two weeks of what everyone calls "detox" (ie. a diet), so let's just say I arrived at the restaurant with a good appetite and keen to treating myself with delicious drinks and food. The cocktails looked too good to miss, so we started with a Wild Berry Club (gin, citrus and wild blueberry jam) and a Raspberry Shojito (their version of a Mojito, with rum replaced by vodka and shochu).

We ordered two starters to begin with: Ebi Bites (tempura shrimp, chilli, coriander, pepper, miso aioli & fresh lime) which are everyone's favourite; and the special Soya Shake Bites (smoked salmon rolls on avocado mousse) which were recommended by our lovely waitress.

For the main course we ordered a selection of sushi and yakitori dishes from the A La Carte menu. I have tried quite a few rolls at Sticks 'n' Sushi in Wimbledon and one of my favourites are the Hell's Kitchen rolls (shrimp tempura and avocado inside-out rolls).

This time I wanted to try something new, so I asked the waitress for recommendations and ordered Black cod dragon Uramaki (miso marinated black cod, avocado, cream cheese, unagi sauce, rolled in chilli sesame) and Coal Crab Futomaki (soft-shell crab, coal-black rice, lettuce, avocado, red tobiko, spicy sauce & unagi sauce).

The Coal Crab rolls have immediately become my new favourites! I don't like soft-shell crab eaten on its own, but I love it in sushi rolls; the charcoal coloured rice makes these rolls special.

We then tried a few of the yakitori dishes: Chicken breast (topped with chilli dip, teriyaki and spring onion), Miso marinated pork and Panko Breaded Pork (with Wasabi Ceasar dressing). The yakitori were served after the sushi to ensure we ate the meat still warm.

I always save some space for desserts and I remembered how amazing the cakes at Sticks 'n' Sushi were! The Marcel Chocolate Cake (with chocolate tuille & crunchy sugar tossed in matcha) remains my favourite! We also ordered a scoop of Peanut Ice cream with sesame nougatine, which we ate with the chocolate cake, creating an awesome flavour combination!

Dining at Sticks 'n' Sushi is not cheap (as you would expect from any nice sushi place) and our bill came up to £100, with two drinks each and enough food to feed three people. I normally spend around £30 to eat there, so unless you are used to spending all your money on eating out (like me), I would save this restaurant for a special occasion. It is definitely worth the money, in my opinion! I highly recommend Sticks 'n' Sushi for the food, atmosphere and service. With their new central location it is the perfect place for a party or a date.

Disclaimer: I was a guest at Sticks 'n' Sushi Covent Garden. All views are my own.